By Associated Press - Thursday, June 1, 2017

RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) - The federal government has abandoned efforts to seize a Vermont boarding house that prosecutors say was a haven for drug activity.

Prosecutors said Wednesday the Rutland building was sold and the new local owners might be better able to monitor and report drug use. The government dropped a civil forfeiture action against the building.

The Rutland Herald reports (https://bit.ly/2qET1ig ) that Michael Petruccelli, the son of the former owners, was convicted in 2015 on charges that he rented rooms to drug dealers and accepted narcotics as rent payment.



Court documents say one of the new owners, John Ruggiero, has agreed to notify police of suspected drug activity, evict tenants convicted of felony drug crimes and work with law enforcement to prevent “the illegal use of the property.”

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Information from: Rutland Herald, https://www.rutlandherald.com/

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