District of Maine
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Justice Department Strategy to Combat Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Rooted in the foundational pillars and priorities of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which President Biden released on Dec. 3, 2021, the Justice Department's National Strategy is expansive in scope. It aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” said Attorney General Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm. The Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking will bring the full force of the Department to this fight.”
The District of Maine was one of six districts designated in 2016 through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam), through the interagency ACTeam Initiative of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor. ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.
“Anyone can become a victim of sex and labor trafficking, but some of Maine’s most vulnerable people are especially susceptible. This includes children and marginalized youth; people with unstable housing; survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse; those with a history of substance use disorder; people facing poverty; and refugee and migrant workers,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Even during a pandemic, the internet and social media have given traffickers a platform to recruit victims.”
“Preventing and combatting human trafficking is a top priority for our office, and we are committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners in order to protect victims and prosecute those who exploit our most vulnerable neighbors,” McElwee said.
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking by prosecutors in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally funded, locally led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Enhance initiatives to reduce vulnerability of American Indians and Alaska Natives to violent crime, including human trafficking, and to locate missing children.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
The department’s strategy will be implemented under the direction of the National Human Trafficking Coordinator designated by the Attorney General in accordance with the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
To read the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking click here.
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Former New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty in Connection with Acadia National Park Triple Vehicular FatalityRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Indian national man pleaded guilty in federal court today to three counts of manslaughter, two counts of operating under the influence (OUI), and one count of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee.
According to court records, in the early morning hours of August 31, 2019, Praneeth Manubolu, 30, 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.
On each manslaughter count, Manubolu faces not more than eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. On each of the two OUI counts and the unsafe operation count, Manubolu faces up to six months in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to 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 National Park Service and the Bar Harbor Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of Maine State Police and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.
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Bucksport Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bucksport man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced William Meier, 57, to 11 years and three months imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $86,500 in restitution. Meier pleaded guilty on March 1, 2021.
According to court records, Meier possessed electronic devices containing child exploitation material. The electronics, including a cell phone and a computer with associated drives, were seized from his home on June 13, 2020. Some of the material Meier possessed depicted children under the age of 12.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock told the defendant, “This is not only a crime against individual children. This is a crime against childhood itself and the innocence of childhood.”
Homeland Security Investigations, the Bucksport Police Department, and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
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.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, 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, please call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
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Portland Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Portland man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Andrew Hazelton, 29, to five years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hazelton pleaded guilty on July 22, 2021.
According to court records, in October 2019, Hazelton chatted online with a 10-year-old girl. During the chat—after learning that the girl was 10—he said he wanted to see her “sexy body,” and asked her to send him pictures of her in her panties and without a shirt. He also said he wished he could have sex with her.
FBI investigators later learned of the chat, and in April 2021 executed search warrants for Hazelton’s Portland residence and for his person. Agents encountered Hazelton just outside the residence. He had a smartphone in his pants pocket that he provided to investigators. An analysis of the phone revealed a folder containing dozens of video files depicting minors, some of them prepubescent, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
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.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, 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, please call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Maine and New Hampshire Herring Fishermen Charged with Conspiracy, Fraud, and Falsification of RecordsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Five fishermen from Maine and one fisherman from New Hampshire, along with a corporation, were charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, and obstruction of justice in connection with a multi-year scheme to sell unreported Atlantic herring and falsify fishing records, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
Glenn Robbins, 75, of Eliot; Ethan Chase, 44, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Neil Herrick, 46, of Rockland; Andrew Banow, 35, of Rockport; Stephen Little, 56, of Warren; Jason Parent, 49, of Owls Head; and Western Sea, Inc., were named in a 35-count indictment returned today.
According to the indictment, between June 2016 and September 2019, the owner, captains, and crew aboard the F/V Western Sea sold more than 2.6 million pounds of Atlantic herring that was not reported to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA relies upon accurate reports to set policies designed to ensure a sustainable fishery. The indictment alleges that members of the crew were paid directly by fish dealers and lobster vessel operators for the unreported herring.
“The type of unscrupulous and unlawful fishing alleged in the Indictment returned by the grand jury directly affects the economic benefit of law-abiding fishermen and fishing communities,” said Director James Landon, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. “We will continue to help bring to justice those who are proven to have violated U.S. fishing laws and regulations, to help ensure the sustainability of our living marine resources while also maximizing economic benefit.”
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement and the Maine Marine Patrol 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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Guilford Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Guilford man pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, between about October 6, 2020, and about April 1, 2021, Scott Tarr, 56, possessed child pornography on his cellphone which he had used to download the material from the internet. Some of the images depicted children under the age of 12.
Tarr 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.
The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
The 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. 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.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, 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, please call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
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Four Individuals Indicted on Wage Fixing and Labor Market Allocation ChargesRead the Press Release
Note: The defendants in this case, Faysal Kalayaf Manahe, Yaser Aali, Ammar Alkinani, and Quasim Saesah, were acquitted by a jury of the charges alleged in the indictment described in the press release below.
A federal grand jury in Portland, Maine, returned an indictment charging four managers of home health care agencies with participating in a conspiracy to suppress the wages and restrict the job mobility of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the one-count felony indictment filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, four Portland residents: Faysal Kalayaf Manahe; Yaser Aali; Ammar Alkinani; and Quasim Saesah — all owners and/or managers of home health care agencies — conspired to eliminate competition for the services of Personal Support Specialist (PSS) workers by agreeing to fix the rates paid to these workers and by agreeing not to hire each other’s workers. This indictment is the first in this ongoing investigation into wage fixing and worker allocation schemes in the PSS industry.
“PSS workers and other essential workers risked their health caring for others at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The indictment in this case alleges that the employers of these workers colluded to deprive them of opportunities to earn better wages. The Antitrust Division and our partners will investigate and prosecute this conduct to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Early in the pandemic, Maine made additional resources available to ensure that seniors continued to receive in-home care and that essential workers would be able to afford personal protective equipment,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to partner with the Antitrust Division to protect essential workers from the type of conduct alleged in the indictment returned by the grand jury.”
“People in Maine have suffered real hardships because of the pandemic, especially frontline health care workers, and we will fully investigate allegations of exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta of the FBI Boston Division.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to restrain trade under the Sherman Antitrust Act is 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of $1 million for individuals. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charges are the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into wage fixing and worker allocation in the home health care industry, conducted by the Antitrust Division’s New York Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, and the FBI’s Boston Division, Portland Resident Agency. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Northeast Harbor Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Northeast Harbor man was sentenced today in federal court for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Jack Palmer, 71, to 12 months and one day in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Palmer was convicted on August 2, 2021, following a bench trial.
Trial evidence revealed that in 2016, Palmer was convicted in federal court of possessing child pornography. As a result of that conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender in the state of Maine and to update that registration within three days of changing residences. In November 2020, Palmer moved from Portland to Northeast Harbor and failed to notify the Maine Sex Offender Registry. He lived at this residence until his arrest in April 2021.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Bar Harbor/Mount Desert Island Police Department investigated the case.
Lewiston Man Sentenced for Straw Purchasing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Lewiston man was sentenced today in federal court for making false statements during the purchase of firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Jake Scherer, 24, to three months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Scherer pleaded guilty on August 3, 2021.
According to court records, on April 30, 2020, Scherer purchased handguns from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Levant. When completing the sale, Scherer completed a Firearms Transaction Record form in which he falsely reported that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms. On May 22, 2020, Scherer purchased firearms from a licensed dealer in Houlton, and again falsely stated he was the actual purchaser. Scherer was purchasing the firearms for someone else on both occasions.
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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
Bangor Man Sentenced for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in federal court for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Christian Barreto, 35, of Bangor to five years imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Barreto pleaded guilty on June 8, 2021.
According to court records, on July 14, 2020, Barreto distributed over 187 grams of cocaine to a law enforcement informant. On July 28, 2020, agents executed a search warrant at his residence in Holden where they found an additional 166 grams of the cocaine, $1,635 in cash, several cellular telephones and a handgun. The investigation revealed that over the course of two-and-a-half years, Barreto sold nearly 14 pounds of cocaine in Penobscot County.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Holden Police Department and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
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Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Michigan man pleaded guilty in federal court today to sexual abuse of a minor, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in August 2009, Matthew Boyd, 32, was an active-duty sailor stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. During this time, Boyd engaged in a sexual act with a minor who had attained the age 12 but who had not attained the age of 16.
Boyd faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces 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 judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case.
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Aroostook County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Aroostook County man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Andrew Torres, 26, to six years in prison and three years of supervised release.
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. Torres and his co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Walker observed that “peddling in this poison has brought a great deal of dysfunction and chaos and, too often, death to communities all over our state, and maybe most especially northern 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.
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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Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Arizona man pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in 2017 and 2018, Arthur Merson, 67, of Scottsdale, Arizona, 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. In fact, he had not been involved in prior successful transactions of this sort, nor had he made any significant amount of money from them.
After co-conspirators fraudulently transferred investor funds, Merson relayed a variety of excuses from other members of the conspiracy for why the transactions had not occurred. 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 failed to disclose, and affirmatively misled investors about, as he responded to investor inquiries.
Merson faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He also faces 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.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Texas Man Sentenced for Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Texas man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Russell Hearld, 46, of Sugar Land, Texas, to 29 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Final determination of the restitution owed to victims was extended until April. Hearld pleaded guilty on May 24, 2021.
According to court records, in 2017 and 2018, Hearld 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.
Contrary to these representations, Hearld routinely directed the co-conspirator attorney to withdraw investor funds as soon as they were deposited into the attorney’s trust account. For example, in March 2017, an investor wired $500,000 from his bank account in Maine to the attorney’s trust account in Florida. On the previous day, Hearld had sent the attorney an email, directing the attorney to disburse the investor’s funds. At Hearld’s direction, the attorney wired $200,000 to Hearld’s bank account; $150,000 to the account of the attorney’s law firm; $100,000 to the account of another co-conspirator; and $40,000 to the attorney’s personal account.
While discussing the reasons for his sentence, Judge Woodcock noted that Hearld took the victims’ money for “completely selfish reasons.” He also noted that Hearld owed over $13,000 in past due child support, and said it was “just disgraceful” that Hearld had failed to meet his support obligations despite personally receiving over $2 million in the fraud scheme.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Arizona man pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in 2017 and 2018, Arthur Merson, 67, of Scottsdale, Arizona, 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. In fact, he had not been involved in prior successful transactions of this sort, nor had he made any significant amount of money from them.
After co-conspirators fraudulently transferred investor funds, Merson relayed a variety of excuses from other members of the conspiracy for why the transactions had not occurred. 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 failed to disclose, and affirmatively misled investors about, as he responded to investor inquiries.
Merson faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He also faces 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.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Wiscasset Woman Sentenced for Illegally Purchasing a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Wiscasset woman was sentenced today in federal court for making false statements during the purchase a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Laura Love, 44, to three years of probation. Love pleaded guilty on September 1, 2021.
According to court records, in April 2019, Love, formerly of the Augusta area, purchased a 9 mm pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Windsor. When completing the sale, Love filled out a Firearms Transaction Record in which she falsely reported that she was the actual purchaser of the firearm. She was actually purchasing the firearm for someone else. It is a federal felony to knowingly make a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm from a federally licensed dealer.
This Augusta Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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Sidney Man Sentenced for False Statements in a Highway ProjectRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Sidney man was sentenced today in federal court for making false statements with respect to work on a federally approved highway project, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jim Wentworth, 51, to one year of probation and $35,000 fine. Wentworth pleaded guilty on June 11, 2021.
According to court records, in June 2019, Wentworth was working as the project manager for a general contractor on a bridge contract in Gardiner. The project was funded in part with federal highway funds approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation. In the course of negotiating a contract modification, Wentworth submitted documents falsely inflating the costs paid to a subcontractor. Based on these false submissions, the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) overpaid the general contract over $91,000. Once the extent of the fraud was discovered, the general contractor compensated MDOT for the full overpayment.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock noted that fraud concerning public funds added to the seriousness of the offense. He also noted that Wentworth faces additional administrative sanctions from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, which may include a period of supervision, a suspension, or debarment from working on federally funded highway projects.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Terrence Ware, Jr., 28, of Springfield, Massachusetts, to a time served sentence of 15 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ware pleaded guilty on May 19, 2021.
According to court records, Ware was convicted in 2019 of felony domestic violence offenses in Massachusetts. These convictions prohibited Ware from possessing firearms under federal law. On three separate occasions in June 2020, Ware possessed and shot firearms at gun range in Holden, Maine.
“The presence of a firearm in domestic violence situations significantly increases the risk of lethality,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “Prosecution of domestic abusers who illegally possess firearms is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF in Maine.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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Springvale Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Springvale man was sentenced in federal court today for fentanyl trafficking, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Richard Martin, 41, to 12 years in prison and four years of supervised release. Martin pleaded guilty in July 2021.
According to court records, in May 2020, Martin was engaged in fentanyl trafficking. On May 25, he was robbed of a substantial quantity of fentanyl that he intended to distribute to others. Following the robbery, Martin sent numerous Facebook messages acknowledging the robbery and threatening violence to the suspected perpetrators. Law enforcement recovered a portion of the stolen fentanyl on May 31, 2020.
The FBI and the Rumford and Buxton police departments investigated the case with assistance from the York and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Offices, the Maine State Police, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
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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Jonesport Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Funds from EstateRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Jonesport man pleaded guilty in federal court today to wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, from April through October 2020, Donald McMahon, 34, embezzled approximately $95,000 from a bank account owned by an estate being probated in Washington County. McMahon carried out the scheme by obtaining unauthorized access to the estate account. He then made hundreds of transfers from the estate’s bank account using PayPal, an online money transfer system, in order to convert the funds to his own use.
McMahon faces up to 20 years in prison and $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 case was investigated by the FBI and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
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Former Florida Resident Sentenced for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A former Florida resident was sentenced in federal court today for bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Joshua Strickland, aka “Ash Strickland,” 36, to five years and 10 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Strickland was also ordered to pay $13,994 in restitution. Strickland pleaded guilty on July 27, 2021.
According to court records, on January 3, 2019, Strickland entered the Bank of America branch in Portland and approached one of the tellers. Strickland handed her a note that stated, “This is a robbery. I have a gun. If I feel like you are trying anything I will start shooting people.” Strickland demanded that the teller provide $5,000. Strickland subsequently fled to Las Vegas, Nevada, prior to being arrested.
The FBI and the Portland and South Portland police departments investigated the case.
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Boothbay Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Boothbay man was sentenced today in federal court for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Joseph Pinkham, 35, to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Pinkham pleaded guilty on June 23, 2021.
According to court records, in October 2019, Pinkham sent several text messages to an individual in Texas containing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The individual in Texas reported the conduct to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators identified the sender as Pinkham and obtained a search warrant for his residence in Boothbay. In an interview with investigators, Pinkham acknowledged sending sexually explicit images of minors to the individual in Texas.
Pinkham was subject to an enhanced sentence because he had been previously convicted of child pornography offenses.
“As the defendant in this case himself noted at sentencing, the distribution of images of child sexual abuse revictimizes those children who are depicted in the images,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “Individuals who commit these offenses, particularly those like Mr. Pinkham who commit them after being convicted for similar conduct, face significant punishment under federal law.”
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Dallas (Texas) Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
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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Yarmouth Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Yarmouth man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Isaiah Mokeme, aka “O,” 25, to ten years in prison and four years of supervised release. Mokeme pleaded guilty in March 2021.
According to court records, in January 2019, Mokeme and others agreed to ship cocaine from California to southern Maine for further distribution. On January 10, 2019, Mokeme shipped an overnight package from Los Angeles to Westbrook, Maine. The package was intercepted and found to contain three kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement then recovered a receipt indicating a similar package was shipped on January 9, 2019.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service, and the Portland and Los Angeles police departments investigated the case.
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South Carolina Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Interstate StalkingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Carolina man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for interstate stalking, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Dustin Beach, 27, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Beach pleaded guilty in June 2021.
According to court records, during the days leading up to July 25, 2019, Beach drove a female victim from South Carolina to Maine. During the drive to Maine, Beach threatened the victim and physically assaulted her with his hands and other objects, including a hammer and a metal chain. These assaults resulted in bodily injury to the victim and caused her substantial emotional distress.
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Singal described Beach’s conduct as “sadistic” and found him to be “a danger to society.”
“I want to commend the strong and collaborative law enforcement response to this vicious crime,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “I hope the example of this prosecution and the significant sentence imposed by the Court sends a clear message that such violence will not be tolerated in the District of Maine.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lewiston Police Department investigated the case.
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Former Texas Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A former Texas man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Antonio Cardenas aka “Tony Vosburg,” 35, to 15 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Cardenas pleaded guilty in June 2021.
According to court records, in 2007, Cardenas was convicted in Texas of aggravated assault of a child under 14 years of age. This felony conviction made Cardenas a lifetime sex offender registrant in Texas. In early August 2020, he moved from Texas and began living in Mars Hill and Caribou, Maine. He did not notify the Texas Sex Offender Registry that he was moving. Further, prior to his arrest on February 10, 2021, he made no attempt to register on the Maine Sex Offender Registry.
The United States Marshals Service investigated the case.
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Old Town Man Pleads Guilty to Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Old Town man pleaded guilty in federal court today to making false statements to the government, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in January 2016, Jeffrey Street, 51, met with special agents from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. General Services Administration. Prior to the commencement of the interview, Street was instructed to be truthful. He received warnings that false statements to federal agents could be prosecuted as violations of federal law. During the interview, he falsely stated that his company never paid employees overtime wages in cash at regular time rates. He also falsely stated that overtime hours worked by his employees were paid by a payroll check. At the time he made these statements, he knew he paid employees regular time rates in cash for overtime hours.
Street faces up to five years in prison 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 Offices of Inspector General from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. General Services Administration investigated the case.
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Department of Justice Awards More Than $125 Million in Grants Under the Stop School Violence ActRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice today announced nearly $126 million in funding to advance school safety under the STOP School Violence Act. The Maine Department of Education, Maine School Administrative District 30, covering the Town of Lee in rural Penobscot County, and the City of Bangor are among the grant recipients.
The grants, awarded by the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), will help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools, support school violence prevention efforts, provide training to school personnel and students, and implement evidence-based threat assessments.
“The Justice Department has no greater responsibility than protecting Americans from harm,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Schools must be safe places to learn, and today’s investment of more than $125 million under the STOP School Violence Act will help ensure that they are.”
The Students, Teachers and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (the “STOP School Violence Act”) gives the Justice Department the authority to provide awards directly to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies (such as school districts and law enforcement agencies) to improve security at schools and on school grounds through evidence-based school safety programs. It also provides grants to ensure a positive school climate by helping students and teachers recognize, respond quickly to, and help prevent acts of violence.
The 78 BJA annual awards, totaling almost $74 million, are intended to support training and education for school personnel and students on preventing violence against others and themselves, including anti-bullying training and specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises. Funds also help develop and implement multidisciplinary threat assessment or intervention teams and design technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems, hotlines and websites.
The COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) provides up to 75% of the funding for school safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools. The 153 SVPP awards, totaling almost $52 million, are statutorily obligated to be used for coordination with law enforcement; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence; locks, lighting and other deterrent measures; technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and other measures that provide a significant improvement in security.
The Maine Department of Education received a BJA award of $1,991,780. These funds will be utilized to enhance the development and implementation of Behavioral Threat Assessment teams in school districts across Maine. MSAD 30 received a BJA award of $266,963 and an additional SVPP award of $171,815. These funds will be used to deliver two evidence-based anti-violence training programs – the Sandy Hook Promise “Know the Signs” program and Youth Mental Health First Aid – to staff, administrators, and students. The City of Bangor received a BJA award of $30,749 to enhance the effectiveness of Behavioral Intervention Teams.
“Promoting the development and implementation of strategies to ensure safe and positive learning environments for Maine students is a priority for this office,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “I congratulate the Department of Education, MSAD 30, and the City of Bangor and look forward to supporting this critical work.”
“The Maine Department of Education is committed to protecting the safety of Maine students both inside and outside of school through restorative and proactive practices,” said Jonathan J. Shapiro, Director, Maine School Safety Center. “With this BJA grant, we will continue our highly sought-after Behavioral Threat Assessment Training Program, which trains staff to prevent school violence and identify supports needed to keep students positively engaged with their school community. We will also be able to expand additional programs that are dedicated to suicide awareness and prevention, and services for at-risk students. We thank all our partners at the local, county, state, and federal level for their ongoing support and partnership in our efforts to keep Maine students safe.”
- The full list of SVPP awards: https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2021AwardDocs/svpp/Award_List.pdf
- A list of BJA awards: https://www.ojp.gov/funding/fy21-ojp-grant-awards
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to agency for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More than $4 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2021Read the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced today that the District of Maine collected $4,301,145.59 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2021. Of this amount, $2,656,134.87 was collected in criminal actions and $1,645,010.72 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the District of Maine worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $37,336.07 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $12,336.07 was collected in criminal actions and $25,000.00 was collected in civil actions.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $4,040,485 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2021. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
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Old Town Man Sentenced for Possessing Short-Barreled ShotgunRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Old Town man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Stephen Warren, 38, to four years and two months in prison and two years of supervised release. Warren pleaded guilty in July 2021.
According to court records, on September 8, 2020, Warren was stopped by an Old Town police officer. Warren was issued a summons for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and served with a protection order. Warren was told not to operate his car due to his suspended license. He ignored this order, however, and drove away from the area. Following a brief pursuit, Warren was stopped and arrested.
A subsequent inventory search of Warren’s car revealed a short-barreled shotgun without a serial number. The shotgun was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Federal law prohibits the possession of an unregistered weapon made from a shotgun if the modified weapon has a barrel less than 18 inches in length or an overall length of less than 26 inches.
“These firearms are more dangerous because they are easily concealed and devastating when used at close range,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “As a result, anyone who seeks to possess one of these weapons must comply with the registration requirements of the National Firearms Act.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Old Town Police Department investigated the case as part of the Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) initiative.
PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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Portland Man Sentenced in Connection with Drive-By ShootingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Abdikareem Hassan, 33, to four years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on July 30, 2021.
According to court records, on July 5, 2020, Hassan fired approximately five shots at the Portland Police Department Headquarters from a black Hyundai Tucson. Hassan was arrested during the early morning hours of July 6, 2020. Law enforcement recovered a gun with Hassan’s DNA on it near the scene of the shooting and bullet casings on the windshield of the Hyundai. Hassan is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction.
In pronouncing sentence, Chief Judge Levy stated that Hassan’s conduct posed a “grave danger to the community” and reflected “complete disregard for the welfare of other people.”
“Violence directed at anyone, including law enforcement officers, cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “It is only because of sheer luck that no one was killed or gravely injured as a result of Hassan’s actions. We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with our state, local and tribal partners, are committed to taking all possible steps to address violent crime in Maine.”
The FBI and the Portland Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Greenbush Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Greenbush man was sentenced in federal court today for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced David Phillips, 30, to ten months in prison and one year of supervised release. Phillips pleaded guilty in July 2021.
According to court records, on multiple dates at the end of January 2021, Phillips was seen on video purchasing ammunition at a gun and ammunition store in Maine. These purchases were confirmed on Phillips’ debit card. This ammunition was not manufactured in the state of Maine. Phillips was prohibited from possessing ammunition under federal law because of a 2016 felony conviction in the Bridgeport, Connecticut Superior Court for violating a protective order.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office; the Maine State Police; and the Bangor Police Department investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.
PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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Bath Man Sentenced for Defrauding Employer of over $2.7 Million and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Bath man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for wire fraud, money laundering, transferring property to prevent seizure, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced David Altenburg, 46, to ten years in prison followed by 18 months of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $2,807,080 in restitution to victims of the offenses. He pleaded guilty on June 24, 2021.
According to court records, between February 2019 and September 2020, Altenburg used his access to his employer’s financial accounts to conduct approximately 106 wire transfers and other withdrawals. To execute his scheme, he fraudulently used the name and email address of a firm director to purportedly authorize certain transfers. In total, he diverted more than $2.7 million to accounts under his control. He used the diverted monies to fund travel; pay down his mortgage; and purchase luxury vehicles, jewelry, clothing, and other items. After learning he was under investigation, he transferred title of his residence to a trust managed by his wife in an effort to prevent its seizure.
Prior to entering his guilty plea, Altenburg opened an online bank account. Despite agreeing to surrender all proceeds of his criminal conduct, he funded this account through the sale of criminally derived property. He then spent money on visits to resorts in Maine and New Hampshire and other non-essential items. This conduct resulted in his loss of credit for accepting responsibility for the offenses.
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Bath Police Department.
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Presque Isle Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Michael Deveau, 36, to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. Deveau pleaded guilty in January 2021.
According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states that originated from suppliers in Mexico. Conspirators distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine. On one occasion, Deveau and other conspirators traveled to Georgia to obtain methamphetamine intended for distribution in 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.
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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Justice Department Awards More Than $17.5 Million to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. In the District of Maine, the Maine Department of Public Safety was awarded funding totaling $85,499.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”
“I am enormously proud of the collaborative work of our PSN partnerships in Maine over the past two decades,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee. “We look forward to supporting Maine’s PSN Team in their selection of grantees for this critical funding.”
Grant funds will support a variety of collaborative enforcement efforts and programs that prevent and deter violence across Maine.
“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
This fall, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.
A list of all grantees is available at: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/FY21-Project-Safe-Neighborhoods-Awards.pdf
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The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Law Enforcement Targets Fraud Facilitators, Doubling Last Year’s EnforcementRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and five other federal law enforcement agencies announced the completion of the fourth annual Money Mule Initiative, which targeted networks of individuals through which international fraudsters obtain proceeds of fraud schemes. These individuals, sometimes referred to as money mules, receive money from fraud victims and forward the illicit funds, often to overseas perpetrators.
By receiving and transferring illicit funds, money mules facilitate a wide range of fraud schemes, including those that often predominately impact older Americans — like romance scams and lottery fraud — and those that target companies through business e-mail compromise schemes. Money mules also assist the theft of funds earmarked for pandemic relief, including unemployment insurance and small business loan funds. Some money mules are aware that their actions facilitate international fraud schemes. Others, however, first interact with fraud schemes as victims and may be unaware that their actions are furthering criminal activity.
U.S. law enforcement took action to address 4,750 money mules over the last 10 weeks; enforcement actions occurred in every state in the country. These actions more than doubled the number of actions taken during last year’s effort. Agencies are also conducting outreach to educate the public about how fraudsters use money mules and how to avoid unknowingly assisting fraud by receiving and transferring money.
Two defendants face charges in the District of Maine as a result of this initiative. Cheryl White, 58, of Westbrook, and David Clukey, 58, of Auburn, are each charged with multiple counts of money laundering. Each faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Agencies also turned their attention to educating the public about how fraudsters recruit individuals to serve as money mules, signs of money mule activity and steps that should be taken if someone has unknowingly facilitated fraud by moving money.
These efforts included:
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service created fliers that were displayed in post offices across the country during the Money Mule Initiative.
- FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released a money mule public service announcement.
- The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General provided information about money mule activity to state work force agencies.
- The Department’s Elder Justice Coordinators educated their communities about money mule’s activity.
- Members of the Attorney General’s Coronavirus Fraud Enforcement Task Force used outreach materials created by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to educate the public about the use of money mules to steal pandemic relief funds.
Additional information about the national initiative is available here. For more information on money mules, please visit https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/money-mule-initiative.
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Deer Isle Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Deer Isle man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Court Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nicholas Pettis, 38, to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Pettis was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to victims depicted in the videos he possessed. Pettis pleaded guilty on April 13, 2021.
According to court records, Pettis possessed electronic devices containing short videos of children, including infants and toddlers, being sexually abused by adult men. Pettis traded these videos online to obtain similar materials. The electronic devices, including cell phones and a computer, were seized from his home on June 25, 2020, during execution of a search warrant.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Walker noted that the materials in this case depicted “the most vulnerable, youngest members of society, who are completely helpless, subject to the most profound terror imaginable.” The judge further commented that the horrors of the materials Mr. Pettis traded in “could not be adequately captured by Dante or his seven circles of Hell, and I don’t think any of us do ourselves any favors by ignoring that truth.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated this case.
The 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. 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 for Tampering with Pizza DoughRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Sanford man was sentenced today in federal court for tampering with a consumer product, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Nicholas Mitchell, 39, to four years and nine months in prison and three years of supervised release. Mitchell was also ordered to pay $229,611.92 in restitution to the victim of the offense. Mitchell pleaded guilty on June 24, 2021.
According to court records, Mitchell was an employee of a Scarborough company that manufactured pizza doughs that were supplied to Hannaford for resale to consumers. In approximately June 2020, Mitchell was fired.
On October 5, 2020, Mitchell entered the Hannaford store in Saco and placed razor blades in several of the doughs that were for sale in the display case. Customers later purchased the tainted pizza doughs. When the customers opened the pizza doughs, they discovered the razor blades inside the doughs. When Hannaford learned of the tainted product, store personnel removed the remaining pizza doughs from the refrigerator case. During this process, a store employee discovered another dough with a razor blade in it.
“Eliminating threats to the U.S. food supply is one of FDA’s key missions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey J. Ebersole, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public health for personal or other motives.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Saco Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the North Berwick and Dover, New Hampshire police departments.
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Orono Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Short-Barreled RifleRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Orono man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, on March 2, 2021, Louis J. Dettling, 27, of Orono, Maine, was stopped by the Holden Police Department and arrested on outstanding state charges. A subsequent inventory search of Dettling’s vehicle revealed a short-barreled rifle that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Federal law prohibits the possession of a rifle having a barrel of less than 16 inches in length unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the NFRTR.
Dettling faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lewiston and Holden police departments.
The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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New Jersey Woman Pays Fine for Interfering with Safe Operation of a VesselRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A New Jersey woman agreed to pay an $800 civil fine to resolve an allegation that she interfered with the safe operation of a commercial sightseeing vessel, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to the civil complaint, on July 15, 2021, Marybeth C. Greer, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, jumped off the M/V Acadian, as it was docking in Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor. As a result, the vessel’s crew had to deploy a ladder to retrieve Greer and disengaged the vessel’s propeller to prevent injury to her.
Greer faced a fine of up to $25,000.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case. Greer cooperated throughout the investigation.
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Hartland Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Hartland, Maine, man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nicholas Culver, 41, to 14 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Culver pleaded guilty on December 10, 2018.
According to court records, between January 1, 2018 and July 17, 2018, Culver, on a weekly basis, obtained fentanyl from an out-of-state source of supply that he would then bring back to a residence in central Maine for distribution. On the day of his arrest, Culver was in possession of a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, approximately 30 grams of fentanyl and proceeds of drug trafficking. Culver admitted to carrying the gun to deter people from robbing him during drug deals.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Walker found that Culver was responsible for “a staggering amount of some of the most lethal poison in the illicit drug market.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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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East Machias Woman Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An East Machias woman was sentenced today in federal court for possessing fentanyl and crack cocaine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kayla Thistlewood, 28, to eight years and one month in prison and three years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty on April 28, 2021.
According to court records, on July 14, 2020, Thistlewood sold cocaine to a confidential informant in Washington County. On August 3, 2020, Special Agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency stopped Thistlewood’s vehicle and arrested her for the July 14 sale. At the time of her arrest, Thistlewood was in the vehicle with her two young children. During a search of the vehicle, agents recovered 244 grams of fentanyl, 83 grams of crack cocaine, and $7,820 in United States currency.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Eric Donovan Ashe, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland to 85 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Judge Hollander also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Ashe must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, from 2017 to September 2019, Ashe posed as multiple minor girls and sold purported self-made pornography to various men in exchange for over $24,000 in gift cards. In addition to searching for child pornography for at least five years, Ashe also distributed and received child pornography.
As detailed in his plea agreement, in 2016 Ashe pretended to be a female minor while communicating with a 13-year-old female victim (Minor Victim 1) on a social media platform. Ashe later communicated with Minor Victim 1 as himself, including engaging in sexually explicit conversations with Minor Victim 1. Ashe also created a fictious social media account in Minor Victim 1’s likeness, using pictures he uploaded from Minor Victim 1’s genuine social media account and a fictitious name. The Minor Victim 1 did not give permission for Ashe to use her likeness in any capacity.
While posing as a minor in the likeness of the Minor Victim 1, Ashe communicated with dozens of men, and arranged to sell sexually explicit pictures and videos of Minor Victim 1 (who he claimed to be to the men). Ashe offered various poses and sex acts in exchange for gift cards in various amounts. For example, on September 27, 2017, while posing as Victim 1, Ashe sent a “menu” to dozens of social media users for the price of certain images and sex acts to online users. In one instance, Ashe sent a messaging stating “100 would get u 2 nude 2 masturbation video and a full body nude”.
Once Ashe completed the negotiations on social media, he instructed buyers to send gift cards to him and then directed the buyers to communicate with him on another messaging application. Once on the messaging application, Ashe received payment and sent the explicit images to the buyers.
From July 7, 2017 to December 17, 2018, Ashe loaded over $24,000 in gift cards and spent at least $17,000 on electronics, restaurant gift cards, and clothing. All orders were shipped to Ashe’s Baltimore address.
As stated in his plea agreement, Ashe used two other fictitious social media profiles where he purported to be minor females. Specifically, on September 5, 2017, Ashe used a messaging application to send a 1 minute and 41 second video that depicts a prepubescent minor female engaged in sexual acts.
Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Ashe’s Baltimore residence on September 11, 2019. During the search, investigators seized three of Ashe’s devices which contained over 500 videos and 250 images of child pornography. The files included images of prepubescent minors engaging in sexual acts. A subsequent forensic analysis of Ashe’s devices revealed that Ashe had been searching for child pornography since 2014 and as recently as 2019. For example, on one of Ashe’s cell phones, Ashe searched phrases including: “movies about kids getting raped”, “are all men pedophile” and “necrophilia.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Arizona Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Glendale, Arizona, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Eric Waldron, 54, to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in June 2021.
According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Waldron and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Waldron, acting as a source of supply for the conspiracy, coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from Arizona to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to Waldron in connection with this drug trafficking enterprise.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
“I am so pleased to see this collaboration between DEA and MDEA in Aroostook County, where our local law enforcement partners have seen a dramatic increase in the use of methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “I am hopeful such collaboration will serve to disrupt the supply of this destructive substance to this region of Maine.”
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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Former Falmouth Resident Sentenced for Accessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A former Falmouth resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for accessing child pornography with intent to view, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Aaron Cassidy, 49, to two years in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 assessment applicable to non-indigent defendants in child sexual exploitation cases. He pleaded guilty on July 20, 2021.
According to court records, in March 2015, agents with Homeland Security Investigations were investigating the sharing of child pornography using Ares, a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. They downloaded a child pornography video from an internet protocol address that was determined to be assigned to a residence in Falmouth. Agents obtained a search warrant for the residence and executed it in May 2015. They found a laptop computer in Cassidy’s bedroom that was later found to contain evidence of the Ares file-sharing program, as well as images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
In imposing sentence, Judge Singal noted that the children depicted in child pornography images often suffer emotional and physical effects for the rest of their lives, as a record of their sexual abuse is permanently available online.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
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 Awards Grant to Penquis Community Action Agency for Its Opioid Affected Youth InitiativeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Bangor-based nonprofit organization will receive more than $700,000 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. The Penquis Opioid Affected Youth Initiative will provide enhanced services to youth in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.
“The opioid crisis and current pandemic have significantly impacted Maine’s children and youth,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “I am thrilled that the Department of Justice is able to assist Penquis in doing the crucial work of providing services to communities affected by the opioid epidemic.”
Kara Hay, Penquis’s CEO, stated, “Funding from the OJJDP will provide crucial programming for affected youth, supporting the efforts of Penquis and 15 community partners representing health, law enforcement, local government, social service, and victim service agencies. Together, we will deliver trauma-informed and trauma-responsive services, including community resource navigation for children, youth, and adults; engage youth through activity groups and evidence-based programming to increase prosocial skills and resilience; and develop comprehensive community approaches to supporting youth health, safety, and wellbeing.”
Since 1967, Penquis has worked to alleviate and eliminate the causes and conditions of poverty in Maine. As one of 10 community action agencies in Maine, Penquis offers a comprehensive array of youth services including restorative justice, youth engagement, support services for homeless youth and youth at risk of homelessness, and support for youth victims of the opioid crisis. More information is available by visiting www.penquis.org.
OJJDP funding programs support state and community efforts to develop effective prevention and intervention programs and to improve the juvenile justice system. The Opioid Affected Youth Initiative supports the efforts of states, communities, tribal jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and institutions of higher education to implement programs and strategies that identify, respond to, treat, and support children, youth, and families impacted by the opioid epidemic to ensure public safety. Learn more at www.ojjdp.ojp.gov.
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Justice Department Announces $139 Million for Law Enforcement Hiring to Advance Community PolicingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice today announced more than $139 million in grant funding through the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The awards provide direct funding to 183 law enforcement agencies across the nation, allowing those agencies to hire 1,066 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. In the District of Maine, three towns and one county were awarded funding totaling $750,000.
“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”
“Given the many challenges Maine communities are facing during pandemic times, community policing is more important than ever,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “I am so pleased to see four Maine agencies will receive these resources, and I commend them for pursuing this wise law enforcement strategy.”
The following towns and county in Maine received awards:
- Aroostook County – $375,000
- Town of Ashland – $125,000
- Town of North Berwick – $125,000
- Town of Sanford – $125,000
CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers, thereby increasing their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants today, approximately half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities; 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based response to persons in crisis. The complete list of awards can be found here.
Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY21, COPS received 590 applications requesting nearly 3,000 law enforcement positions. For FY22, President Biden has requested $537.0 million for CHP, an increase of $300 million.
To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp-award. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served.
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New York Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for distributing heroin and cocaine base, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Henry Jean-Lord, aka “Doughboy” and “Doe Boi,” 34, to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Jean-Lord pleaded guilty in April 2021.
According to court records, Jean-Lord sold heroin to a confidential informant in March 2015 and heroin and cocaine base to another confidential informant in October 2018. Evidence presented at the sentencing revealed that Jean-Lord had been trafficking cocaine base in Maine since as early as 2005, and heroin since at least 2015.
The Portland and South Portland police departments, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated the case.
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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Sanford Man Sentenced for Making False Statements to Firearms DealersRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Sanford man was sentenced today in federal court for providing false information to firearms dealers while purchasing firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Allen Sinclair Bowman, 26, to 18 months in prison and 18 months of supervised release. Bowman pleaded guilty in August 2021.
According to court records, in October and November 2018, Bowman purchased 10 firearms from three different federal firearm licensees in Cumberland and York counties. While purchasing the firearms, Bowman responded “Yes” to a question on an ATF form which asked if he was purchasing the firearms for himself. Bowman was actually purchasing the firearms for a drug dealer in Massachusetts to settle a drug debt. It is against federal law to provide false information to federal firearm licensees when purchasing firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sanford Police Department investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.
PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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Houlton Man Sentenced on Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Houlton man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Dylan Begin, 27, to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Begin pleaded guilty in January 2021.
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. Begin and his co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern 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.
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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Former Brunswick Resident Pleads Guilty to Transferring Obscene Matter to Minor and Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A former Brunswick resident, most recently living in Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today in federal court to transferring obscene matter to a minor and obstructing justice, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in July 2018, Shawn Cook, 42, sent an obscene image to a 15-year-old boy. Cook also offered to send the boy a video of himself having sexual intercourse with his girlfriend. Cook knew at the time he sent the image that the boy was under the age of 16. The boy’s mother found the image on her son’s phone and contacted law enforcement.
Also according to court records, in March of this year, Cook learned that his girlfriend had been contacted by an FBI agent about testifying before a federal grand jury regarding Cook’s actions. Cook contacted the mother of the boy to whom he had sent the obscene image, and asked her to “just tell them you lied.” He also told her to tell the boy “to keep his mouth shut.”
Cook faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative 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 Bath Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.
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