Burlington Man Arrested on 10-Year-Old Fugitive Warrant

Chittenden County deputies arrested a Burlington man on Monday afternoon after locating him on the front porch of the former Wilson Hotel on lower Church Street. The building, operated by the Committee on Temporary Shelter, serves as transitional housing. Officers from the Street Crimes Division took Stephen J. Silva, 55, into custody without resistance around 2 p.m.

Silva, formerly of Springfield, Mass., is being held as a fugitive from justice for a bank robbery in Woonsocket, R.I., that occurred in 2016. Detective Paul McManus said the division recently learned of the outstanding warrant and determined Silva was residing in the Burlington area. Sheriff Dan Gamelin noted that an intensive investigation traced Silva to the Church Street location.

The arrest brings closure to a decade-long search for Silva, who has a history of bank robberies across New England. Authorities stated that following his initial December 2016 arrest in Vermont, Silva was implicated in at least 18 other bank robberies on the east coast in the preceding months. He had been working for a food service company in Chittenden County prior to his capture.

The original Vermont case began on Dec. 10, 2016, when state police reported Silva robbed Mascoma Savings Bank of $1,140 on Vermont 12 in Hartland. Police said a lone man entered the bank near U.S. 5, demanded cash from teller Bernice Clark, and fled on foot without displaying a weapon. Two days later, officers searched Silva’s room at the Super 8 in White River Junction and his vehicle, recovering clothing worn during the robbery.

Silva’s legal troubles extended beyond the 2016 incident. Court records show he was a convicted felon with prior convictions for armed robbery in Massachusetts and robbery/larceny in Connecticut. The black Toyota Solara he drove during the Hartland robbery was stolen from Massachusetts, as was its Connecticut license plate. He eventually pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, while two bank robbery charges were dropped in the plea deal.

Federal Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Silva to 57 months in prison in 2016, recommending the facility in Danbury, Conn., followed by three years of supervised release. Silva completed his sentence but was ordered to perform 10 hours of community service after being found to have smoked marijuana at least four times between January 2021 and September 2023. He acknowledged awareness of the Rhode Island arrest warrant, according to court papers.

Vermont Superior Court Judge Colin Owyang set cash bail at $20,000 on Tuesday. Detective Lt. Michael Longevin said Silva was transported to the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans pending his arraignment.