District of Maine
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud in Maine and Oregon and Illegal Gun Possession in FloridaRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Fort Lauderdale, Florida man pleaded guilty in federal court today to committing bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, in November 2020, Leonardo Cameron, 27, and coconspirators broke into unattended vehicles in southern Maine and New Hampshire and stole personal identifying information, such as driver’s licenses and checkbooks. They then used the identifications to cash stolen checks using multiple bank drive-through lanes in southern Maine. As part of the scheme, checks from one theft victim’s account were made payable to another identity theft victim, and a female coconspirator impersonated the identity theft victims to cash the stolen checks. In July 2020, Cameron engaged in similar conduct in Oregon with different coconspirators. When he was arrested in Florida months later on Oregon federal bank fraud and identity theft charges, he possessed a firearm and ammunition. He has a prior felony conviction that precludes him from possessing firearms or ammunition. Cameron agreed to transfer jurisdiction over the Florida and Oregon charges to the District of Maine for the purpose of entering guilty pleas to all pending federal charges.
Cameron faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine followed by up to five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Eliot, Maine Police Department; the FBI in Portland, Maine; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Portland, Oregon; and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida investigated these cases.
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U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee Statement on Transgender Awareness Week and Transgender Day of RemembranceRead the Press Release
This week, the Human Rights Campaign announced in its annual report that at least 32 transgender and gender-nonconforming people have been killed in the United States in 2022 – “at least” because transgender victims may be misgendered in news or police reports, and deaths of transgender people often go unreported. The report described the victims as “overwhelmingly Black, under 35 and killed with a firearm” with trans women disproportionately at risk.
Transgender rights are human rights, and no one should ever be a target of a crime or harassment because of who they are. This week marks Transgender Awareness Week, and this Sunday is Transgender Day of Remembrance, a worldwide observance to remember and honor transgender victims of violence. It is an opportunity to bring attention to the threats and harassment transgender people face – including here in Maine – and to acknowledge those who have been victimized simply for being who they are.
I am aware that there is a feeling of mistrust among transgender Mainers towards law enforcement, and I understand and acknowledge the root causes of that wariness. I want all Mainers to feel seen, heard and respected in their interactions with law enforcement and to feel safe to report when they are the victim of crime. I am committed to doing what I can in my role as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine, and I welcome the opportunity to work with LGBTQ+ leaders in Maine to build that trust.
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Old Town Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Old Town man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced William Abney, 57, to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Abney pleaded guilty on April 28, 2022.
According to court records, in October 2021, a concerned citizen saw Abney in possession of an AK-47 style rifle in the living room of his Old Town residence and notified the police. Based on this and other information, investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence. During the warrant’s execution, Abney admitted that he possessed an AK‑47 and law enforcement located the weapon and a magazine full of ammunition. Abney has previous convictions which preclude him from possessing a firearm, including a 1999 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Old Town Police Department, and the Brewer Police Department investigated the case. The Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Florida Man Faces up to 30 Years, $1M Fine Following Bank Fraud Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Fort Lauderdale, Florida man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to committing bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to court records, in November 2020, Travis McNair, 26, and coconspirators broke into unattended vehicles and stole personal identifying information, such as driver’s licenses and checkbooks. They then used the identifications to cash stolen checks using multiple bank drive-through lanes in southern Maine. In the scheme, checks from one theft victim’s account were made payable to another identity theft victim, and one of McNair’s coconspirators impersonated the identity theft victim to cash the stolen check.
McNair faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine followed by up to five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and the Eliot Police Department investigated the case.
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Saco Woman Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Saco woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to committing bankruptcy fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in April 2020, Christina Q. Shea, 45, initiated a fraudulent bankruptcy proceeding and submitted filings to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Portland containing numerous false statements. Shea filed the fraudulent bankruptcy using the name and identifying information of another person, falsely representing as her own the other person’s name, Social Security number, employment information, and a fake email address she created. Shea also forged the other person’s name on a money order she submitted to the Bankruptcy Court and later posed as the person while taking an online credit counseling course.
Shea faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Straw Purchases of Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to violate the federal firearms laws.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Malachi Martins, aka “Steve,” 28, to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Martins pleaded guilty on May 26, 2022.
According to court records, from October 2019 through January 2020, Martins purchased at least seven firearms from licensed dealers in Kittery and Gray using a straw purchaser. Martins, a known drug trafficker, paid for the firearms with drug proceeds and paid the coconspirator by forgiving his drug debt. He then distributed the firearms in Massachusetts.
Straw purchasing typically involves a buyer who can lawfully purchase firearms but who then provides them to another person who is legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms, therefore allowing the prohibited person to illegally obtain firearms and avoid the national background check system. Martins is prohibited from possessing firearms due to two previous convictions.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee Statement on Active Shooter HoaxRead the Press Release
Hoax threats disrupt school, waste law enforcement resources, and put first responders in unnecessary danger while causing emotional distress to entire communities, including students, school personnel, and parents. It's also a serious federal crime. Those who post or send these threats can receive time in federal prison and could also face state or local charges.
Maine is the latest state to fall victim to a wave of “swatting” incidents, with multiple communities today feeling the fear that has been shared by so many across the country. Every report of an active shooter is taken seriously by law enforcement at all levels. Today was no different, and I commend the local, state, and federal law enforcement for their swift action and coordinated response.
We know all too well that school shootings happen. From Columbine, to Sandy Hook, to Parkland, to Uvalde, to far too many others, past tragedies are engrained in our collective memories. We know that a similar tragedy could happen anywhere – even here in Maine. An unfortunate consequence of hoaxes like today’s is that false reports can make people question the validity of future threats. It is vital that we all remain vigilant. If you see or hear something, notify authorities to give them the opportunity to investigate but avoid spreading unsubstantiated rumors which can spread misinformation and cause panic.
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Waterville Man Indicted for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorists, Possessing Unregistered Destructive DevicesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville man was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and possession of unregistered destructive devices, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
A federal grand jury charged Xavier Pelkey, 19, in a two-count superseding indictment returned on November 9. Pelkey was originally indicted on April 15, 2022.
According to the superseding indictment and other court records, between November 2021 and February 2022, Pelkey conspired with other individuals to conduct a violent attack on a Shia mosque in the Chicago area. The indictment also alleges that on February 11 of this year, Pelkey possessed destructive devices, specifically three homemade explosive devices that were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
If convicted, Pelkey faces up to 15 years in prison on the material support charge and 10 years in prison on the destructive device charge.
The FBI investigated the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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New York Woman Faces up to 20 Years in Federal Prison, $1M Fine Following Conviction for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A federal jury convicted a New York woman today for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute following a four-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Portland. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Darcie N. McElwee
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on December 26, 2018, Jenny Santana-Vasquez, 36, was stopped by a Maine State Trooper on I-95 northbound near Biddeford for exceeding the speed limit. Santana-Vasquez’s license was suspended as was the vehicle registration. Following an alert from a drug detection dog, Santana-Vasquez admitted to the trooper that she had something hidden on her person. Further investigation revealed approximately 99 grams of fentanyl.
Santana-Vasquez faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL) Forensic Chemistry Section.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids.
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Waterville Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, on October 15, 2021, officers with the Waterville Police Department arrested Patrick Hanson, 31, after receiving information that he had threatened another individual. After his arrest, Hanson was found to have a total of seven packages of suspected narcotics on his person or in his immediate possession, including one package that he had kicked under a door at the police station. In total, police seized approximately 43 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl. Hanson was convicted in 2013 for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Hanson faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million. He also faces a minimum of six years and up to life of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Waterville Police Department, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Bangor Man Sentenced to 2 ½ Years for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Court Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Kristopher Churchill, 40, to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Churchill pleaded guilty on April 21, 2022.
According to court records, on April 5, 2021, Churchill was stopped by a Maine State Trooper for multiple traffic violations. The trooper asked for a drug detection dog to come to the stop, and the dog alerted to the presence of drugs. During a search of the vehicle, a large amount of suspected fentanyl or heroin in plastic shopping bags was discovered in the back seat floorboard area as well as in a box within arm’s reach of Churchill. Laboratory analysis confirmed the packages contained fentanyl. The quantity of fentanyl seized was consistent with distribution as opposed to a personal use quantity.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Maine State Police investigated this case.
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Presque Isle Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking Following Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle woman pleaded guilty and was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Crystal Greenlaw, 32, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release following her guilty plea. Greenlaw had previously pleaded guilty in August 2021 to a conspiracy charge that required a mandatory minimum sentence. She pleaded guilty today to a substitute charge that did not include a mandatory minimum sentence.
According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico. Greenlaw and her co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine. Greenlaw made at least two trips to obtain methamphetamine and transport it back to Maine.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Home Invasion in YorkRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Manchester, New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy, robbery and firearm charges stemming from a violent home invasion in York, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in August 2019, Jason Candelario, 33, and three other co-conspirators met in Hooksett, New Hampshire and planned a home invasion of a York residence to rob marijuana and marijuana sale proceeds from the home’s resident. The group traveled to the York residence where Candelario and one co-conspirator, armed with handguns and wearing masks, waited in the woods for the victim to return home. When the victim arrived home, accompanied by two others, a violent physical altercation ensued. During the fight, a firearm was discharged, and the bullet struck the victim in the lower abdomen. Candelario and the co-conspirator fled. Police arrived approximately 15 minutes later, and the victim was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery to remove a .45 caliber bullet from his lower abdomen.
At the time of the home invasion Candelario had four prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
Candelario faces a period of imprisonment of up to 20 years on the conspiracy charge, up to 20 years on the robbery charge and up to 10 years on the firearm charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-conspirator Derek Daprato, 34, from Hookset, New Hampshire entered a plea of not guilty and is scheduled for trial in December.
The FBI, in conjunction with the York Police Department and the York County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.
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Former Bangor Business Owner Sentenced to 20 Months for Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Skowhegan man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for a bank fraud scheme arising from his applications for Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nathan Reardon, 44, formerly of Brewer, Maine, to 20 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Reardon pleaded guilty on July 5, 2022.
In imposing sentence, Judge Walker called Reardon’s conduct “a fundamental breach of the public trust during a time of public crisis.”
According to court records, Reardon owned and controlled Global Disruptive Technologies Inc., a Bangor-based business. In April 2020, Reardon obtained a $59,145 PPP loan for Global Disruptive Technologies Inc. using false employee wage information and false supporting payroll documentation. Reardon then improperly spent the PPP funds on items and expenses he knew were not covered by the program. After receiving the first loan, Reardon submitted additional fraudulent PPP applications to the same bank in April and May 2020. Two of the applications were for companies that had no active business operations, employees or payroll.
The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law, enacted in March 2020, that was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.
Businesses were required to use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a set period and used at least a certain percentage of the funds for payroll expenses.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration investigated the case.
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Criminal Division Announces First Arrest and Charges by the New England Prescription Opioid Strike ForceRead the Press Release
A Maine doctor was arrested today in Kennebunk on criminal charges related to her alleged illegal distribution of opioids and other controlled substances.
According to court documents, Merideth C. Norris, D.O., 52, of Kennebunk, allegedly prescribed opioids, and other controlled substances, outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Due to her dangerous prescribing, as a condition of her release, Norris cannot prescribe any Schedule II-V controlled substances.
Norris is charged in an indictment with 10 counts of illegal distribution of opioids and other controlled substances. The defendant made her initial court appearance on Oct. 26. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the top counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Administrator Anne Milgram of the DEA; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta of the FBI Boston Field Office made the announcement.
The HHS-OIG, DEA, and FBI are investigating the case.
Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Kilby Macfadden and Trial Attorneys Patrick Queenan and Thomas Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force operates as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts of the Criminal Division, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and special agents and investigators with HHS-OIG, DEA, FBI, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the State Medicaid Fraud Control Units. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances.
Information about available treatment programs is available as follows:
Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers using substances through harm reduction strategies, helping them on the road to recovery, and dramatically reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiate addiction, please contact 211 to receive help and find information about local treatment programs.
New Hampshire: For a referral to addiction treatment services, please call 211. If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis, please call or text the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. New Hampshire residents can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resources to help. Vermont 211 (https://vermont211.org/) is available. To speak to someone about substance use resources including treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) or visit online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs 802-651-1550. All information and referral services are free and confidential.
For individuals seeking help in other states, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Sailor Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Michigan man was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for sexually abusing a minor, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Matthew Boyd, 33, to five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Boyd pleaded guilty on January 25, 2022.
According to court records, in August 2009, Boyd was a 20-year-old active-duty sailor stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard when he began corresponding with a then 11-year-old on Myspace. When the minor was 12, she visited Boyd at the shipyard, and the two engaged in a sexual act. In October 2020, the now adult victim working with law enforcement reached out to Boyd and during the conversation, Boyd confessed.
“The passage of time will not shield sexual predators,” McElwee said. “This case is a fine example of the diligence and commitment to justice we expect to see from our law enforcement community. It is critically important that regardless of the passage of time, sexual predators, particularly those who victimize children, are held accountable for their conduct within the bounds of the law. May the courage of this survivor be an encouraging message to those who have been similarly traumatized that they can seek and achieve justice.”
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case.
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US Attorney Darcie McElwee Appoints District Election Officer to Ensure Voter Access, Poll Worker SafetyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) John Osborn will lead the efforts of her office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022 general election. AUSA Osborn has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Maine, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.
U.S. Attorney McElwee said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
U.S. Attorney McElwee stated, “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Osborn will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. Anyone with election day concerns can contact AUSA Osborn at 207-771-3214 or AUSA Andrew McCormack in our Bangor office at 207-262-4615.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI office can be reached by the public at 207-541-0700.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
U.S. Attorney McElwee said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
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Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking Maine WomanRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to cyberstalking, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, between March 2019 and September 2019, Larry Spencer, 63, of Providence, Rhode Island and formerly of Maryland, cyberstalked his former spouse. The victim ended their brief marriage in 2016 and filed for a restraining order in Maryland. Despite the restraining order and the victim relocating, Spencer continued to harass and intimidate the victim on social media and by email. The harassment and threats continued after the victim moved to Maine in 2018 and obtained a protection from abuse order in March 2019. The protection order included explicit language that the “Defendant shall not post any direct or indirect threats about or concerning the plaintiff on social media/online.”
Spencer faces up to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, followed by up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Glenburn Woman Sentenced to 20 Years on Federal Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Glenburn woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for conspiring to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and unlawfully possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Danielle McBreairty, 31, to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. McBreairty was also sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for two counts of being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of a firearm, with the sentences to run concurrently.
In imposing sentence, Judge Walker referred to McBreairty as a “profiteer of poison” and an “out of control missile.”
According to court records, between September 2019 and February 2021, McBreairty conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. As part of the conspiracy, she would obtain large quantities of the drugs from her source and distribute them throughout Penobscot and Aroostook counties. In February 2020 and again in August 2020, McBreairty, who was an unlawful user of controlled substances, was found in possession of a firearm.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. The Old Town and Bangor police departments assisted in the investigation. U.S. Attorney McElwee also thanked the Maine Attorney General’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution.
The prosecution is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
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Caswell Woman Faces 10 Years to Life and up to a $10M Fine Following Seizure of 92 lbs. of Methamphetamine and 5 HandgunsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Caswell woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to possession of more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and possession of firearms by an unlawful user of controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, on May 5, 2022, Nicole McLaughlin, 41, was in a single-vehicle car accident in Presque Isle. Responding officers from the Presque Isle Police Department discovered methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a handgun in her vehicle. Agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency responded and investigated further. A search of McLaughlin’s residence resulted in the seizure of a large safe containing approximately 92 pounds of methamphetamine, four handguns, including one with an obliterated serial number, and documents bearing her name.
McLaughlin faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment and a $10 million fine on the drug charge, and up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on the firearm charge. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case, with assistance from the Presque Isle Police Department and the Maine State Police. U.S. Attorney McElwee thanked the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office for the consultation and coordination it provided.
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Auburn Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Auburn man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to manufacturing more than 50 marijuana plants and possessing more than 50 kilograms of marijuana with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, on February 27, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Auburn residence of Brian Bilodeau, 38. During the search, agents seized about 180 pounds of marijuana, four firearms, a money-counting machine, a 2016 Lamborghini Huracan, and a 2014 Nissan GT-R.
Agents also searched a warehouse in Auburn used to cultivate marijuana. At this location, agents seized approximately 321 marijuana plants and 181 pounds of marijuana. This marijuana was cultivated by Bilodeau and others.
In rejecting Bilodeau’s earlier argument that he was cultivating marijuana in compliance with Maine’s Medical Marijuana Program (MMMP), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit stated that Bilodeau and others “were knowingly engaged in a large-scale … black-market marijuana operation aimed at supplying marijuana to persons known not to be qualifying patients.” Similarly, the district court noted that “[t]he drug ledgers seized from Bilodeau’s residence indicate a sales operation that extended far beyond patient supply consistent with the MMMP.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations investigated the case with assistance from numerous federal, state and local law enforcement partners.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins Justice Department in Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Maine has the highest percentage of older adults in the country,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Last year, 475 senior Mainers reported being the victim of fraud, with losses totally more than $2.5M. We believe that actual losses are likely to be far higher as fear and embarrassment often keep seniors from reporting that they have been victimized by these cruel scams.”
As part of the District of Maine’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. In September, the U.S. Attorney’s Office distributed a 30-second PSA about spotting elder fraud scams and a 45-second PSA about “grandparent scams” to law enforcement and senior-related organizations around the state to use to educate their local communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also distribute information directly this winter, beginning with the People Plus Senior Health Expo in Brunswick on October 20.
“Our goal is to educate Maine seniors about current scam tactics,” McElwee said. “The perpetrators are professionals and know just how to reach and convince their victims, using everything from technology to their love for their grandchildren to bilk them out of their hard-earned savings. Knowing how to spot the red flags is key but so, too, is knowing when and how to report a scam. We know that it is difficult to admit that you were fooled, but the fraud only stops when the perpetrators are reported and caught. If you or a loved one were the victim of a senior scam, you should never hesitate to call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 and reach out to your local law enforcement to report it.”
The Department of Justice announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force by adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money.
Reporting Senior Fraud: Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. [ET]. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
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Corinth Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Corinth man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Francis Cahill, aka Bruce Cossett, 73, to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. Cahill pleaded guilty on March 31, 2022.
According to court records, the FBI and Denton (Texas) Police Department were tasked with finding Cahill and learned that he may have moved to Maine. The Maine State Police were asked to assist, and he was subsequently located and arrested at his residence in Corinth. During an interview with law enforcement, Cahill admitted that there were two firearms in his residence, and a search uncovered a .22 caliber rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun. He is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 1978 murder conviction in Texas.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Maine State Police and Denton Police Department investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney also extends a special thanks to the Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance on the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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Aroostook County Man Pleads Guilty to Importing Methamphetamine from CanadaRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Calais man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to importing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, Victor Sousa, 23, crossed from the U.S. into Canada via the Madawaska Port of Entry on July 2, 2019. When he re-entered the country a few hours later, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 93 pills hidden in his underwear. The pills had the word “ICE” imprinted on them and later tested positive for methamphetamine. Sousa agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement and admitted that he had gone to Canada to purchase the pills.
Sousa faces up to 20 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
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Portland Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Drug and Firearm Charges Following Fatal Overdose by Saco ResidentRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for drug trafficking and firearm offenses, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Hunter York, 23, to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. York was also ordered to forfeit four firearms and more than $15,000 in drug proceeds. He pleaded guilty on March 3, 2022.
According to court records, on January 31, 2020, York distributed cocaine and fentanyl to a Saco resident who fatally overdosed. Five days later, the Portland Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by York and discovered MDMA, fentanyl and two firearms during a search of the vehicle. Two additional firearms and more than 800 grams of fentanyl were recovered during a search of York’s residence.
This was a joint investigation involving the Portland, Biddeford, and Saco police departments as well as the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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Sanford Man Pleads Guilty to Arson at Multi-Unit Rental PropertyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Sanford man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to arson, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, on May 5, 2021, the Sanford Fire Department responded to a fire at a multi-unit rental property located at 38 Spruce Street. Despite extensive damage, firefighters were successful in saving the structure from collapse, and the most significant damage occurred to an apartment occupied at that time by Thomas McGinn, 49. When interviewed by investigators, McGinn confessed to intentionally starting the fire using gasoline and lighter fluid as accelerants. He explained that it was his intention to “burn the building down.”
McGinn faces a period of imprisonment of not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years and a fine up to a $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in conjunction with the Sanford Police Department and the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office, investigated the case.
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Augusta Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal Officer at Edmund S. Muskie Federal BuildingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Augusta man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to assaulting a federal officer, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. The charge stems from an April incident at the Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building in Augusta.
According to court records, on April 20, 2022, Derik Broox Wight, 41, entered the Muskie Federal Building and approached the security screening station, which was staffed by personnel contracted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service. Wight pressed a security officer against a wall and put a knife to the area of his throat. A second security officer drew his service weapon and ordered Wight to drop the knife. When Wight refused to comply, the officer fired a single shot, striking him. Wight was transported to an area hospital where he was subsequently charged.
Wight faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The Muskie Building houses multiple federal agencies, and the actions of these two security officers protected the lives of the many federal employees who work there,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee. “They should be commended for their brave actions which ensured that Mr. Wight was stopped at the security screening station, and no one else could be harmed.”
“Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer is dangerous and an extreme threat to public safety. Derik Wight is no exception, having admitted to pinning a protective security officer up against the wall with a knife at his throat, prompting another officer to take immediate action to prevent his colleague and innocent bystanders from being seriously hurt or killed,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We are incredibly thankful for that officer’s bravery, service, and dedication. Assaults on law enforcement officers undermine the rule of law, and those behind them will face significant consequences.”
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Augusta Police Department.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Agreement with Town of Limerick to Improve Voter AccessibilityRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with the Town of Limerick to resolve allegations that the town excluded a resident with a disability from voting, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
The settlement agreement resolves an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint filed by a voter with a mobility impairment who alleged that he was unable to vote at Limerick’s annual town meeting. The voter alleged that he was told that the first floor of Limerick Town Hall was full, and he would need to vote on the second floor which he was unable to access.
Under the ADA, state and local governmental entities may not exclude individuals with disabilities from participating in a voting program. State and local government entities must also make reasonable modifications to ensure that voters with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in voting programs unless the modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the voting program.
Under the settlement agreement, Limerick has agreed to make certain modifications to improve accessibility at its town hall for persons with mobility impairments. In addition, the town agreed to adopt a policy for program accessibility to ensure that all services, programs and activities held at the town hall are readily accessible to and usable by persons with mobility impairments.
“It’s noteworthy that this agreement comes today, on National Voter Registration Day,” McElwee said. “The freedom to participate in elections is a fundamental right, and all voters should and must have an equal opportunity to participate in the voting process. The remedial measures agreed to by Limerick will give individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in town voting, as required by the ADA. I hope that other cities and towns will proactively comply with this important civil rights law.”
The Town of Limerick cooperated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office during its investigation.
Individuals in Maine who believe their civil rights may have been violated may submit their complaints by accessing https://civilrights.justice.gov/. For more information on the ADA, or to access publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA, visit ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-800-514-0383 (TDD).
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Connecticut Man Sentenced to 11+ Years for Traveling to Maine to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with 13-Year-OldRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Connecticut man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland for traveling to Maine to have sex with a minor, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Devin Melycher, 30, to 135 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Melycher pleaded guilty on June 1, 2022.
According to court records, in August 2020, Melycher drove from his residence in Connecticut to Gorham, Maine to engage in sexual conduct with the minor victim. The trip followed weeks of contact between Melycher and the victim over Snapchat and other chat platforms during which time Melycher, who initially told the victim he was 19, pressured the victim to send sexually explicit images despite knowing the victim was only 13.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Gorham Police Department investigated the case.
“The evidence in this case showed that Devin Melycher is a sexual predator who indiscriminately distributed pornographic images of his body across chat platforms without regard to who received them or whether or not they were of legal age in an attempt to interact with them,” McElwee said. “He preyed upon minors, groomed them, and in the case of this victim, traveled to engage in illegal sexual acts despite knowing the victim was only 13.”
McElwee furthered warned parents of the growing role the internet and chat platforms play in exposing children to predators like Melycher.
“The internet opens up the world to our children, but it also exposes them to the world at a time when they may not be mature enough to understand or handle to consequences,” McElwee said. “Predators are increasingly using social media, apps and gaming platforms to find and access victims, and the consequences can be life-changing and tragic. Parents should remain vigilant and talk to their kids – often and repeatedly – about online safety, including why they should never engage online in any way with someone that they haven’t met in real life. It is so important that they know that images they share never really go away online and that they can and should confide in an adult they trust if anyone online ever says or does anything that makes them uncomfortable.”
If you suspect that a child is being sexually exploited online: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. The public and electronic service providers can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet. If you suspect that a child is being sexually exploited online, visit report.cybertip.org. or call 1-800-843-5678. To learn more about how to talk to your kids about online safety, visit missingkids.org/netsmartz.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sanford Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Possessing and Transporting Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Sanford man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for possessing and transporting child sexual abuse materials, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Trevan Nordmann, 31, to six years in prison and five years of supervised release. Nordmann pleaded guilty on March 28, 2022.
According to court records, on September 17, 2021, an online covert employee of the FBI was monitoring a group chat on Kik and engaged with a participant using the name “Jerry G”. “Jerry G,” who was later identified as Nordmann, sent the agent three videos showing minors engaged in sexually explicit content. During a subsequent search of Nordmann’s home, electronic devices were seized, and Nordmann admitted to sending the videos on Kik and that additional child pornography videos and images would be found on his cell phone. At least one of the videos showed a child under the age of 12.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: "Child pornography" captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Berwick Woman Pleads Guilty to Decade-Long Social Security Fraud and Housing Voucher Subsidy FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to Social Security fraud and theft of public money, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, from about March 2009 to February 2020, Andreanna Politano, 59, concealed the presence of her husband in her household to maintain her eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly. Politano also concealed her husband’s presence from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from about January 2018 to June 2021, during which time she received housing voucher subsidy benefits. Politano’s husband had sufficient income to render her ineligible for the benefits she received.
In multiple reviews of her eligibility for benefits, Politano falsely represented to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she and her husband had separated in October 2008 and had lived separately since that time. In an interview with law enforcement agents, she admitted concealing her living situation from SSA and HUD because she knew it would make her ineligible to receive benefits.
Politano faces up to five years in prison on the Social Security fraud charge and up to 10 years in prison on the theft of public money charge, a fine of up to $250,000 on each charge, and up to three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and HUD’s Office of the Inspector General.
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Kingfield Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Production and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Kingfield man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for production and possession of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Richard Hinkley, 56, of Kingfield to 20 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $16,500 in restitution. Hinkley pleaded guilty on March 11, 2022.
According to court records, between May 2009 and April 2010, Hinkley coerced a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct through online video chat communications. He recorded images of the minor during some of the sessions. The investigation revealed that Hinkley possessed a hard drive that contained images of child pornography including some he had collected using a peer-to-peer network. Some were sexually explicit images of prepubescent children under the age of 12.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: "Child pornography" captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Saint Albans Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Saint Albans man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base, fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jason Lee Lary, 40, to two years in prison and five years of supervised release. Lary pleaded guilty on February 3, 2022.
According to court records, in April 2021, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop during which Lary was found in possession of more than 50 grams of cocaine base, approximately 80 grams of a fentanyl mixture, approximately 40 grams of cocaine, almost 26 grams of methamphetamine and $4,250 in cash.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with the investigation.
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Honduran National Sentenced for Illegally Entering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Honduran national living in Auburn was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for entering the United States after a prior removal, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Santos Roman Pena Matute, 28, to thirteen months and a day in prison. Pena Matute pleaded guilty April 21, 2022.
According to court records, in January 2022, Pena Matute was arrested on domestic violence charges and detained at the Androscoggin Jail. After an investigation confirmed Pena Matute was illegally present in the U.S. and further revealed that he had previously been removed from the U.S. on four occasions, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer with the jail, and Pena Matute was charged with illegally entering the county after a prior removal. Pena Matute had been previously convicted in federal court in Texas for illegal re-entry into the United States and in California for attempted illegal entry.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case.
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Auburn Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking in Androscoggin CountyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Auburn man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Vincent Steed, 42, to ten years in prison and three years of supervised release. Steed pleaded guilty in December 2021.
According to court records, on two separate occasions in June 2021, Steed sold fentanyl and cocaine from his apartment in Auburn to a confidential informant working with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. At the time, Steed was on supervised release in connection with a 2016 federal drug trafficking conviction. Judge Torresen imposed an additional two years of imprisonment on Steed for violating his conditions of supervised release, to run concurrently.
The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
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International Overdose Awareness Day Highlights Need to Stop the Flow of Fentanyl into MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: On International Overdose Awareness Day, an annual commemoration to raise awareness of overdose prevention and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee warned of the serious fentanyl crisis and advocated for a coordinated effort to help those experiencing substance dependence while stopping the flow of drugs into Maine.
“Too many lives are being lost to fentanyl. Many, if not most, don’t even know they are taking it until it is too late,” McElwee said. “Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine – so potent that even an amount as small as two grains of salt can be deadly – yet dealers are mixing it into counterfeit pills to sell to unsuspecting buyers. We’ve even seen reports of a dangerous new trend of candy-colored or ‘rainbow fentanyl’ which could be a sign that traffickers are targeting even younger users.”
According to Mainedrugdata.org, through June 2022, there were nearly 5,000 overdoses in Maine, an increase of 18% over the same period last year. 329 Mainers died, and fentanyl – alone or used in combination with other drugs – is suspected to have a played a role in 77% of those deaths.
“Through the first half of this year, every single Maine county, from the largest to the smallest, had seen at least four overdose deaths,” McElwee said, citing data from the Maine Drug Data Hub. “One county, Franklin, had already surpassed the total number of deaths in 2021, and several other counties and the state overall are on pace to do the same. This is not just an issue for the state’s more urban areas. This is an issue from Aroostook County to York County.”
Stemming the tide of drugs flowing into the state by out-of-state traffickers is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Much of the work my office does is prosecuting those responsible for bringing illicit drugs, including fentanyl, into Maine from other states,” she said. “These prosecutions seek to accomplish three goals: stem the illegal distribution of drugs in Maine, send a message to traffickers that they will face serious repercussions, and provide some justice to Maine families impacted by drug dependence or the loss of a loved one to an overdose.”
But McElwee emphasized that law enforcement is just one part of the solution.
“We all play a role in raising awareness that substance use disorder is a disease that requires treatment, resources and coordinated attention,” McElwee said. “While punishing those who push these drugs is important, so is reducing stigma, making treatment accessible and implementing harm reduction strategies for those impacted by them.”
McElwee urged those struggling with a substance use disorder and their family members to talk to a doctor or pharmacist about naloxone (“Narcan”) which can reverse an opioid overdose when administered to someone experiencing an overdose. Signs of an overdose include unconsciousness, very small pupils, slow or shallow breathing, vomiting, an inability to speak, faint heartbeat, limp arms and legs, pale skin, and/or purple lips and fingernails.
“Naloxone is easy to administer and may reverse an opioid overdose until medical personnel can arrive,” McElwee said. “If you have a loved one who uses opioids, you should have naloxone handy. Ask your loved one to carry it as well and to let friends know where it is since someone experiencing an overdose is incapable of administering it themselves.”
- Find substance use disorder resources in Maine: https://knowyouroptions.me/
- Find naloxone in Maine: https://mainedrugdata.org/find-naloxone-in-maine/
- To report suspected drug trafficking in Maine: If you have knowledge of drug trafficking in Maine, contact your local police department or sheriff’s office by dialing 911 or submit a tip to the New England Division of the DEA online at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip. To report criminals posing as DEA Special Agents, illegal sales/distribution of drugs, suspicious online pharmacies and other drug-distribution-related crimes call 877-RxAbuse (877-792-2873)
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Calais Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Calais man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, on September 10, 2021, Samuel Staples, 27, began a chat session with the administrator of a social networking group dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse material and sent the administrator a sexually explicit image of a prepubescent female child. Based on this information, a search warrant was executed at Staples’ residence, and during the search, Staples admitted sending the image. Multiple images and videos of child pornography were also found on his cell phone.
Staples faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and the Calais Police Department investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: "Child pornography" captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Presque Isle Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking in Aroostook CountyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Conner Clark, 25, to four years in prison and five years of supervised release. Clark pleaded guilty in November 2021.
According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Clark and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Clark coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from Arizona to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Clark also sent thousands of dollars in cash to the out-of-state supply source.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Corrected 08/16/22 with correct sentence (48 months) and age of defendant at time of sentencing (25)
Levant Man Pleads Guilty to $300k EIDL and PPP Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Levant man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to wire fraud and money laundering charges stemming from his fraudulent receipt of Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) funds, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, Craig C. Franck, 40, formerly owned CCF Acoustics LLC and CCF Acoustical Systems. Neither company was in business, generated income, or had employees in 2020 or 2021. In the summer of 2020, Franck received $177,400 in EIDL funds after submitting two fraudulent loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration. In the applications, he made false representations regarding the companies, misrepresented that the funds would be used to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic, and claimed that he was not subject to criminal charges. Franck, who had been arrested on felony fraud charges in Florida in July 2020, illegally used the EIDL funds to retain a criminal defense attorney and post bail in that criminal case. He also used the funds to purchase a pickup truck and pay for other personal expenses.
In March 2021, Franck received a $145,060 PPP loan after submitting a fraudulent loan application to a private lender, providing false IRS documents and checking account statements in support of the application. He spent the PPP funds on a second pickup truck, online retail purchases, living expenses, and other prohibited uses.
Franck faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
“My office and our federal law enforcement partners will continue the important work of bringing to justice those who defrauded the economic relief programs made available under the CARES Act,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “These funds were meant to keep small businesses running during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will hold accountable those who sought to take advantage of a national emergency simply to line their own pockets.”
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Hampden Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Hampden man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to possessing child sexual abuse materials, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, between about February 2015 and February 2021, Kevin MacVicar, 31, possessed child pornography on his cell phone and electronic storage devices. MacVicar had obtained the images and videos from the internet, including by participating in online forums dedicated to child sexual abuse material. Some of the images depicted children under 12.
MacVicar faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: "Child pornography" captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Federal Jury Convicts Two New York Men for Rangeley Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: Two New York men were convicted yesterday of Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery after a six-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in July 2016, Andre Muller, 51, and Robert Holland, 42, both of New York, N.Y., along with three other men, developed a plan to steal controlled substances from a Rangeley residence. On July 26, 2016, Muller traveled from New York City with two co-conspirators, meeting up with Holland and another co-conspirator at a property just outside of Rangeley. Muller, Holland and the three other co-conspirators discussed how to carry out the robbery. On July 28, 2016, two co-conspirators entered the Rangeley residence armed with knives and a baseball bat with the intent to take the controlled substances.
Muller and Holland both face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. They will be sentenced after the completion of presentence investigation reports by the U.S. Probation Office.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine State Police; and the Rangeley Police Department investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General.
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11/20/23: Muller and Holland had previously been convicted following a five-day jury trial that concluded August 10, 2022. Judge Torresen granted a motion for a new trial, however, based on evidence of juror prejudgment. The new trial concluded 11/20/23.
Arizona Man Sentenced for Role in Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Arizona man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Arthur Merson, 68, of Scottsdale, Arizona to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Merson was also ordered to pay over $3.4 million in restitution to victims. He pleaded guilty on January 24, 2022.
According to court records, in 2017 and 2018, Merson participated in a scheme to defraud involving investments in Standby Letters of Credit (SBLCs). Investors were promised that they could receive a portion of the value of an SBLC, worth millions of dollars, for a much smaller initial investment. Investors were promised returns equal to many times the amounts of their initial investments in a matter of weeks. They were also promised that their money would remain in the attorney trust account of a co-conspirator—who at the time was a licensed attorney in Florida—until confirmation was received that the SBLC had been issued.
In his role as an intermediary between investors and the principal members of the conspiracy, Merson falsely represented to investors that the investment was not risky and that he had been involved in similar successful deals in the past. He also falsely represented that he was an independent consultant who was only going to receive a small finder’s fee, and claimed not to know the details of the transaction or the payouts the clients could expect. In fact, he had a significant independent financial interest in the investment transaction that he affirmatively misled investors about as he responded to investor inquiries.
Two co-defendants, Russell Hearld and Christopher Ochoa, were both sentenced to 29 months in prison on January 24, 2022, and February 11, 2022, respectively.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Entering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty in federal court today to entering the United States after a prior removal, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in June 2022, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office detained seven individuals following a traffic stop in Dedham. Records revealed that none of the subjects had legal status in the U.S., and all seven admitted crossing from Mexico on foot. Upon arrival at the Calais Border Patrol Station, an immigration database search confirmed that the seven individuals were illegally present in the U.S. and further revealed that Cruz Isabel Mayen-Dubon, 35, a citizen and national of Guatemala, had previously been removed from the U.S. in June 2007, May 2010, August 2012, October 2012 and January 2016.
Mayen-Dubon faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces not more than one year of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Border Patrol and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Jonesport Man Sentenced to 3+ Years for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Jonesport man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for a wire fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Donald McMahon, 34, to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. McMahon pleaded guilty on January 13, 2022.
According to court records, from April 2020 through October 2020, McMahon embezzled approximately $100,000 from a bank account belonging to an estate being probated in Washington County. McMahon obtained unauthorized access to the estate account and utilized PayPal to transfer funds for his own use.
The FBI and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Dover-Foxcroft Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Dover-Foxcroft man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to possessing with intent to distribute a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, Malcolm Peirce, 45, was a passenger in a vehicle stopped on I-95 by a Maine State Police trooper in December 2019. The trooper arrested Peirce after determining that there was an active state warrant. The trooper then located 32 individually wrapped 10-gram sticks of suspected heroin inside Peirce’s jacket as well as an additional stick of heroin and small bags of suspected cocaine and methamphetamine in the vehicle. In total, police seized approximately 326 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, 2.94 grams of a mixture containing cocaine, and 2 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Peirce faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. He also faces between three years and a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Maine State Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Woolwich Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Woolwich man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for possessing child sexual abuse materials, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Clifton Given, 33, to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $100 as well as $11,000 in restitution. Given pleaded guilty on September 9, 2021.
According to court records, on June 18, 2020, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Given’s residence. In an interview with investigators, Given admitted using his cell phone to view images of children engaged in sex. Investigators later found several images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his cell phone.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: “Child pornography” captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Former New Jersey Resident Sentenced to 41 Months in Connection with Acadia National Park Triple Vehicular FatalityRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Indian national man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for three counts of manslaughter, two counts of operating under the influence (OUI), and one count of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Praneeth Manubolu, 30, to 41 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Manubolu pleaded guilty on January 31, 2022.
According to court records, in the early morning hours of August 31, 2019, Manubolu, then living in New Jersey on a student visa, was the driver in a motor vehicle crash on the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park that injured him and killed his three passengers. Subsequent investigation revealed that Manubolu had been drinking earlier in the evening. His blood alcohol content was determined to be .095% approximately 90 minutes after the crash with the legal limit being .08%. The investigation also revealed that Manubolu’s car was traveling 76 mph approximately three seconds before impact. The speed limit on the section of Park Loop Road where the crash occurred was 25 mph.
The National Park Service and the Bar Harbor Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of the Maine State Police and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.
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Former Bangor Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Skowhegan man pleaded guilty today in federal court to a bank fraud scheme arising from his applications for Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records Nathan Reardon, 44, formerly of Brewer, Maine, owned and controlled Global Disruptive Technologies Inc., a Bangor-based business. In April 2020, Reardon obtained a $59,145 PPP loan for Global Disruptive Technologies Inc. using false employee wage information and false supporting payroll documentation. Reardon then improperly spent the PPP funds on items and expenses he knew were not covered by the program. After receiving the first loan, Reardon submitted additional fraudulent PPP applications to the same bank in April and May 2020. Two of the applications were for companies that had no active business operations, employees or payroll.
The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law, enacted in March 2020, was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.
Businesses were required to use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a set period and used at least a certain percentage of the funds for payroll expenses.
Reardon was indicted by a federal grand jury in Bangor on May 13, 2021. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. He also faces up to five years of supervised release. Reardon will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
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Palmyra Man Sentenced to 12+ Years for Accessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Palmyra man was sentenced in federal court today for one count of access with intent to view child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jason Colcord, 44, to 145 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution. Colcord pleaded guilty on November 19, 2021.
According to court records, between December 2019 and February 2020, Colcord knowingly accessed with intent to view a phone that contained images of child pornography. Many of the images involved prepubescent minors who had not attained the age of 12. He downloaded multiple images using an online peer-to-peer file sharing network and viewed the images on his phone.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: "Child pornography" captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Justice Department’s Criminal Division Creates New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force to Focus on Illegal Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENTAssistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced the formation of the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances. The NEPO Strike Force will primarily target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case.
“This NEPO Strike Force expands and sharpens the Justice Department’s response to the nation’s opioid epidemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the last year, more than 75,000 people in the United States lost their lives due to overdose. Since 2018, some of the greatest spikes in the drug overdose death rate have occurred in New England. The NEPO Strike Force will help to address one of the root causes of the epidemic: unlawful prescription and diversion of opioids. Together with our partners, we will fulfill the department’s solemn promise to deploy critical resources to address the opioid crisis.”
Assistant Attorney General Polite was joined in the announcement in Concord, New Hampshire, by U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG; Assistant Administrator Kristi N. O’Malley of the DEA Diversion Control Division; and Acting Deputy Assistant Director Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
“The formation of NEPO presents a tremendous opportunity for our three Northern New England states to disrupt the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire. “As a state, we are grateful to the Department of Justice to be part of this initiative and excited that it will be based here in New Hampshire.”
“Maine’s opioid overdose death rate has skyrocketed, and law enforcement has identified the opioid epidemic as the number one issue officers face,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “While the trafficking of illegal drugs, in particular fentanyl, is well publicized, 23% of overdose deaths in Maine are the result of pharmaceutical opioids, and many of those who died from illicit substances very likely first tried pharmaceuticals, either their own or those of a friend or family member. This Strike Force will provide vital resources to help fight a growing epidemic, and along with our partners, we will pursue any medical personnel who misuse their position to endanger lives through the overprescribing of opioids for their own financial gain.”
“The announcement of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners in Vermont and elsewhere to hold accountable health care providers who exploit the opioid epidemic for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Health care providers who issue illegal opioid prescriptions undermine important efforts to address the epidemic while putting patients at risk of overdose and physical harm.”
“HHS-OIG is unwavering in our commitment to hold accountable providers who illegally prescribe opioids for personal profit while neglecting the safety and wellbeing of their patients,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Along with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is proud to support the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force in a collaborative effort to assist communities plagued by the opioid epidemic.”
“At a time when the United States is losing tens of thousands of Americans to opioid overdoses every year, it has never been more critical to ensure doctors and health care practitioners are prioritizing the safety and health of their patients,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The creation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force further strengthens our important cooperation with partners in the region to hold accountable any practitioner who recklessly distributes opioid medications.”
“The formation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force provides the FBI and our law enforcement partners with important collective resources to combat health care fraud and drug diversion schemes within the region,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will not tolerate those medical professionals willing to sacrifice patients’ health for their personal profit and will work tirelessly to root out and bring to justice those individuals who illegally distribute prescription opioids and other controlled substances.”
The NEPO Strike Force will operate as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts with the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and special agents with HHS-OIG, DEA, and the FBI. It will operate out of the Concord, New Hampshire, area, supporting the three districts that make up the NEPO Strike Force region. In addition, the NEPO Strike Force will work closely with other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Today’s NEPO Strike Force announcement builds on the demonstrated success of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past three years, ARPO has charged 111 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills. To date, more than 60 ARPO defendants have been convicted.
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Information about available treatment programs is available as follows:
New Hampshire: For a referral to addiction treatment services, please call 211. If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis please call/text the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. New Hampshire residents can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers using substances through harm reduction strategies, helping them on the road to recovery, and dramatically reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiate addiction, please contact 211 to receive help and find information about local treatment programs.
Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resources to help. Vermont 211 (https://vermont211.org/) is available. To speak to someone about substance use resources including treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) or visit online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs (802-651-1550). All information and referral services are free and confidential.
For individuals seeking help in other states, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.