The Vice President of the United States who was charged with treason was Aaron Burr, the third Vice President, serving from 1801 to 1805. After leaving office, Burr became involved in what became known as the "Burr Conspiracy," a scheme allegedly aimed at seizing Spanish territories and forming an independent nation. He was arrested in 1807 and charged with treason for assembling an armed force to take New Orleans and separating the western states from the Atlantic states. Burr was brought to trial in Richmond, Virginia, presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall. The trial was a landmark case because it tested the constitutional definition of treason. Burr was acquitted because the prosecution failed to produce sufficient evidence that he had committed the overt act of levying war against the United States as required by the Constitution. Despite his acquittal, the trial destroyed Burr's political career and public image, and he eventually fled to Europe before returning and living the rest of his life out of power and in debt. This case remains one of the most famous treason trials in American history.
