BARRE — A Williamstown woman has been sentenced to three to 10 years to serve for supplying drugs to a man who overdosed and died in Montpelier in September 2021, among other charges.
Renee Marie Guy, 29, was sentenced Thursday in Washington County criminal court in Barre on felony counts of dispensing a regulated drug with death resulting, larceny from a person and selling fentanyl, as well as a misdemeanor count of giving false information to police and four misdemeanor counts of violating conditions of release. Guy pleaded guilty to the charges in June, except for the larceny from a person charge, which she pleaded no contest to.
A felony count of assault and robbery was amended by the state to larceny from a person, per the plea agreement. The state also agreed to dismiss a felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor counts of aggravated disorderly conduct and violating conditions of release.
Guy will receive credit for time served as part of her sentence. She had been held on $50,000 bail since May. She is currently housed at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington.
In the dispensing case, Guy’s co-defendant, Cindy Lou Abbott-Hartman, 52, of Barre, has pleaded not guilty to a felony count of dispensing a regulated drug with death resulting. The charge against Abbott-Hartman is still pending.
Matthew Hayes, 22, was found unresponsive at the Econo Lodge on Northfield Street in Montpelier in September 2021, according to court records. Police said Hayes died of an apparent overdose on his birthday. He was found by his father who reportedly tried to revive Hayes by performing CPR, but was unsuccessful.
Court records show a witness reported he had taken Hayes to buy crack cocaine from Abbott-Hartman.
Police said a second witness, a cousin of the first witness, reported he had taken Hayes to Barre. This witness reported Hayes was taken to Guy so Hayes could buy two bags of fentanyl and more crack cocaine. Police said the witness reported Hayes smoked the bags of fentanyl before returning to the hotel and was acting normally.
According to court records, an autopsy showed Hayes died from an overdose of cocaine and fentanyl. Police said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Steven Shapiro reported the levels of cocaine and fentanyl were so high in Hayes’ body that either drug could have caused Hayes’ death. Hayes died died minutes after using, according to court records.
For the conviction for selling fentanyl, police said Guy sold the drug to a cooperating individual during a controlled buy in August 2021.
For the larceny from a person conviction, police said Guy robbed a woman in November who was looking to buy heroin. The woman met with Guy who then pulled a knife on the victim, according to court records. Police said the victim reported she handed over $280 in cash to Guy because she was afraid Guy was going to stab her.
Kristopher Wells, 31, was charged with a felony count of accessory aiding in the commission of an assault and robbery and a misdemeanor count of heroin possession for his alleged role in the incident. Wells died unexpectedly in February. The charges against him have since been dismissed.
Abbott-Hartman is facing another felony charge in an unrelated matter. She pleaded not guilty in February to a felony count of aggravated vehicle operation without the owner’s consent. If convicted on that charge, she faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. This case also is still pending.
Police said a woman in Barre reported in February she had let Abbott-Hartman borrow her vehicle to go to the store four days prior and Abbott-Hartman was refusing to return the vehicle. Police located the vehicle in Washington, according to court records, with Abbott-Hartman sitting in the driver’s seat.
She reported the victim had allowed her to use the vehicle in exchange for drugs and had only revoked consent to drive the vehicle the day prior, not four days before as the victim reported, according to court records.
eric.blaisdell @timesargus.com
