Frank Caraballo of Holyoke indicted for Vermont killing

RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) - A Holyoke man has been indicted on a charge of killing a woman during a drug deal in southern Vermont last year.

A federal grand jury ion Wednesday indicted 28-year-old Frank Caraballo of Holyoke in the death of Melissa Barratt. The indictment also alleges that he conspired to distribute heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine.

Caraballo was initially charged in state court in Brattleboro with second degree murder but that case was dismissed after the federal government decided to prosecute the case.

Court records say Caraballo had accused Barratt of stealing a significant amount of drugs from his Brattleboro motel room. Federal prosecutors say when she did not return the drugs, Caraballo took her to Dummerston and shot her. Her body was found in a wooded area on July 29, 2011.