Adam Champagne Pleads Not Guilty to Bank Robbery

Burlington, Vermont - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Adam Champagne, 42, a Burlington native who currently has no stable residence, pleaded not guilty on November 8, 2024 in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge of bank robbery. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered that Champagne be held without bail pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

On October 24, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Champagne with robbing a bank on Shelburne Road in South Burlington on September 25, 2024. According to court records, Champagne told the bank teller that he had a bomb in a bag he was carrying. Local law enforcement arrested Champagne on this charge on November 7. According to court records, Champagne is suspected of robbing three other banks in the Burlington area since last summer.

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the indictment is merely an accusation and that Champagne is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

If convicted, Champagne faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

This case was investigated by the South Burlington, Burlington, and Essex police departments, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Champagne is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.