ATTORNEY GENERAL DROPS CHARGES ON EX-ST. ALBANS COP, FATHER
The Attorney General’s Office announced that the State of Vermont filed a notice yesterday in Franklin County Superior Court for dismissal without prejudice of criminal charges against Allen Pigeon, 57, of Swanton, Vermont, and Zachary Pigeon, 30, of St. Albans, Vermont, including charges of Burglary, Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault, and Obstruction of Justice.
Prosecutors said they are unable to meet the requirements at this time to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the Pidgeons committed the crimes. The move by prosecutors, however, does not completely exonerate the two men.
The charges, filed in late April by the Franklin County State’s Attorney, involved allegations that Allen and Zachary Pigeon entered the home of a woman on April 5, 2020, and assaulted her outside of her home. The Franklin County State’s Attorney requested that the Attorney General’s Office take over the prosecution of the cases due to a conflict of interest. The matter was investigated by detectives of the Vermont State Police.
SEE RELATED: COP, FATHER CHARGED FOR OBSTRUCTION AND ASSAULT RELATED TO POSSIBLE SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE
In addition, the State of Vermont also filed a notice to dismiss without prejudice sexual assault charges against Zachary Pigeon alleged to have occurred over the course of five years when the same woman was a child.
Zachary Pigeon was a police officer with the St. Albans Police Department at the time of his arrest, and his father, Allen, is a plumber and Real Estate agent. According to the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office, Allen owns and operates Allen’s Green Mountain Plumbing and Heating Services LLC as well as ADAD Properties LLC, both located in Swanton. Allen also holds a real estate license, according to state records.
The 26-year-old victim listed in the case, told police that Zachary had sexually assaulted her repeatedly while the two were adolescents- continuing for at least four years, only subsiding when Zachary entered the Marines. She did also tell police the sexual abuse continued on a more sporadic basis when he returned from North Carolina, while on leave, when he was in the Service.
Zachary initially denied having any sexual contact with the victim, but later recanted his statement about not having any sexual contact with her, explaining that in 2018 the two had a consensual encounter. He told police he first lied about it because he was shameful about that, but that the woman had initiated the encounter.
Allen and Zachary were accused of assaulting the woman in an attempt to keep her quiet of the sexual assault allegations. Zachary later told police he was with Rachel Taylor, the niece of then St. Albans Police Chief Gary Taylor.
“This is not a situation where the complaining witness came forward,” Wheeler told Judge Gregory Rainville during Zachary’s arraignment, “It was actually her father who reported the allegation, however [she] had reported to her sister and her boyfriend some time ago.”
“The complaining witness can not be safe in her own home,” Wheeler later added.
Chief Gary Taylor placed Zachary on unpaid administrative leave, and he was forced to turn in his gun, badge, and ID, pending the outcome of the Department’s own investigation.
An inquiry by the County Courier on Thursday to Dominic Cloud, City Manager, Zachary’s employment with the City was terminated and he is no longer on the payroll.
If the charges stuck, and a conviction happened, the kidnapping charge could have resulted in a life sentence for both men, but each man also faced other charges totaling up to 26 years in prison.
The state also filed charges for aggravated sexual assault against Zachary, that charge was also dropped, but carried a penalty of life imprisonment for the former officer.
