MONTPELIER, VT — A 22-year-old Winooski man is facing fraud, identity theft and grand larceny charges after Vermont State Police say he took $18,000 from two people in Moretown through an online scam. Investigators allege Tyrin Smith used electronic communications to gain access to the victims’ bank accounts and then moved the money into an account he opened under a false name. Police said the case led to a search warrant at his home Wednesday evening, where they say they found evidence connecting him to the alleged scheme. Smith has pleaded not guilty to the newest charges.
How Police Say It Worked
According to state police, the fraud started with electronic contact that allowed Smith to deceive the victims and obtain access to their accounts. Investigators say the money was then transferred into a bank account created under a fake identity. A supplemental affidavit says police later found a fake ID card during the search of Smith’s home, and that the card matched the identification used to open the account. The allegations involve two victims and a total loss of $18,000. Authorities have not described the exact communications used, but the case was treated as a financial crime that relied on false identity and digital access.
Court And Bail Status
Washington County State’s Attorney Michelle Donnelly said her office reviewed the case and will prosecute it. Smith was initially held at the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility and later posted $8,000 for bail, according to the court record described in the source. But on Thursday, a judge ordered him held in Burlington for violating the terms of probation tied to an earlier case. Washington County Judge Michael Harris said a hearing could be held as soon as next week, and noted that current curfew issues for the county could be addressed at that time. Smith remains subject to the court process on both the new charges and the probation matter.
Firearm Also Seized
Police also reported taking a firearm during the search, saying it had been stolen from the University of Vermont Police Department in March 2025. The supplemental affidavit says Smith was barred from possessing any firearm because of a prior burglary conviction. That detail adds another layer to the case, which is already tied to allegations of fraud and identity theft. The seizure of the gun was not the basis of the newest charges listed by police, but it appeared in the affidavit as part of the evidence gathered at the home search. State police said the investigation remains connected to both the financial allegations and the items recovered at the residence.
Earlier Burlington Case
This is not the first serious case involving Smith. In 2023, state police said Tyrin Smith and his brother Fortune Smith were accused of breaking into an apartment in downtown Burlington and shooting the wrong person in the chest. Tyrin Smith was 19 at the time and pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, but later accepted a plea deal in 2024 on the burglary charge. Vermont State Police said the man arrested in Wednesday’s fraud case is the same Tyrin Smith involved in the Burlington incident. The earlier case, the new fraud allegations and the probation violation now place him before the courts again in Vermont.
