White River Junction
Larry Daigle, who is on a leave of absence from Friends of Veterans, allegedly touched the girl between December 2016 and December 2017 in Granville, N.Y., the town where he lives, according to court documents filed in Fort Ann (N.Y.) Town Court in June 2017.
The 67-year-old Daigle faces charges of endangering the welfare of a child, forcible touching and unlawful imprisonment.
Daigle, a veteran himself, has been making the two-hour trip from Granville to White River Junction to volunteer at the Friends of Veterans office, according to his biography on the nonprofit’s website. The town of Granville borders Vermont, sitting about 15 miles south of Castleton, Vt.
Daigle’s attorney, Tucker Stanclift, of Queensbury, N.Y., reserved comment because the case is still pending, but said that the charges are “likely to be resolved in a non-criminal fashion.”
Saratoga (N.Y.) County District Attorney Karen A. Heggen didn’t return request for comment.
The charges that involve endangering the welfare of a child and forcible touching allege that Daigle touched the girl inappropriately and told her not to tell anyone. The unlawful imprisonment charge alleges that he pulled his truck over in Granville and asked the girl a question, while she was seated in his vehicle, and refused to let her leave, according to the court documents.
An accompanying statement by the victim from early June 2017 indicates the girl “finally” came forward about the alleged abuse because she “couldn’t take it anymore. It’s been going on far too long and it needs to stop.”
The charges are all Class A misdemeanors, and are punishable by up to a year in jail.
In 2017, Friends of Veterans provided a record amount of assistance to veterans, more than any other year in the organization’s 30-year history. The organization gave out $134,775 in assistance to veterans and their families in Vermont and New Hampshire, a 43 percent increase over the prior year.
The organization provides veterans help with home repairs, paying utilities and obtaining service dogs.
Friends of Veterans Interim President Patt Taylor confirmed that Daigle still was on a leave of absence from the nonprofit.
“We really don’t want to comment on the situation until it’s totally resolved,” Taylor said on Tuesday.
Daigle was drafted into the Army in 1970 and served one year in Vietnam. He worked in the plumbing and heating and construction business before becoming disabled by PTSD, his biography on the Friends of Veterans’ website states.
Daigle is due in Fort Ann Town Court on June 6 for a hearing.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.