District of Maine
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Sanford Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Sanford man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Scott Adams, 45, to 20 years in prison and four years of supervised release. Adams was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims of the offense in the amount of $5,511.33 and a fine of $4,388.67. Adams pleaded guilty on June 6, 2020.
According to court records, between August 2017 and April 2018, Adams and others acquired fentanyl in Massachusetts for distribution in York County. Two people who received fentanyl from members of the conspiracy died and another person suffered serious bodily injury.
On April 11, 2018, law enforcement officers seized approximately 150 grams of fentanyl from members of the conspiracy. A later search of Adams’ residence resulted in the seizure of fentanyl, a digital scale, approximately $2,500 in cash and a “finger press” designed to compress fentanyl for further distribution.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Biddeford and Sanford police departments.
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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Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts 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.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Emmanuel Diaz, 31, to six years and three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Diaz pleaded guilty on July 6, 2021.
According to court records, Diaz absconded from parole in Massachusetts in October 2020. He subsequently traveled to Maine, where he was observed on video engaged in target shooting. On November 11, 2020, law enforcement officers arrested Diaz and recovered the gun. Diaz was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of two prior felony convictions.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Maine State Police and the Holyoke (Massachusetts) and Springfield (Massachusetts) 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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Massachusetts Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Brighton, Massachusetts, woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Kimberly Tompkins, 52, and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Tompkins coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from a source in Arizona to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to those sources in order to supply its drug trafficking enterprise.
Tompkins faces up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. She 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.
“Aroostook County has seen a troubling increase in methamphetamine use, which law enforcement officials are taking seriously,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “If you, or someone you love, is struggling with such an addiction, please visit www.powerofprevention.org for the Aroostook County Substance Abuse Directory.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Presque Isle Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Connor Clark, 24, and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Clark, at the direction of a co-conspirator, coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from sources in Arizona and Colorado to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to those sources in order to supply its drug trafficking enterprise.
Clark faces up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. 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 U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Greenville Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Greenville man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, beginning in January 2019, Eugene Murray, 27, began communicating with an FBI undercover agent on Kik Messenger – a free instant messaging application. These communications took place in a Kik Messenger chat group that appeared to have an interest in children and child pornography. Murray subsequently posted a link to the chat group that contained images of child pornography. Based on this and other information, a search warrant was obtained for Murray’s home. During the execution of the search warrant, Murray was interviewed and admitted to viewing child pornography. A forensic examination of Murray’s phone revealed several links containing images of child pornography.
Murray faces up to 20 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 court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI 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.
Justice Department Awards Highly Competitive Grant to York County’s Caring Unlimited for Youth Violence PreventionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: As Domestic Violence Awareness Month ends, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced today that Caring Unlimited, York County’s domestic violence resource center, was recently awarded a $497,000 three-year grant from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Consolidated Youth Program. Caring Unlimited’s program was one of only 16 projects selected nationally to receive such a grant.
The “Safe Communities for Youth” project will expand youth-focused prevention and intervention efforts in York County by conducting a community needs assessment, followed by the creation and implementation of a strategic plan designed to reduce victimization and perpetration of youth dating violence and sexual assaults. Partner agencies on the grant are Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine, Maine Boys to Men and Saltwater Vineyard Church.
“We are thrilled to be a recipient of this highly competitive program. We look forward to partnering with our community to create much needed capacity for youth violence prevention programming,” said Caring Unlimited Executive Director Susan Giambalvo. “The project will take a holistic approach to creating healthy communities for youth by creating leadership opportunities for youth and engaging supportive adults to prevent and respond to youth dating violence and sexual assault. As a community, we all have a responsibility and a role to play in changing the conditions that allow domestic violence to persist."
“Maine continues to experience a significant problem with incidents of domestic violence,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “We are proud of Caring Unlimited’s achievement and look forward to the work ahead as domestic violence prevention will be a priority for my office.”
Since 1977, Caring Unlimited has worked to end domestic violence in York County through service to an average of 2000 individuals annually. They offer a comprehensive array of programs including 24-hour Helpline, emergency shelter, transitional housing, individual and group advocacy and support, and legal assistance. The agency relies on volunteers to ensure that support and safety planning services are available to anyone affected by domestic abuse. More information is available by visiting www.caring-unlimited.org or by calling the Helpline at 1-800-239-7298.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Washington Man Sentenced to Almost Three Years for Making Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A former resident of Olympia, Washington was sentenced today in federal court for transmitting threatening interstate communications, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jesus W. Kong, 28, to a sentence of time served and one year of supervised release. Kong has been custody since his arrest on these charges in Olympia, Washington, on December 4, 2018. He pleaded guilty on May 26, 2021.
According to court records, Kong made several threatening and harassing posts on Facebook between about November 24, 2018, and January 22, 2019. In some of those posts, he threatened to harm employees of a Maine organization that provides services to individuals with disabilities. In other posts, he threatened a shooting at a Maine high school.
The FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the Augusta Police Department, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office and the Skowhegan Police Department investigated the case.
Houlton Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Houlton man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Hayden Fogg, 35, to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Fogg pleaded guilty on June 28, 2021.
According to court records, between approximately May 2018 and July 2018, Fogg was part of a drug distribution operation based out of Florida and operating in northern Maine. A co-conspirator obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from Florida and had it transported to Maine. Fogg sold the drug in the Houlton area while other members of the conspiracy sold it in Bangor and Howland.
“The community of Houlton and the surrounding area have seen a troubling increase in methamphetamine use, which law enforcement officials are taking seriously,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “If you, or someone you love, is struggling with such an addiction, please visit www.powerofprevention.org for the Aroostook County Substance Abuse Directory.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
Former Bath Iron Works Employee Sentenced for Workers’ Compensation FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Scarborough man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for filing a false document in relation to a workers’ compensation claim, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Michael Collins, 63, to three years of probation. In addition, Judge Hornby ordered Collins to pay $12,682.74 in restitution to Bath Iron Works (BIW). Collins pleaded guilty on June 21, 2021.
According to court records, Collins was employed as an electrician at BIW. He filed a claim under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act in approximately May 2018, claiming he suffered a work-related injury that left him totally disabled. BIW did not contest the claim and Collins began receiving benefit payments and medical treatment payments. In September 2018, the adjuster handling the claim became suspicious that Collins may have been working while continuing to claim he was totally disabled. The adjuster hired a private investigator, who conducted surveillance on numerous dates throughout the next several months. The surveillance revealed that Collins was working as a self-employed electrician.
On January 7, 2019, Collins falsely claimed on a required form that he did not have any earnings from employment or self-employment. His conduct caused BIW to suffer a loss of $12,682.74.
The U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Farmington Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Illegal Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy Involving Money Laundering and Public CorruptionRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Farmington man pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiring to possess and distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and 1,000 marijuana plants, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court documents, from about 2016 through July 2020, Randal Cousineau, 69, participated in a conspiracy to illegally cultivate and sell marijuana. Cousineau was the primary financier and 50% partner with a co-conspirator in an illegal marijuana cultivation facility in Farmington. He also held an interest in an illegal marijuana distribution company. Members of the conspiracy cultivated and sold marijuana in violation of Maine’s medical marijuana laws, selling bulk marijuana illicitly to individuals who were not registered as caregivers, and for distribution outside of the state of Maine. Cousineau realized hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit from these illegal sales.
Cousineau faces up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A related 14-count criminal complaint was also filed today in U.S. District Court in Bangor, charging 12 defendants with a variety of offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, bank fraud, tampering with proceedings, tampering with documents, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to impede and impair the IRS, tax evasion, and tax fraud.
According to the criminal complaint, Lucas Sirois, 41, of Farmington, was the leader of the criminal organization. He and his coconspirators realized in excess of $13 million over a six-year period through the illicit sale of marijuana. Sirois structured his operations to appear as though they complied with Maine’s medical marijuana regime while he regularly sold bulk marijuana on the illicit market, including more than $1 million worth of marijuana for out-of-state distribution between 2018 and 2019 through codefendant Brandon Dagnese, 27, of Scarborough, a convicted felon who was ineligible to hold a caregiver card in Maine.
Also as alleged in the criminal complaint:
- In order to conceal his activities and maximize his profits from illegal drug trafficking, in which he engaged with Alisa Sirois, 43, of Kingfield, Robert Sirois, 68, of Farmington, and Ryan Nezol, 38, of Farmington, among others, Sirois laundered drug proceeds through a complex corporate structure. He lied to his financial institution about the nature of his business and the source of funds that flowed through his accounts. Sirois and his tax preparer Kenneth Allen, 48, of Farmington, filed false income tax returns to hide hundreds of thousands of dollars in income, resulting in tax loss to the United States in excess of $400,000.
- Sirois defrauded the taxpayers of the state of Maine by using his drug money to corrupt members of local law enforcement and town government. Then-Franklin County Deputy Sheriffs Bradley Scovil, 33, of Rangeley, and Derrick Doucette, 29, of Jay, obtained confidential law enforcement information for Sirois that he used to benefit his illegal business; in exchange, Sirois rewarded Scovil and Doucette with ownership interests in his business and brand new “company” cars. Later, Sirois used Scovil and Doucette’s network of active law enforcement officials to obtain information about the ongoing federal investigation into his criminal activity.
- Franklin County Assistant District Attorney Kayla Alves, 36, of Farmington, tipped off Scovil to the existence of the Sirois probe, after Wilton police officer Kevin Lemay, 33, of Farmington, and then-Oxford County deputy sheriff James McLamb, 29, of Auburn, used government databases to confirm for Scovil and Doucette that they were being surveilled by law enforcement; all three officials later destroyed electronic evidence of their wrongdoing with Scovil and Doucette in order to conceal it from investigators.
- Rangeley Selectman David Burgess, 53, accepted tens of thousands of dollars in cash payments from Sirois, including investment in his internet start-up company, in exchange for advocating for Sirois’s preferred agenda in town government, including voting to advance a marijuana ordinance that Sirois himself had drafted to a town referendum. All the while, Sirois paid Burgess thousands of dollars a week to manage his marijuana businesses, a conflict Burgess never publicly disclosed.
In addition to the criminal complaint, a civil complaint was unsealed today in federal court, seeking the forfeiture of 12 real properties involved in the facilitation of illegal marijuana trafficking and/or purchased with illegal drug proceeds.
A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants charged in the criminal complaint is set forth below. The maximum potential sentences described therein are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the sentencing judge.
U.S. Attorney McElwee praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, Portland Resident Office; the FBI’s Boston Division; and the Boston Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation. Ms. McElwee thanked local and state Maine law enforcement partners for their participation in, and support of, the investigation.
The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Copies of the criminal and civil complaints are available here: criminal civil
COUNT
DEFENDANT(S)
MAX TERM OF IMPRISONMENT
Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (21 U.S.C. § 846)
Lucas Sirois
David Burgess
Bradley Scovil
Derrick Doucette
Alisa Sirois
Robert Sirois
Brandon Dagnese
Ryan Nezol
Dependent on quantity of marijuana reasonably foreseeable to each individual defendant
Count Two: Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956(h))
Lucas Sirois
David Burgess
Alisa Sirois
20 years
Count Three: Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1349)
Lucas Sirois
David Burgess
20 years
Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1349)
Lucas Sirois
Bradley Scovil
Derrick Doucette
James McLamb
20 years
Count Five: Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344)
Lucas Sirois
Alisa Sirois
30 years
Count Six: Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344)
Lucas Sirois
Bradley Scovil
Derrick Doucette
30 years
Count Seven: Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344)
David Burgess
30 years
Count Eight: Tampering with Proceedings (18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2))
Kayla Alves
20 years
Count Nine: Tampering with Documents (18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1))
Kayla Alves
20 years
Count Ten: Tampering with Documents (18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1))
Kevin Lemay
20 years
Count Eleven: Tampering with Documents (18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1))
James McLamb
20 years
Count Twelve: Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Impede and Impair I.R.S. (18 U.S.C. § 371)
Lucas Sirois
David Burgess
Kenneth Allen
5 years
Count Thirteen: Tax Evasion (26 U.S.C. § 7201)
Lucas Sirois
5 years
Count Fourteen: Tax Fraud (26 U.S.C. § 7206(2))
Kenneth Allen
3 years
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and aiding and abetting the straw purchase of firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, in April 2021, Sergio Figueroa aka “Kash,” 29, conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. As part of the conspiracy, he used a residence in Bangor to store and distribute drugs. On April 21, 2021, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant on the Bangor residence. Upon searching Figueroa’s bedroom, agents found 80 grams of fentanyl and $1,680 in cash, along with a loaded .380 caliber pistol. Figueroa was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a prior Maine felony conviction.
Earlier, in a separate January 2020 incident, court records show that Figueroa arranged for a straw purchaser to buy two pistols for him from a federal firearm licensee in Androscoggin County. While purchasing the firearms, the straw purchaser responded “Yes” to a question on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) form that asked whether the purchaser was the actual buyer of the firearms. In truth, the straw purchaser bought the firearms at Figueroa’s instruction, using money provided by Figueroa, and gave the firearms to Figueroa minutes after the sale. It is against federal law to aid and abet the provision of false information to federal firearm licensees when purchasing firearms from them.
On the drug conspiracy charge, Figueroa faces a minimum of five years in prison and up to 40 years, a $5 million fine, and four years of supervised release. On the firearms charges, he faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Lewiston Police Department 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.
Hampden Man Sentenced for Robbing Credit UnionRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for robbing a credit union, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Ronald Tilley, 61, to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $8,726 in restitution. Tilley pleaded guilty on June 24, 2019.
According to court records, on March 27, 2019, Tilley entered the back door of the Down East Credit Union in Bangor. He was wearing a dark mask covering his mouth, a hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses and dark gloves. He demanded money from the tellers, and stated that he had a gun and would shoot if they did not comply. He obtained more than $8,700.
A search warrant executed at Tilley’s residence in Hampden revealed cash stolen from the credit union. He was subsequently apprehended by law enforcement in Connecticut and confessed to the robbery.
The Bangor Police Department, the Hampden Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.
Lubec Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Lubec man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Rubin Perry, 34, to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim whose images he possessed. Perry pleaded guilty on June 18, 2021. He had a 2013 Maine state conviction for possessing child pornography, which subjected him to a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.
According to court records, in 2018, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit received information that a Twitter user was uploading and storing child pornography images and videos. Investigators determined that the Twitter account was associated with Perry’s address in Lubec. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the address and interviewed Perry while executing the warrant. He admitted that he had a problem with child pornography and he did not know how to stop. He also admitted to having child pornography on his cell phone, which was later found to contain multiple child pornography images.
In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock stated, “When people like the defendant seek out these images, it encourages their production.”
Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the Bangor Police Department 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.
Old Orchard Beach Man Sentenced for Stealing Government PropertyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—An Old Orchard Beach man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Michael Gamash, 65, to one year of probation. He was also ordered to pay over $62,000 in restitution to the U.S. Navy. Gamash pleaded guilty on June 2, 2021.
According to court records, from about April 2014 to June 2016, Gamash took scrap metal belonging to the Navy from dumpsters located on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) and sold the metal to two area metal dealers. Gamash was an employee of PNSY at the time. When investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) interviewed him, he admitted routinely taking scrap metal items from several dumpsters at PNSY and selling the metal. He acknowledged that he knew it was illegal to take the metal and sell it for his personal profit.
NCIS investigated the case.
Durham Woman Sentenced for Concealing Income to Receive Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Durham woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court for Social Security fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Carol Bourgoin, 65, to three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $80,430.00 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (“SSA”). Bourgoin pleaded guilty on June 17, 2021.
According to court records, from about July 2009 through November 2018, Bourgoin, a recipient of Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”), concealed the presence of her husband in her household to maintain her eligibility to receive benefit payments. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly. Bourgoin’s husband had sufficient income to render her ineligible for the benefits she received during that period. In multiple reviews of her eligibility for benefits, Bourgoin falsely represented to the SSA that she was living alone and not receiving help or money from any other person during this time. During an interview with investigators, Bourgoin admitted to concealing her living situation from SSA because she knew it would make her ineligible to receive SSI.
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Hamlin Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Importing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Hamlin man was sentenced today in federal court for importing methamphetamine into the United States from Canada, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Lance Labreck, 25, to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Labreck pleaded guilty on January 12, 2021.
According to court records, on November 19, 2019, Labreck drove a snowmobile from the U.S. across the international border into Canada. Later that evening, he returned to the U.S. via snowmobile, carrying with him approximately 55 grams of pure methamphetamine he had obtained in Canada. When stopped by Border Patrol Agents, he admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and bringing it back over the international border into the U.S.
Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Russian Man of Visa Fraud and False Statement ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Russian man was convicted Thursday of conspiring to commit visa fraud, making false statements to a federal law enforcement agency and visa fraud following a two-day jury trial, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. This was the first jury trial held in the Portland federal court since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court records, Alexander Gormatov, 33, a Russian national, entered the U.S. on a student/work visa in 2009, and later successfully adjusted his status to that of an academic student visa by attending Southern Maine Community College in 2010. In 2011, he met a 17-year-old female U.S. citizen through a Craigslist employment advertisement. Just a few months later, when she reached age 18, he paid her to marry him in his pursuit of a permanent immigration benefit. He then quit school. By November 2012, when he failed to re-enroll at the college, he became unlawfully present in the U.S.
In January 2013, per their agreement, the sham couple made a series of materially false statements on immigration documents that Gormatov later filed seeking a formal adjustment to his immigration status. In April 2013, the couple was interviewed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in South Portland, during which, per Gormatov’s instruction, the couple falsely claimed to be living as husband and wife. Following the interviews, based on the fraud, Gormatov obtained conditional lawful permanent resident status in the U.S.
In January 2014, Gormatov’s wife gave birth to a child she conceived with her actual live-in boyfriend, but Gormatov’s name was placed on the birth certificate. In March 2015, Gormatov filed a petition in order to remove the conditions of his permanent residence accompanied by a copy of the child’s falsified birth certificate.
In January 2017, after learning he was under investigation, Gormatov departed the U.S. for Russia, and failed to return within one year. In May 2019, to return to the U.S., he falsely represented the paternity of his sham wife’s child on a form filed in Riga, Latvia.
During the trial, the young sham wife testified that Gormatov had told her to “just trust him” because such sham marriages happen all the time and “nobody cares.”
Gormatov faces up to five years in prison for the conspiracy and false statement charges, and up to 10 years in prison for the visa fraud charge. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 per count and a supervised release term of up to three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service investigated the case.
Darcie N. McElwee Sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the District of MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Darcie N. McElwee has taken the oath of office to become the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine. U.S. Attorney McElwee was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on August 10, 2021, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 5, 2021. President Biden signed her commission on October 8, 2021. She took the oath of office today from Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy.
U.S. Attorney McElwee said, “I am thrilled and honored to lead a district of federal law enforcement professionals, in partnership with our state and local counterparts, who work hard in the pursuit of justice. It is important to me that every person in Maine feels safe—and lives free from fear, violence, and hate in any form. I look forward to getting out in the communities of every corner of the state to do a great deal of listening and learning, while focused on the priorities of the Department of the Justice and the President.”
U.S. Attorney McElwee is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Maine. She oversees a staff of 54 employees and contractors located in Portland and Bangor, including 27 attorneys, 24 non-attorney support personnel and three contractors. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
U.S. Attorney McElwee grew up in Caribou. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Maine beginning in 2002. She primarily prosecuted violent crimes such as sex trafficking, interstate domestic violence and child sexual exploitation, as well as firearms and arson offenses. She also served as the district Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator for approximately 16 years. She began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for Penobscot and Piscataquis counties from 1998 to 2002.
U.S. Attorney McElwee is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She is also a member of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association and a past president of the Cumberland Bar Association. She has served on the adjunct faculty of the University of Maine School of Law and at the Maine Trial Lawyers College of Advocacy. She is a 1995 graduate of Bowdoin College and a 1998 graduate of the University of Maine School of Law.
Mexican National Sentenced to over Two Years for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national with an immigration history of prior removals and felony convictions was sentenced today in federal court for illegally reentering the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Galdino Velasco-Santiago, aka Galdino Chavez-Santiago, 40, to 27 months in prison. Velasco-Santiago pleaded guilty on May 15, 2021.
According to court records, on October 2, 2020, Velasco-Santiago was arrested on state criminal charges after a car he was operating went off the road in Augusta and was damaged. He had been removed from the U.S. to Mexico four times previously. He had also been convicted in federal courts in Arizona, Florida and California for prior illegal reentry felony offenses.
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement and the Augusta Police Department investigated the case.
Seal Cove Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Seal Cove man pleaded guilty today in federal court to three counts of producing child pornography, one count of transporting child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, on July 6, 2020, Keegan T. Richardson, 28, entered a private chat group on the internet and began communicating with an FBI undercover agent. This chat group was known to the agent as a place where people met, discussed and traded original images of underage children and links containing child pornography. Richardson confirmed that he had access to a female minor and shared multiple sexually explicit images of the minor with the agent. Shortly afterwards, a search warrant was obtained for Richardson’s residence and phone, and he was arrested. Investigators later learned that he had access to two other minors. On his phone, a forensic examiner found multiple sexually explicit images of all three minors. Richardson had taken the images with his phone. The forensic examiner also found multiple additional images of sexually explicit conduct involving different minors on the phone.
Richardson faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for each production count, a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for the transportation count, and up to 20 years in prison for the possession count. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 for each count, and a term of supervised release of between five years and life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the Maine State Police and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency 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.
Yarmouth Man Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft and SBA Loan Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Yarmouth man pleaded guilty today in federal court to aggravated identity theft, and in a separate case waived indictment and pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the Small Business Administration in a loan application, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, in November 2016, John J. Cavanaugh, Jr., 52, applied to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for disability insurance benefits on behalf of his minor son. During the application process, Cavanaugh falsely claimed that his son had resided with him since birth, and that he and his son lived together. In fact, neither his son nor his son’s mother had ever lived with Cavanaugh.
In December 2016, Cavanaugh submitted a typewritten letter to the SSA that was purportedly authored and signed by his son’s mother. The letter falsely stated that she and her son were living with Cavanaugh. The letter was provided in support of Cavanaugh’s application for disability insurance benefits on his son’s behalf. His son’s mother did not write the letter, and the signature on the letter was not hers. Cavanaugh did not have her permission to write the letter on her behalf. The SSA approved his application for benefits and he received them until June 2018, when his son’s mother learned that he was receiving them and notified the SSA.
Also according to court records, in April 2020, Cavanaugh applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration. The loans were designed to support business owners negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The online application that Cavanaugh completed asked if he was currently subject to an indictment or other formal criminal charge. Cavanaugh falsely answered “No” to this question. In fact, he was under indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, and was subject to an order setting conditions of release that informed him that if he committed a new federal felony while on release, he was subject to additional penalties.
Cavanaugh faces a mandatory two years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the aggravated identity theft charge. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release on the false statement charge. He faces an additional sentence of up to 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, because he committed the false statement offense while on pretrial release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the SSA Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Sanford Man and South Portland Woman Sentenced for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Sanford man and a South Portland woman were sentenced today in federal court for distributing fentanyl resulting in the death of another individual, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Earl Cormier, 42, to 125 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Judge Levy sentenced Suzanne Cormier, 40, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Earl Cormier pleaded guilty on January 3, 2019, and Suzanne Cormier pleaded guilty on January 9, 2019.
According to court records, on July 8, 2017, Earl Cormier arranged a drug transaction with another male. Suzanne Cormier acquired the drugs from a supplier and the two traveled together to the Walmart in Biddeford to complete the transaction. Earl Cormier delivered a substance containing fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl along with needles to the male. The male used the substance in the Walmart bathroom and was later discovered unconscious in the bathroom. He never regained consciousness and died on July 19, 2017.
The Biddeford Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this 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.
Presque Isle Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Presque Isle man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Justin Michaud, 35, to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Michaud pleaded guilty in December 2020.
According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Michaud and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Michaud coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from sources in Arizona and Colorado to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to those sources in order to supply their drug trafficking enterprise.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Dedham Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Dedham man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Brian Saunders, 39, to 155 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Saunders pleaded guilty in December 2020.
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. Saunders 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 prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Rockland Man Sentenced for Making Hoax Distress CallRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Rockland man was sentenced today in federal court for making a hoax distress call, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Nathan Libby, 32, to time served (four days) and three years of supervised release. Libby was also ordered to pay $17,500 in restitution to the U.S. Coast Guard. He pleaded guilty on June 3, 2021.
According to court records, on December 3, 2020, while at the Spruce Head Fisherman’s Co-op, Libby communicated a false distress call for a vessel and crew reportedly taking on water in the vicinity of Spruce Head. In response, the Coast Guard initiated a search spanning more than five hours, which included the use of a local Coast Guard vessel, a Maine Marine Patrol vessel, and a helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. Further investigation identified Libby as the caller and the search was suspended as a hoax call.
The Coast Guard pursues all distress calls, and when dealing with hoax cases, crews will search until the nature and legitimacy of the calls are resolved.
“I applaud the collaborative efforts of the Department of Justice, Maine Marine Patrol, Rockland Police Department, and the United States Coast Guard in bringing this case to a close and ensuring accountability for Mr. Libby’s actions,” said Capt. Brian LeFebvre, Sector Commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. “Hoax calls like the call Mr. Libby placed unnecessarily put our rescue crews at risk, waste resources, and may limit our ability to respond to actual emergencies.”
The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Maine Marine Patrol and Coast Guard Sector Northern New England investigated the case.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to over 13 Years for Conspiring to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lawrence, Massachusetts man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Julio Mejia, 40, to 162 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a $2,000 fine. Mejia pleaded guilty on November 21, 2019.
According to court records, between April 2016 and March 2018, Mejia conspired with others from Lawrence, Massachusetts; New Hampshire; and Maine to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Mejia acquired the drugs in Lawrence, and they were then sold to others for distribution throughout New England.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Portsmouth Tactical Diversion Squad, the Sanford Police Department, the Maine State Police, the New Hampshire State Police, the Hampton (New Hampshire) Police Department and the North Andover (Massachusetts) Police Department investigated the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Woburn, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court for being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Sauma Brata Deb, 27, to 12 months and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. Deb pleaded guilty on August 5, 2021.
According to court records, between March 6, 2020, and November 16, 2020, Deb was arrested on five separate occasions in either New Hampshire or Massachusetts. During each of these arrests, drugs or drug-use paraphernalia (or both) were recovered from him. On January 29, 2021, he attempted to sell a firearm to the Kittery Trading Post. When he was arrested, two firearms were recovered from him and additional items of drug-use paraphernalia were recovered from his car. It is against federal law for unlawful users of drugs to possess firearms.
The Maine and New Hampshire offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kittery 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.
New York Man Sentenced for Heroin and Crack TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Rochester, New York man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine base, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Quinton Spinks, aka “Q,” aka “Travis,” 37, to 115 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Spinks pleaded guilty in August 2019.
According to court records, between November 2016 and September 2017, Spinks conspired with others from Rochester and central Maine to distribute heroin and crack. The drugs were acquired in Rochester and Spinks and others distributed the drugs in Augusta and surrounding communities.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case, with significant assistance provided by the Maine State Police. The case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s program to combat the opioid epidemic.
Biddeford Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man pleaded guilty today in federal court to sexually exploiting a minor and transporting child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, in 2016 or 2017, Jason Proulx, 43, recorded sexually explicit videos of a girl who was seven or eight years old at the time. In July 2019, Proulx uploaded the videos to a French website. Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at a residence in Biddeford in June 2020. Proulx was present and agreed to speak with investigators. After initially denying any involvement with pornography, he eventually admitted that he had recorded sexually explicit videos of the girl in a room in the residence.
Proulx faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for sexually exploiting a minor. He faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for transporting child pornography. He also faces a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Biddeford Police Department.
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.
Belgrade Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine : A Belgrade man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, on September 30, 2016, Clinton Damboise, 45, entered the Camden National Bank in Manchester, Maine. He approached a female teller and told her, “this is a robbery, not a joke.” He gestured to the waistband of his jacket and said he had a gun. The teller gave him $3,179 and he fled. He was subsequently identified by the teller and by the bank’s security camera footage.
Damboise faces up to 20 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 court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, the Maine State Police, the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office and the Southington (Connecticut) Police Department investigated the case.
Presque Isle Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Reece Humphrey, 28, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Humphrey pleaded guilty in April 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. Humphrey and his co-conspirators distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine. Humphrey traveled with co-conspirators on at least one trip to Mexico and Arizona to obtain methamphetamine and transport it back to Maine.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Credit Card Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Maryland man was sentenced today in federal court for using counterfeit credit cards, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Charles Harris, 38, to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,008.15 in restitution. He pleaded guilty in December 2020.
According to court records, in December 2018, Harris and his co-defendant, Bryan Boley, used counterfeit credit cards at Maine retail outlets. The credit card numbers were bought online.
Harris’s co-defendant Boley was sentenced to 22 months in prison and three years of supervised release on November 15, 2019.
The U.S. Secret Service; the Maine State Police; and the Auburn, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth and Yarmouth police departments investigated the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Soliciting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to soliciting child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, on May 9, 2020, while in Florida, Cameron Eagle, 35, used Cash App, a direct peer-to-peer payment system for mobile devices, to pay a female child in Maine to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he watched via livestream over the chat website Omegle. The child, who resided in Cumberland County, was 14 years old at the time. Financial records reflected that Eagle made several payments to the child on that date, and that he made other similar payments in small denominations to other Cash App accounts on the same day, as well as on other dates in May and June 2020.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Martin County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, with assistance from the Fort Pierce office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
The 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’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, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Presque Isle Man Sentenced on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine— A Presque Isle man was sentenced today in federal court in two separate cases for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Tyler Neece, 29, to 165 months in prison and a total of five years of supervised release. Neece pleaded guilty in February 2021.
According to court records, between approximately January 2017 and August 2018, Neece and his co-conspirators obtained methamphetamine from an out-of-state source and distributed the drugs in northern Maine.
Also according to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of a separate conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico. Neece and his co-conspirators distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated these cases with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.
These prosecutions are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Bangor Man Sentenced for Possessing Images of Child Sexual Exploitation and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing images of child sexual exploitation and violating the terms of his supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Robert Goguen, 46, to a total of 16 years in prison—14 years for possessing images of child sexual exploitation, and two years for violating the conditions of supervised release. Judge Woodcock also sentenced Goguen to 20 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. Goguen pleaded guilty and admitted the supervised release violation on September 15, 2017.
According to court records, on November 10, 2015, U.S. probation officers went to Goguen’s apartment in Bangor and seized a laptop computer. A forensic search of the computer revealed images and videos of child sexual exploitation that Goguen had downloaded and saved. At the time, Goguen was on federal supervised release following a 2012 conviction for failing to register as a sex offender.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Bangor Police Department 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.
Justice Department Awards over $425,000 to State of Maine to Aid Victims of Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded $428,498 to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to assist victims of sexual assault, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
Nationwide, OVW is making 56 awards totaling $28.2 million through the Fiscal Year 2021 Sexual Assault Services Formula Program.
The SAS Formula Program directs grant dollars to states and territories to assist them in supporting rape crisis centers (including governmental rape crisis centers not in territories and tribal governmental programs) and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that provide core services, direct intervention, and related assistance to victims of sexual assault, regardless of age. Funds provided through the SAS Formula Program are designed to supplement other funding sources directed at addressing sexual assault on the state and territorial levels. Rape crisis centers and other nonprofit organizations, such as dual programs providing both domestic violence and sexual assault intervention services, play a vital role in assisting sexual assault victims through the healing process, as well as assisting victims through the medical, criminal justice, and other social support systems.
For more information about the SAS Formula Program, please visit this fact sheet.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Justice Department Awards over $1 Million to State of Maine to Address Violence Against WomenRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded over $1 million to the Maine Department of Public Safety to combat violent crimes against women, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
Nationwide, OVW is making 56 awards totaling $153.1 million through the Fiscal Year 2021 STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program.
The STOP Formula Grant Program encourages partnerships between law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services organizations to enhance victim safety and hold offenders accountable in cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The goal of the grant program is to develop and strengthen law enforcement, prosecution, and court strategies to combat violent crimes against women and to develop and strengthen victim services, including community-based, culturally specific services, in cases involving domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. For more information about the STOP Formula Grant Program, please visit this fact sheet.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Greenbush Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Short-Barreled ShotgunRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Greenbush man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing an unregistered firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, on November 10, 2019, Lawrence Shirland, 52, was involved in an altercation at his home in Greenbush, during which he fired a warning shot from a sawed-off shotgun. The shot hit a truck windshield. When police arrived, Shirland admitted that he had fired the shotgun and provided it to officers. He explained that he had modified the shotgun himself. Specifically, he cut the barrel with a hack saw, and cut and sanded the stock and wrapped it in tape.
Shirland’s shotgun was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Federal law prohibits the possession of a 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, unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the NFRTR.
Shirland faces up to 10 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 court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office 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.
Justice Department Awards over $433,000 to Penobscot Nation to Combat Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded over $433,000 to the Penobscot Indian Nation to support the tribe in exercising jurisdiction over individuals who commit crimes of domestic violence or dating violence or violate certain protection orders on tribal land, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
“The awards we are making this year will touch the lives of millions of survivors of violence and help our nation end these devastating crimes,” said Allison Randall, OVW Acting Director. “OVW is proud to be the leading federal voice in the country’s fight against sexual and domestic violence.”
OVW’s Grants to Tribal Governments to Exercise Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction (Tribal Jurisdiction Program) provides support and technical assistance to Indian tribes for planning and implementing changes in their criminal justice systems necessary to exercise “special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction” (SDVCJ) and funds to exercise the jurisdiction.
Prior to the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013), if a victim was Indian and the perpetrator was non-Indian, the crime could be prosecuted only by the United States or, in some circumstances, by the state in which the tribe’s Indian Country is located. VAWA 2013 included a provision recognizing the authority of participating tribes to exercise SDVCJ over certain defendants, regardless of their Indian or non-Indian status, who commit crimes of domestic violence or dating violence or violate certain protection orders in Indian Country. The Tribal Jurisdiction Program is designed to enhance tribes’ ability to implement and exercise SDVCJ.
“I congratulate the Penobscot Nation on securing funds that will enable tribal leaders to more effectively combat domestic violence on tribal lands,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clark. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with our tribal partners to hold perpetrators of these crimes accountable and support victims.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
New Hampshire Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A New Hampshire woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Corina Fall, 47, to 90 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Fall pleaded guilty on June 3, 2021.
According to court records, between March 2018 and February 2019, Fall conspired with her husband and others to distribute methamphetamine in New Hampshire and Maine. During the conspiracy, Fall and her husband were stopped by the Illinois State Police while bringing methamphetamine back to New England from California. Law enforcement officers seized nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine from their vehicle as part of that traffic stop. Investigators later made multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Fall and her co-conspirators. Fall was living in Rumford, Maine at the time.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rumford Police Department, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the New Hampshire State Police, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force, the Carroll County (New Hampshire) Sheriff’s Office and the Illinois State Police investigated the case.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Connecticut man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute and using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Damian Perry, aka “Primo,” 39, to 137 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Perry pleaded guilty on August 19, 2019.
According to court records, on September 1, 2017, Perry and another person were found in possession of 94 grams of cocaine base and 34 grams of heroin at a Brewer hotel. Perry and the other person had been selling the drugs from the hotel. On August 21, 2017, Perry had used a telephone to have a conversation with another individual to make plans to come to Maine to sell the drugs.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Brewer Police Department investigated the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Biddeford Man Sentenced for Committing and Conspiring to Commit Federal Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for his role in committing and conspiring to commit a federal hate crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Dusty Leo, 30, to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims. Leo pleaded guilty on February 25, 2020.
Following a three-day trial in March 2020, a jury convicted Leo’s co-conspirator and uncle, Maurice Diggins, of conspiring to commit and committing a series of racially motivated assaults against Black men in Maine. For his convictions, Diggins was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
“The defendant violently attacked a Black man for no reason other than his race,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentencing marks the final chapter in the long road to justice for the victims of these violent, racially-motivated crimes. The Department of Justice will continue to use the Mathew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and every tool at our disposal, to vindicate the rights of victims of hate crimes, and will continue to investigate and prosecute these acts wherever they occur.”
“The crimes committed by Mr. Leo and his co-conspirator injured and traumatized their victims, and also traumatized the communities in which they occurred,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark for the District of Maine. “No one should be targeted for violence because of the color of their skin or their ethnicity. Crimes like this tear at the very fabric of our society. This prosecution makes clear that individuals who commit hate-motivated crimes will be made to pay for their actions. I am proud of the investigators and prosecutors who tirelessly pursued this case, and so appreciative of the victims, who courageously confronted Mr. Leo’s co-defendant at trial.”
“Today’s sentence should make it crystal clear that those who traffic in hate, targeting people in our community because of their skin color, will be held accountable for their horrific, violent crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta of the FBI Boston Field Office. “No one should be afraid to walk down the street and be targeted by an act of violence based on how they look, where they are from, or any part of their identity. The FBI would like to thank the brave victims in this case for their courage in coming forward to ensure that Dusty Leo, and his uncle did not escape justice, and we’d like to encourage other victims of hate crimes to do the same. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, and everyone deserves a voice.”
According to Leo’s guilty plea and evidence presented at Diggins’s trial, on April 15, 2018, Diggins attacked a Sudanese man without provocation outside of a bar in Portland, Maine. The assault, which broke the victim’s jaw, was immediately followed by an attack on another Black man who was standing on the street nearby.
In a second incident, which occurred approximately an hour later and approximately 20 miles away in Biddeford, co-conspirators Diggins and Leo drove in Leo’s truck into a parking lot of a convenience store, where Diggins got out of the truck and approached a Black man who was walking toward the store’s entrance. Diggins directed a racial slur at the man and distracted him while Leo got out of the truck and sucker-punched the victim in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. The unprovoked attack broke the victim’s jaw in several places.
The Biddeford Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Sawyer and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Tim Visser prosecuted the case.
Woolwich Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Woolwich man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing images of child exploitation, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, on June 18, 2020, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at the residence of Clifton Given, 32. In an interview with investigators, Given admitted to using his cell phone to view images of children engaged in sex. Investigators later found several images and videos on his cell phone depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Given faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office 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.
Windham Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Taiwanese Exchange StudentsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Windham woman was sentenced today in federal court for two counts of wire fraud stemming from her scheme to defraud Taiwanese exchange students studying in Maine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Ni Ni Chang, 51, to five years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $65,524.94 in restitution to the victims. She waived indictment and pleaded guilty on January 14, 2021.
According to court records, between September 2016 and December 2019, Chang hosted two Taiwanese exchange students seeking to study abroad in Maine at the University of Southern Maine and Windham Christian Academy. Prior to and after their arrival, Chang falsely represented the cost of tuition and other educational expenses to the families of these students and pocketed the difference between the actual costs and the wrongfully inflated costs. At sentencing, she acknowledged that her actions had been driven by greed.
Both victims attended the sentencing proceeding remotely from Taiwan, and one of the victims addressed the Court during the Zoom proceeding, expressing her gratitude to the American judicial system for helping her family obtain justice.
Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service investigated the case.
Maine Nonprofits to Receive Federal Funding for Legal Assistance to VictimsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—Four Maine nonprofit organizations will receive a total of over $2.3 million from the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program of the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced. Nationally, the LAV Program is awarding nearly $36 million in victim legal assistance funding to organizations across the country.
Caring Unlimited Corporation in Sanford will receive $593,653; the Family Violence Project in Augusta will receive $596,527; the Next Step Domestic Violence Project in Ellsworth will receive $600,000; and Partners for Peace in Bangor will receive $552,131.
“Providing assistance to crime victims is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the justice system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clark. “I am pleased that these four organizations will receive significant funding to enhance the crucial services they provide to Maine crime victims.”
The LAV Program is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by providing funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence. Comprehensive legal services extend beyond representation in emergency and non-emergency protection order hearings to address the broad spectrum of legal issues that victims encounter, including family matters such as divorce, child custody or child support, immigration, administrative agency proceedings, and consumer or housing matters.
The Office on Violence Against Women provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Brunswick Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Brunswick man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge John D. Levy sentenced James Prescott III, 28, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Prescott pleaded guilty on April 27, 2021.
According to court records, on September 22, 2020, the Brunswick Police Department received a call from an individual who reported that his vehicle had been burglarized and his firearm was taken from it. This individual described a male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, and a blue hospital mask, whom he saw in the parking lot approximately 15 feet away from his vehicle.
A short time later, officers with the Topsham Police Department encountered a male matching the description provided by the burglary victim. During the contact, officers identified the male as Prescott and recovered the stolen firearm from him. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law because in 2015 he had been convicted of Theft by Receiving Stolen Property, a crime that was punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Brunswick and Topsham police departments investigated this 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.
Monmouth Woman Pleads Guilty to Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Monmouth woman pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to making false statements to a firearms dealer during the purchase of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, in April 2019, Laura Love, 43, purchased a 9 mm pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Windsor. When completing the sale, Love filled out a Firearms Transaction Record form in which she falsely reported that she was the actual purchaser of the firearm. She was actually purchasing the firearm for someone else.
Love faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Augusta Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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.
Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, in August 2019, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants for the residence and person of Rodney Crowley, 33. HSI had obtained information from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regarding child pornography activity involving users of an internet messaging application. In an interview with investigators, Crowley admitted being a member of chat groups in which child pornography images were exchanged. Investigators later found several images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on a memory card in Crowley’s cell phone.
Crowley faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI and the RCMP 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.
Connecticut Woman Sentenced for Theft from Health Care Benefit ProgramRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Connecticut woman was sentenced today in federal court for theft from a health care benefit program, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Melissa Tansey, 51, to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $162,135.08 in restitution to the victim. She pleaded guilty on March 31, 2021.
According to court records, beginning in March 2013, Tansey was employed as the sole administrative assistant and bookkeeper with a health care provider based in Falmouth. Beginning in November 2013, she began making unauthorized charges on the provider’s credit cards. In December 2013, she began writing unauthorized checks to herself. She would create fraudulent entries in the provider’s accounting software to make it appear that the payments were for legitimate expenses. This theft continued until January 2018, when the provider learned of her activity.
The FBI investigated the case.
Penobscot County Woman Sentenced for Theft of Money OrdersRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Penobscot County woman was sentenced today in federal court for the theft and conversion of money orders, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Mellony Hafford, 37, to three years of probation. Hafford was also ordered to pay $4,177 in restitution to the U.S. Postal Service. She pleaded guilty in April 2021.
According to court records, between approximately May 2016 and April 2018, Hafford stole multiple money order forms while working as an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. She falsified several of the money order forms to conceal other fraudulent money orders she made out to herself, and to conceal her theft of cash that had been received in sales at the post office.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) investigated this case. TIGTA’s involvement in the investigation was supervised by William Kalb, Special Agent in Charge, North East Field Division.