District of Maine
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Sebago Man Pleads Guilty to Theft from Interstate ShipmentsRead the Press Release
Contact: Julia M. Lipez
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jeffrey P. Wheeler, Jr., 31, of Sebago, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to theft from interstate shipments of goods.
Court records reveal that between December 2013 and February 2014, Wheeler was employed as a delivery truck driver for United Parcel Service (UPS). During this period, Wheeler stole several shipments of prescription narcotic medications that had been shipped via UPS from the Veterans Administration medical facility in Togus, Maine to outpatient veteran clients.
Wheeler faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigations Division of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
Former Kittery Woman Sentenced to over a Year in Prison for Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
Contact: Donald E. Clark
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Rana J. Clarizio, 46, of Oak Brook, Illinois, and formerly of Kittery, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 366 days years in prison and three years of supervised release for bankruptcy fraud. She was also ordered to pay about $185,000 in restitution. She pled guilty on May 11, 2015.
According to court records, on March 21, 2014, the defendant filed for bankruptcy in Maine. On April 4, 2014, she filed Schedules of Assets and Liabilities ("schedules") and a Statement of Financial Affairs ("SOFA") under the penalty of perjury in which she failed to disclose about $185,000 worth of property of the bankruptcy estate. On May 2, 2014, she falsely testified under oath at a meeting of her creditors that her schedules and SOFA were true and correct. In addition, in anticipation of the bankruptcy filing, she transferred and concealed over $125,000 worth of property of the estate that she failed to disclose in her April schedules and SOFA.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Wayne Man Sentenced to Two Years Probation for VA FraudRead the Press Release
Contact: Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Lawrence A. Stewart, 48, of Wayne, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to two years of probation and fined $8,000 for theft of public money. He was also ordered to pay $53,852.72 in restitution to the Veterans Administration ("VA"), which he paid prior to sentencing. The defendant pled guilty on April 8, 2015.
According to court records, from about October 2011 until January 2015, Stewart received additional VA disability compensation based on unemployability when he was, in fact, gainfully employed. Stewart repeatedly provided falsified documentation to the VA, underreporting the extent of his employment and the income he received.
"By taking money you were not entitled to, you took it from the sole agency whose purpose it to serve veterans," Judge Woodcock told the defendant before imposing the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the VA Office of the Inspector General.
Hope Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact: Benjamin M. Block
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Conrad Neal Freeman, 21, of Hope, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to 70 months in prison and 7 years of supervised release for transporting child pornography and for possession of child pornography. Abbott pleaded guilty to the charges on May 21, 2015.
According to court records, in January 2014, Freeman engaged in an online chat with an undercover Special Agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in California. In that conversation, Freeman agreed to send the undercover agent images of child pornography in exchange for the opportunity to observe the agent engage in sexual acts with the agent’s purported 11-year-old daughter. Freeman then sent the undercover agent 10 images and 1 video containing child pornography. A search warrant later executed at Freeman’s residence in Hope resulted in the recovery of a laptop containing 65 images and 5 videos containing child pornography.
The investigation was conducted by HSI. 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the "resources" tab for information about Internet safety education.Bangor Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: F. Todd Lowell
Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorneys
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Timothy S. Klimas, 27, of Bangor, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to using children to produce child pornography and to distributing child pornography.
Court records reveal that between 2012 and 2014 the defendant sexually abused three minor children and used a digital camera and his cell phone’s camera to record sexually explicit images of them. He posted many of those images to a website. He was arrested in August 2014.
Klimas faces at least 15 years and up to 110 years in prison and up to a $1,000,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bangor and Newport Police Departments.
U.s. Department of Justice Awards Law Enforcement Hiring Grants to Help Build Trust, Reduce Violence and Protect SchoolsRead the Press Release
Contact: Donald E. Clark
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Washington, DC—Today, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) funding awards to four municipalities and one county in the District of Maine aimed at creating five law enforcement positions. Over $107 million will be awarded nationally, through the COPS Hiring Program (CHP), including $625,000 in Maine.
The list of this year’s grantees includes: the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department and the municipalities of Fort Kent, Norway, Old Town and Winslow.
“The COPS Office is pleased to assist local law enforcement agencies throughout the country in addressing their most critical public safety issues,” said Ronald L. Davis, Director of the COPS Office. “These grants are not simply about putting more officers on the street, they are about expanding the capacity of law enforcement agencies to engage in community policing.”
CHP provides grants to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers. The program provides salaries and benefits for officer and deputy hires for three years.
Thomas E. Delahanty II, United States Attorney for the District of Maine, said that COPS has been a highly successful program for 20 years and that Maine law enforcement agencies have received many grants that have provided much needed resources for a variety of projects. The five grants to Maine agencies this year will be used to assist the agencies in different ways.
Naldo Gagnon, Chief Deputy Sheriff for Cumberland County, said that they will use to funds to provide a School Resource Officer for the Town of Gray which does not have its own police department. It will be of great assistance to that town.
Thomas Pelletier, Chief of Police of Fort Kent, said that the grant will allow Fort Kent to add an officer increasing the size of the department by 25 percent. The police have had a noticeable increase in calls for assistance over the past few years, but the town has been unable to finance an additional officer. The police assist with security at the community hospital which serves the region and responds to calls from the University of Maine at Fort Kent and at the border, given the town's proximity to a major border crossing.
Together with the Norway, Old Town and Winslow Police Departments, the five recipients will receive a total of $650,000, at $125,000 for each position.
Priority consideration was given this year to agencies that selected any of the Building Trust focus areas or School Based Policing through School Resource Officers. All applicants were encouraged to refer to the report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing for suggested actions to incorporate into their proposed community policing strategy.
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, COPS has invested over $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 127,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance.
For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2015 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay Child SupportRead the Press Release
Contact: Michael J. Conley
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jeffrey Kingman, 51, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to failing to pay child support. Federal law makes it a crime to maintain a residence in state different than the residence of your children if you owe more than $10,000 in child support.
According to evidence introduced at the plea hearing, Kingman was ordered to pay $216 per week in child support as part of his January 2007 Maine divorce judgment. Between August 2007 and March 2011, he made 57 reduced and variable child support payments totaling $12,150. As of October 2012, he owed $60,112 in child support. He did not make any child support payments since then. As of March 4, 2015, he owned over $90,000 in child support.
Kingman faces up to 2 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery.
Woodland Man Pleads Guilty to Bath Salts Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact: Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Preston Brown, Sr., 51, of Woodland, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute bath salts.
According to court records, between about June 2012 and June 2014, Brown conspired with others in Aroostook County to obtain and distribute bath salts. On multiple occasions, Brown ordered bath salts over the internet from China for personal use and to sell to other conspirators.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Limestone Man Pleads Guilty to Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Contact: James M. Moore
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Mark P. Durinski, 63, of Limestone, Maine, pleaded guilty on Monday in U.S. District Court to making false statements and entries in annual reports filed with the U.S. Department of Labor.
Court records reveal that Durinski was employed by the Defense Finance Accounting Service (“DFAS”) in Limestone and was also the president of the local union that represented DFAS employees. In his capacity as local president, he signed and certified as true annual Labor Department reports that failed to disclose that he received over $50,000 from the local to reimburse him for travel and other expenditures for which he was also reimbursed by U.S. Department of Defense or another source.
Durinski faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Justice Department Awards over $97 Million to Improve Public Safety and Victim Services for American Indians and Alaska NativesRead the Press Release
Contact: Donald E. Clark
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Washington, DC – The Department of Justice today announced 206 awards, totaling more than $97 million, to American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, tribal consortia and tribal designees. The announcement was made at the 2015 Tribal Leader Briefing, sponsored by the National Congress of American Indians, and included Tribal leaders, Members of Congress and Administration officials.
The Aroostook Band of Micmacs was awarded $894,553 for its Violence Against Women Tribal Government Program. The Penobscot Nation was awarded $876,889 for its Violence Against Women Tribal Government Program and $307,891 for its Juvenile Healing to Wellness Courts.
The awards are made through the Department’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a single application for tribal-specific grant programs. The Department developed CTAS through its Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Office of Justice Programs and Office on Violence Against Women, and administered the first round of consolidated grants in September 2010.
Todd Lowell, the Tribal Liaison for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine said: “these awards to support efforts to reduce domestic and dating violence and to promote wellness and healing for tribal youth will undoubtedly help make these two Maine tribal communities safer and healthier.”
“For the past five years, the CTAS program has helped tribes develop their own comprehensive approaches to making their communities safer and healthier,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart F. Delery. “CTAS grants have funded hundreds of programs to better serve crime victims, promote community policing, and strengthen justice systems. This year’s awards also support efforts to reduce domestic and dating violence, and promote wellness and healing for tribal youth, among many other programs.”
Since then, more than 1,400 grants totaling more than $620 million have been provided to enhance law enforcement practices, victim services, and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts in nine purpose areas; public safety and community policing; justice systems planning: alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs.
American Indians and Alaska Natives experience disproportionate rates of violence and victimization and often encounter significant obstacles to identifying and accessing culturally relevant services. CTAS funding helps tribes to develop and strengthen tribal justice systems’ response to crime, while significantly increasing programs and services available to them.
A listing of today’s awards is available at www.justice.gov/tribal/.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.Exeter Man Pleads Guilty to Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Contact: Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Clifford Sprague, 37, of Exeter, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false statements to obtain Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) benefits. SSDI benefits are paid by the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) to people with disabilities.
According to court records, from March 2011 until March 2012, the defendant received $12,864 in SSDI benefits for himself and his three dependent children. In November 2011, the defendant was required to undergo a Continuing Disability Review to determine if he was still disabled. During this review, the defendant told his representative payee to falsely represent that the defendant did not work outside the house and required someone to clean, bathe, dress and cook for him. In truth and fact, the defendant did not have disabilities that required someone else to clean, bathe, dress and cook for him. The defendant did a significant amount of work outside the house including working as a scrap metal dealer, carpenter and woodcutter.
The defendant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General.
Exeter Man Pleads Guilty to Assisting Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
Contact: Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Clifford Sprague, 37, of Exeter, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to being an accessory after the fact to a pharmacy robbery. An accessory after the fact is a person who, knowing that an offense against the United States has been committed, comforts or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment.
According to court records, on March 10, 2012, Michael Thompson entered the Rite Aid pharmacy in Guilford, Maine wearing a bandana, a hood, sunglasses and gloves. He jumped over the pharmacy counter, brandished a large hunting style knife and demanded narcotics. A pharmacist opened the locker containing narcotics and Thompson filled his back pack with more than $5000 worth of them. After the robbery, Thompson called Sprague, told him that he had robbed the pharmacy and asked Sprague to pick him up in his car. Sprague did so. Shortly after picking up Thompson, Sprague saw a Somerset County Sheriff’s Office vehicle. Sprague slowed down his vehicle and told Thompson he needed to get out. Thompson got out of Sprague’s vehicle and fled into the woods. Later, Sprague used and sold some of the narcotics Thompson stole.
On June 29, 2015, Thompson was sentenced to 82 months in prison for his role in the pharmacy robbery.
The defendant faces up to ten years in prison and a $125,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office, the Maine State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.
Caribou Man Sentenced to 35 Months on Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: James M. Moore
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that George D. LaCasse, 35, of Caribou, Maine, was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 35 months in prison and three years of supervised release by for his unlawful possession of firearms. LaCasse pleaded guilty on April 11, 2015.
Court records reveal that on May 23, 2014, LaCasse arranged for another person to purchase a 9mm pistol for him from Ben’s Trading Post in Presque Isle, Maine. LaCasse was at the Trading Post when the firearm was purchased. Witnesses saw him with the pistol. He admitted to others that he had a gun. Federal agents also recovered 9mm casings and other evidence that LaCasse had used the firearm for target practice. LaCasse was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had felony convictions in Massachusetts in 2009.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Caribou Police Department.
Kennebec County Men Plead Guilty to Pharmacy Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: F. Todd Lowell
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Steven C. Chaput, 39, of Mount Vernon, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to pharmacy robberies charges. Rudger S. Ellis, 22, of Gardiner, Maine pleaded guilty to the same charges on August 12, 2015.
On February 7, 2015, Ellis entered the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on North Belfast Avenue in Augusta, Maine, wearing a hooded gray sweatshirt, blue and white athletic pants, and gloves and covering his face with a plaid cloth. Ellis approached the counter and demanded that the pharmacist give him oxycodone, oxycontin, and Ritalin. He told the pharmacy employees to hurry up. Ellis absconded with six bottles containing oxycodone.
On February 18, 2015, Ellis robbed the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on Spring Street in Gardiner, again wearing a hooded sweatshirt and gloves and covering his face with a plaid cloth. He approached the pharmacy counter and demanded oxycodone 30 milligram pills. He repeatedly told pharmacy employees to “hurry” and several times commanded: “now, now, now!” Ellis absconded with 11 bottles of oxycodone.
Chaput and Ellis had planned the pharmacy robberies together. Chaput was the getaway driver for both robberies, parking near each pharmacy and waiting as Ellis robbed them.
The defendants face up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution. They will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Augusta and Gardiner Police Departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
South Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Wayne Niski, 28, of South Portland, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to sexually exploiting a minor.
According to court records, in 2013, Niski took several sexually explicit photographs of an eight-year-old girl. In March 2015, investigators executed a search warrant at Niski’s residence in South Portland. Among the items found in the residence was a USB flash drive that contained copies of the images that Niski had taken in 2013.
Niski faces a sentence of no less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release for life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Crack Cocaine Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: Julia M. Lipez
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Samuel Collins, 46, of Portland, Maine, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute cocaine base, often referred to as crack cocaine.
Court records reveal that between December 2013 and January 2015, Collins conspired with others to sell crack cocaine in Portland, Maine. Members of the conspiracy would arrange for the acquisition of drugs out of state. Once the drugs were transported to Maine, they were provided to retail distributors, including Collins, who would sell the drugs in the Portland area. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Collins and determined that Collins let other members of the conspiracy sell drugs from his apartment.
Collins faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Portland Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Biddeford and Lewiston Police Departments, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Maine State Police also assisted with the investigation.
The case also results from the ongoing effort of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Five Arrested on Federal Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that five individuals charged in separate federal complaints were arrested on Thursday evening in Bangor. Specifically,
Mario Lee, 40, of Bangor, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with four counts of distribution of heroin.
Kliton Xhemali, 34, of Bangor, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with two counts of distribution of cocaine.
Antonio Gordon, 32, of Bangor, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with three counts of distribution of cocaine base (“crack”).
Syrian Baldwin, 29, of Bangor, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with two counts of distribution of cocaine base (“crack”).
Tawana Greene, 23, of Bangor, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging her with two counts of distribution of cocaine base (“crack”).
On the drug distribution charges, each defendant faces up to twenty years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both.
The cases resulted from a year-long joint investigation among the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bangor Police Department into the activities of drug trafficking organizations operating in the Bangor area. DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson said: “These arrests demonstrate the strength and continued commitment of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to work together to address a continuing drug problem in the Bangor area."
A complaint is merely a written allegation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
New Haven Resident Pleads Guilty to Crack Distribution and Gun ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Christian Turner, a/k/a “P”, 29, of Bangor pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 280 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack,” and conspiracy to violate the federal gun laws.
According to court records, between January 2010 and August 2013, the defendant sold crack in Penobscot County and elsewhere. He sold half-gram bags for $40 and gram bags for $80. Other members of the conspiracy also sold bags of crack for him. He transferred the proceeds of the sales to his source of supply in the New Haven, Connecticut area and got cash and crack in exchange. The crack was transported from Connecticut to the Bangor area by other conspirators.
During the same period of time, the defendant also conspired to violate the federal gun laws. He had others fraudulently obtain fourteen firearms through “straw purchases” at pawnshops in Bangor and Brewer and acquired seven more firearms through private transactions. He paid cash or drugs for the guns and sent them back to New Haven, Connecticut for distribution to others.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine on the drug charge and up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the gun charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. He is one of eleven defendants charged in the indictment.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (New Haven Office); and the New Haven Police Department.
Blaine Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact: Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Robert Kinney, Jr., 41, of Blaine, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to transporting child pornography.
According to court records, on about August 20 and 21, 2014, Kinney emailed at least nine videos and 15 images of child pornography as he traded with others over the internet. The defendant’s trade in child pornography supported, and was supported by, his personal collection of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of young children.
Kinney faces between five and 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and between five years and a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police.
Bangor Resident Pleads Guilty to Crack Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that David Chaisson, 23, of Bangor pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 280 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack.”
According to court records, between January 2010 and August 2013, the defendant sold crack in Penobscot County and elsewhere. He sold half-gram bags for $50 and gram bags for $100. He transferred the proceeds of the sales to his source of supply in the New Haven, Connecticut area and got cash and crack in exchange. The crack was transported from Connecticut to the Bangor area by other conspirators.
The defendant faces up to twenty years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. He is one of eleven defendants charged in the indictment.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (New Haven Office).
Vinalhaven Man Sentenced to One Year for Making Hoax Distress CallsRead the Press Release
Contact: Jonathan R. Chapman
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Owen R. Adair, 23, of Vinalhaven, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to one year in prison, up to one year in community confinement and three years of supervised release for making false distress calls to the U.S. Coast Guard. Adair was also ordered to repay the Coast Guard $15,000 for the costs associated with the search that it conducted in response to the hoax calls. Adair pled guilty to the charge on April 15, 2015.
According to court records, on September 30, 2014, the defendant initiated a two-way radio call using a VHF radio with a radio operator at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. In the initial radio transmission to the Coast Guard, the defendant stated: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.” In a lengthy conversation, the defendant then repeatedly told the Coast Guard operator that he urgently needed assistance because a crewman on his fishing vessel sustained a serious injury to his neck and was bleeding badly. The Coast Guard operator repeatedly attempted to determine the position from which the defendant was calling, but the defendant gave false location information. In fact, the defendant was not aboard a vessel, but was on Vinalhaven Island and was using a VHF radio in his truck. There was also no injured person needing assistance from the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard dispatched a search and rescue vessel from Rockland. After a seven-hour search, the Coast Guard suspended the search.
"What is important to understand about this hoax call is that lives were unnecessarily put at risk while a boat crew searched seven hours offshore for a situation that did not exist," said Rear Admiral Linda Fagan, commander, First U.S. Coast Guard District. "In addition to our Coast Guard responders, multiple agencies and individuals, including medical personnel, police dispatch, harbormasters, mariners, and the Maine Marine Patrol, devoted time and resources to this case and each made extensive preparations to assist with a case that was simply a hoax."
The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service.
Brunswick Man Sentenced to over One Year on Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: Karen E. Kelly
Assistant Chief, U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division
James W. Chapman, Jr.
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II and Acting Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, Caroline D. Ciraolo, announced that F. William Messier, 71, of Brunswick, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to one year and a day in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by impeding and impairing the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) and corruptly endeavoring to impede the lawful administration of the tax laws. He was also fined $15,000 and ordered to file tax returns and to pay income taxes going back to 2005, which was estimated by the government to be $168,376, not including interest and penalties. The defendant and co-conspirator David E. Robinson were convicted on April 3, 2015, after a five-day jury trial.
According to trial testimony, Messier, doing business as Oak Hill Communications, earned income generated on leases from telecommunication towers located on his Brunswick property. From 1999 through 2014, Messier engaged in conduct intended to obstruct the enforcement of the Revenue laws, including providing false tax documents to customers, obstructing IRS collection activities and the extensive use of cash. In 2012, the IRS assessed taxes and interest against Messier totaling $172,094 for the tax years 2000 to 2004. Robinson claimed to be the “Interim Attorney General” of the “Maine Republic Free State” and advocated that people not pay federal and state taxes. According to the testimony of witnesses, after the IRS sent Notices of Levy to Messier’s customers, Robinson and Messier took a number of steps to obstruct and impede the IRS in the collection of the assessment, including presenting the IRS with a fake and worthless money order for the amount due by Messier. According to witness testimony, Messier and Robinson urged customers not to honor the levies or to pay the IRS, and further urged customers to pay Messier in cash to conceal their payments from the IRS, sent false documents to the IRS and sent threatening and misleading correspondence to customers of Messier’s business urging them not to cooperate with the IRS. The two also filed civil lawsuits against some of Messier’s customers and employees of the IRS, which were dismissed in separate proceedings.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Hornby said that the notion that people do not have to pay federal taxes unless they live in the District of Columbia or a federal territory or are federal employees “is a fantasy.” People who believe this notion need to understand that their conduct is wrong and deserves a prison sentence and a fine.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney James W. Chapman, and Karen E. Kelly, Assistant Chief at the Tax Division prosecuted the case.Cushing Woman Sentenced to One Year of Probation for Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Crystal Dinapoli, formerly known as “Crystal Burch,” 23, of Cushing, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to one year of probation for making a false statement to a government agent. Dinapoli pleaded guilty to the charge on April 1, 2015.
According to court records, in June 2014, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was investigating Dinapoli’s then-boyfriend for illegally possessing firearms. In 2013, Dinapoli purchased several handguns from a local firearms dealer. Agents were investigating whether Dinapoli’s boyfriend had possessed any of them. Dinapoli told an ATF agent that she transferred those handguns to her boyfriend’s father, a statement that was false. Later that day, ATF agents found her boyfriend with two of the handguns.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF.
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Ryan Jeremiah Abbott, 23, of Plymouth, Wisconsin, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 5 years in prison and 7 years of supervised release for transporting child pornography. Abbott pleaded guilty to the charge on April 8, 2015.
According to court records, in October 2014, Abbott, who was in Wisconsin, sent eight email messages to the undercover email account of a Special Agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Maine. Three of the emails contained links to folders maintained on a foreign cloud storage service. The folders contained dozens of videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The other five emails attached video files also depicting children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A search warrant later executed on Abbott’s email account showed that it was almost exclusively dedicated to the solicitation and exchange of child pornography.
The investigation was conducted by HSI. 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.
Windsor Man Sentenced on Pharmacy Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: F. Todd Lowell
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Lance M. Szady, 27, of Windsor, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to seven years and three months in prison and three years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the robbery of a Rite Aid pharmacy in Augusta, Maine on September 2, 2014. He pleaded guilty to that charge on February 10, 2015.
Court records show that on the evening of September 2, 2014, Dominic J. Pomerleau robbed the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on Hospital Street in Augusta, Maine. He approached the pharmacy counter with a note that demanded oxycodone and absconded with three bottles of oxycodone. Szady had planned the robbery with Pomerleau and had driven Pomerleau to the pharmacy and waited for him to complete the robbery. The robbery was captured on surveillance video and witnesses provided descriptions of Pomerleau and his distinctive arm and neck tattoos.
The investigation was conducted by the Augusta Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former New Haven, Connecticut Resident Pleads Guilty to Crack Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Torrence Benton, 28, formerly of New Haven, Connecticut (currently serving a state prison sentence in the Maine State Prison) pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 280 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack.”
According to court records, the defendant illegally distributed cocaine base in Bangor area between January 2010 and August 2013. He obtained the cocaine base from other members of the conspiracy. He sold and distributed the cocaine base in multiple half gram and gram amounts to others. The half-gram bags were sold for $50 each and the gram bags were sold for $100 each. The ultimate source for the cocaine base was in the New Haven, Connecticut area and it was transported to the Bangor area by others in the conspiracy. On April 7, 2013, the defendant was arrested by the Old Town Police Department on state charges and was subsequently found in possession of approximately ten grams of cocaine base.
The defendant faces up to twenty years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. He is one of eleven defendants charged in the indictment.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the New Haven, Connecticut Office of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven Connecticut Police Department.
Waterville Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Contact: Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Brian Mulkern, 35, of Waterville, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to court records, on about August 26, 2014, Mulkern was apprehended by police while in possession of 10 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition. Mulkern was prohibited from possessing ammunition due to past felony convictions in Maine state courts for burglary, robbery, and drug distribution.
If Mulkern is found to be an Armed Career Criminal because of his past drug trafficking and violent felony convictions, he would face a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum term of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Winthrop Police Department.
Maine’s Lawsuit Challenging Termination of Riverview’s Medicare Program Participation DismissedRead the Press Release
Contact: Andrew K. Lizotte
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that yesterday U.S. District Judge John D. Levy dismissed a lawsuit brought against the federal government by the State of Maine on behalf of Riverview Psychiatric Center (“Riverview”), a psychiatric hospital operated by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
On October 3, 2014, Maine filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court asking the court to review the June 4, 2013 decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) terminating Riverview’s Medicare provider agreement effective September 2, 2013. The termination was due to a number of significant deficiencies related to Riverview’s compliance with health, safety and administrative requirements. Riverview submitted three plans of correction, two of which were determined to be unacceptable by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and CMS. However, Riverview failed to properly challenge the termination decision, even when provided with additional time, until January 3, 2014, to do so. The federal government moved to dismiss the lawsuit claiming that the State had failed to properly and timely challenge CMS’s termination decision.
Judge Levy agreed that Riverview had failed to properly and timely challenge the termination decision under the Medicare statute and regulations and that CMS had repeatedly reminded Riverview that the submission of plans of correction would not change the termination. In dismissing the lawsuit, Judge Levy concluded that the State’s arguments stretched the facts of the case, and the relevant statutory and regulatory language, beyond their limits; were “semantic only;” or were unsupported by the Medicare regulations and the administrative record. “[R]ead in their entirety,” Judge Levy concluded that Medicare’s “regulations offer no support for the proposition that a provider can avoid the effects of an unchallenged termination decision by engaging in a corrective process with CMS. Here, the State had ample opportunity to challenge the June 4 decision but failed to do so. The consequences flowing from that failure may be harsh, but they are not, in the end, surprising given the regulatory scheme set out in the regulations.”
The federal government was represented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of General Counsel, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Winter Harbor Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Money from the Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
Contact: Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Sandra Melnick, 52, of Winter Harbor, Maine, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to theft of more than $1,600 worth of public money.
According to court records, from about May 19 to September 12, 2014, while serving as a Postmaster Relief at the Sullivan, Maine Post Office, Melnick issued a series of money orders without reporting the sale or tendering the money to the Postal Service. Many of these money orders were cashed by recipients before the defendant reported them as sold. When Postal Service investigators audited Melnick’s accounts, there were still three previously-cashed money orders outstanding.
Melnick 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.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General.
Orono Man Pleads Guilty to Bank and Wire Fraud Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jason Robinson, 29, of Orono, Maine, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to bank and wire fraud conspiracy charges.
According to court records, from about February 2014 to May 2015, Robinson conspired with others to steal merchandise from Walmart, Hannaford, and other stores in Maine, and sell it on eBay; to return stolen merchandise to Lowe’s and Home Depot in return for store credit; and to defraud federally insured financial institutions by depositing worthless checks and withdrawing the money before those checks bounced.
Robinson faces up to 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud conspiracy, and up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the wire fraud conspiracies. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police, the Bangor Police Department, and the Penobscot Sheriff’s Office.
Maine Corporation Fined $10,000 for Counterfeit Goods TraffickingRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
F. Todd Lowell
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Robert Berg Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a “Berg Sportswear” of Corinna, Maine was fined $10,000 today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. for trafficking in counterfeit goods. The defendant was also placed on probation for one year and ordered to pay $11,855.67 in restitution. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge on June 23, 2014.
The defendant operates a screen printing business that prints, markets and sells apparel items bearing trademarks and other logos and images. A trademark is a symbol, word, or words legally registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office or established by use as representing a company or product. According to court records, between January 2006 and January 2011, the defendant counterfeited apparel bearing the trademarks of the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, New York Yankees, Harley Davidson, John Deere, Jack Daniels, Orange County Choppers and Playboy. Employees designed counterfeit trademarks, created screens from which the trademarks could be printed on apparel items and printed the counterfeit trademarks on those items.
"Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. It dupes the consumer, forces local stores out of business, and results in lost revenue for the trademark holders,” said special agent in charge Matthew Etre of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Boston. “Intellectual property theft is a very real crime with very real victims.”
The case was investigated by HSI, with the assistance of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Lincoln Resident Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Bruce Smith, 58, of Lincoln, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to possession of firearms by an unlawful user of bath salts.
According to court records, between January and April 2014, the defendant possessed seven firearms at a time when he was regularly using Alpha-PVP. Alpha-PVP is a schedule I controlled substance and is among a group of illegal, street drugs commonly referred to as bath salts. Two of the firearms were seized on March 9, 2014 following a traffic stop and Smith’s arrest by the Lincoln Police Department. Two more were seized on March 11, 2014 in Bradford, Maine and traced back to Smith. Smith possessed three more on April 8, 2014 when he was questioned by federal agents.
The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Lincoln Police Department.
Corinna Man Sentenced to 6 Months for Being an Accessory to Township 37 Marijuana GrowRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Robert Berg, 52, of Corinna, Maine, was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 6 months in prison and one year of supervised release for being an accessory after the fact to the manufacture of 1,000 or more marijuana plants. An accessory after the fact is a person who, knowing that an offense against the United States has been committed, comforts or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment. He was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. Berg pleaded guilty to the charge on January 7, 2014.
According to court records, following the September 22, 2009 discovery by law enforcement officers of a large, sophisticated marijuana growing operation in Township 37 in Washington County, Berg provided assistance to those who committed the crime. Specifically, Berg was aware that Malcolm French, Rodney Russell and Kendall Chase and a number of migrant workers were growing marijuana in Township 37. When it was discovered, several offenders including migrant workers, fled into and hid in the woods of Township 37. Shortly thereafter, at French’s request, Berg drove to Township 37 with another individual, located the migrant workers, took them to his Corinna residence and hid them in his barn. He also gave them food and clothing. A day or two later, another individual picked up the migrant workers at Berg’s barn and drove them out of state.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Chelsea Woman Sentenced to 21 Months for Being an Accessory to a Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
Contact: F. Todd Lowell
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Nicole A. Breton, 21, of Chelsea, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being an accessory after the fact to a pharmacy robbery. An accessory after the fact is a person who, knowing that an offense against the United States has been committed, comforts or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment. Breton pleaded guilty to the charge on February 9, 2015.
Court records show that on the evening of September 2, 2014, Dominic J. Pomerleau robbed the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on Hospital Street in Augusta, Maine. He approached the pharmacy counter with a note that demanded oxycodone and absconded with three bottles of oxycodone. Breton was waiting for Pomerleau in a getaway car. She emptied the pills from the bottles and threw the empty bottles and caps out the car window. Pomerleau, Breton, and the driver of the car fled to Breton’s residence and spent the night there. They consumed many of the pills that were taken from the robbery. The robbery was captured on surveillance video and witnesses provided descriptions of Pomerleau and his distinctive arm and neck tattoos. Pomerleau pleaded guilty to pharmacy robbery and attempted pharmacy robbery charges on January 23, 2015 and awaits sentencing.
In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock said: “If you commit a serious crime and you end up in federal court you will get a serious sentence.”
The investigation was conducted by the Augusta Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bradford Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Harold Peters, III, 37, of Bradford, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute bath salts and being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to court records, the defendant joined a conspiracy that distributed the “bath salt” Alpha-PVP in Penobscot County between January 2012 and March 2014. The defendant helped acquire Alpha-PVP from China; got distribution size quantities of it from other conspirators; distributed it to dealers and users in the Bangor area; collected drug proceeds from customers and delivered it to his suppliers; and used cellular telephones to coordinate the criminal activity.
In March 2014, the defendant illegally possessed two Winchester rifles that he purchased from another conspirator in exchange for Alpha-PVP. The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of three felony offenses (unlawful sexual contact, trafficking in prison contraband, and failure to comply with sex offender registry act). The firearms were recovered from a family member’s residence where the defendant stored them.
On the drug charge, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and between three years and life of supervised release. On the gun charge, 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.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven (Connecticut) Police Department.
Texas Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Steven Sawyer, 37, of Splendora, Texas, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 14 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for transporting child pornography. Sawyer pleaded guilty to the charge on March 25, 2015.
According to court records, in October 2014, Sawyer, who was in Texas, sent an email message to the undercover email account of a Special Agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Maine. Attached to the email was a video file depicting a young girl engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The investigation was conducted by HSI. 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.
Corinth Woman Sentenced to Two Years on Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Krystal Bell, 29, of Corinth, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute bath salts. She was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. She pleaded guilty to the charge on February 13, 2015.
Court records reveal that on May 30, 2014, the defendant went to the U.S. Post Office in St. Albans, Maine and picked up a package mailed from China. As she left the post office, she was stopped by law enforcement agents conducting surveillance at the post office who had reason to believe the package contained bath salts. Bell told the agents that the package contained Alpha-PVP, that she agreed to pick up the drugs for another person, and that she intended to deliver the drugs to the other person. Alpha-PVP is a schedule I controlled substance and is among a group of illegal, street drugs commonly referred to as bath salts.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Transporting an Individual with the Intent that She Engage in ProstitutionRead the Press Release
Contact: Julia M. Lipez
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Shawna Calhoun, 24, of Lewiston, Maine and Alvin Houston, Jr., 27, of Auburn, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to transporting an individual in interstate commerce with the intent that she engage in prostitution.
Court records reveal that on December 23, 2014, Calhoun and Houston arranged to rent a car in Maine. On the same day, Houston drove Calhoun, another individual, and a 13-year old girl from Maine to Boston, Massachusetts, where they stayed with Calhoun’s family. While in Boston, Calhoun and Houston drove the 13-year old girl to various hotels in the Boston area to engage in prostitution. On December 30, 2014, Calhoun and Houston learned that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was looking for the 13-year old. They drove her in the rental car back to Maine and ultimately to Bangor, where the 13-year old again engaged in prostitution. Early in the morning on December 31, 2014, Calhoun and Houston drove the 13-year old to a hotel in the Bangor area so that she could meet with a client for the purposes of prostitution. The purported client turned out to be a member of law enforcement. Calhoun and Houston were arrested outside in the parking lot, where they were waiting in the rental car.
Both defendants face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Homeland Security Investigations Human Trafficking Task Force, the Lisbon and Bangor Police Departments, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Bath Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: Darcie N. McElwee
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today that Johnny Ray Johnson, 57, of Bath, Maine pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court to possession of firearms by a felon.
According to court documents, on October 13, 2013, while Johnson was on probation for a 2013 domestic violence assault felony conviction in Maine state court, his probation officers conducted a home visit and found him in possession of three firearms.The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. His prior felony convictions may also subject him to an enhanced sentence as an Armed Career Criminal requiring a sentence of at least of 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Maine Department of Corrections (Probation and Parole); the Bath Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Oxford County Man Sentenced to over 4 Years on Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: Darcie N. McElwee
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Corey Eustis, 39, formerly of Mexico, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of firearms by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Eustis was found guilty of the charge on May 27, 2015 after a four-day bench trial.
According to trial evidence and court documents, in 2011, Eustis was convicted in Maine state court of assaulting his wife. On August 26, 2012, Eustis shot himself outside of his Bethel, Maine residence while sitting at a camp fire. Responding law enforcement deputies found Eustis in possession of three firearms and ammunition. He was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his domestic violence conviction.
In imposing sentence, Judge Torresen departed upward from the guideline range because of the seriousness of Eustis’s criminal history, which included multiple convictions for drunk driving, and his history of domestic violence incidents involving at least five women. Judge Torresen stated that Eustis is a danger to the community and, in particular, to his intimate partners.
The investigation was conducted by the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office; the Maine State Police; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Cambodian Man Sentenced to Six Months for Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
Contact: Halsey B. Frank
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Sothy Khiev, 48, a citizen of Cambodia who most recently resided in Florida, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to six months in prison for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Khiev was convicted on February 27, 2015 after a four-day bench trial. After serving his sentence, Khiev will be turned over to immigration authorities for deportation proceedings.
According to the trial evidence, Khiev paid Chanara Sok $5,000 to fraudulently engage and marry his girlfriend, Sophal Cheng, so that she could legally enter the country. Cheng entered the United States on a fiancé visa and married Sok in Westbrook on September 4, 2007. Thereafter, Cheng sought to adjust her immigration status on the basis of her fraudulent marriage to Sok. To conceal the fraudulent marriage, Khiev orchestrated, among other things, false affidavits and letters of support, a false utility bill in the names of Cheng and Sok, and used car purchase and insurance documents in the name of Cheng and Sok. He also arranged for a false birth certificate identifying Cheng and Sok as parents.
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Torresen observed that countries have the right to control immigration and that Khiev’s violation of federal law to adjust Cheng’s status was unfair to other immigrants who have to follow the law.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service.
New York Man Sentenced to 10 Months for Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
Contact: Halsey B. Frank
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Gyadeen P. Ramdihall, 28, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit access device fraud. He was also ordered to pay $17,987.56 in restitution. Ramdihall pleaded guilty on January 29, 2015.
According to court documents, on about September 4, 2013, Ramdihall, Jervis Hillaire and a third person travelled from New York to Maine with 38 credit, debit and gift cards that were counterfeit or fraudulently altered. In Maine, the three used cards to purchase gift cards and electronic devices from vendors including, among others, Best Buy, Apple, Target and Walmart. On October 10, 2013, an Ohio State Trooper stopped Ramdihall for speeding. Hillaire was his passenger. A total of 17 fraudulent access device cards in Hillaire’s name were found in the trunk of the vehicle under the spare tire. On January 24, 2014, the Biddeford Police stopped Ramdihall near the Walmart store in Biddeford. Hillaire was again his passenger. Ramdihall was arrested for driving with a suspended license; Hillaire was arrested for providing a false identity. Police discovered eight fraudulent access device cards in Hillaire’s boot.
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Hornby observed that the use of false credit cards was a serious problem, that he was concerned that Ramdihall did not understand the seriousness of his situation and that a sentence that would provide deterrence was required.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, the Kittery and Biddeford Police Departments and the Ohio State Police.
Peaks Island Woman Sentenced to 3 Years for Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact: Daniel J. Perry
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Ashley Gross, 26, of Peaks Island, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to 3 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. Gross pleaded guilty on March 11, 2015.
According to court records, from at least March 2013 through November 2013, Gross was part of a drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin and cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, from several residences in the Portland area. Conspirators brought heroin and crack cocaine from out-of-state suppliers to the residences. Conspirators fielded telephone calls from drug customers for the drugs. The drugs were delivered to customers by runners, including Gross, who met with customers and exchanged the drugs for money. Runners brought the drug proceeds back to the residence and they were thereafter sent to the out-of-state suppliers.This case results from a joint investigation conducted by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Portland Police Department.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to over Seven Years in Prison for Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II of the District of Maine announced today that Lawrence Estrella, 65, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal of the District of Maine to 92 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for interstate transportation of stolen property. Estrella pleaded guilty on Feb. 20, 2015.
According to court records and information from the sentencing hearing, in May 2013, six N.C. Wyeth paintings were stolen from a residence in Portland, Maine. In November 2014, Estrella transported four of the six stolen paintings to California in an effort to sell them. Law enforcement officers in California located his vehicle in the parking lot of a hotel in North Hollywood, California. Estrella’s room at the hotel was searched and a firearm was located, but no paintings were found.
On Dec. 19, 2014, law enforcement officers recovered the four stolen paintings from a pawn shop in Beverly Hills, California. The four recovered paintings are titled, “At a touch from Michael’s knife,” “The Unwrit Dogma,” “The Duel” and “John Brimblecombe.” The four recovered paintings are worth more than $1 million. Oscar Roberts, the man who used the stolen paintings to secure a loan from the Beverly Hills pawn shop, was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California and was sentenced to 28 months in prison.
The remaining two stolen paintings, “The Encounter on Freshwater Cliff” and “Go, Dutton, and that right speedily,” have not yet been recovered.
This case results from a joint investigation conducted by the FBI’s Portland and Los Angeles offices, the Portland Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to over Seven Years for Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
Contact: David B. Joyce
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today that Lawrence Estrella, 65, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 92 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for interstate transportation of stolen property. Estrella pleaded guilty on February 20, 2015.
According to court records and information from the sentencing hearing, in May 2013, six N.C. Wyeth paintings were stolen from a residence in Portland. In November 2014, Estrella transported four of the six stolen paintings to California in an effort to sell them. Law enforcement officers in California located his vehicle in the parking lot of a hotel in North Hollywood. Estrella’s room at the hotel was searched and a firearm was located, but no paintings
were found.
On December 19, 2014, law enforcement officers recovered the four stolen paintings from a pawn shop in Beverly Hills, California. The four recovered paintings are titled: “At a touch from Michael’s knife,” “The Unwrit Dogma,” “The Duel,” and “John Brimblecombe.” The four recovered paintings are worth more than $1 million. Oscar Roberts, the man who used the stolen paintings to secure a loan from the Beverly Hills pawn shop, was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and was sentenced to 28 months in prison.The remaining two stolen paintings -- “The Encounter on Freshwater Cliff” and “Go, Dutton, and that right speedily” -- have not yet been recovered.
This case results from a joint investigation conducted by the Portland, Maine, and Los Angeles, California, offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Portland Police Department; and the Los Angeles Police Department.Lewiston Man Sentenced to over 10 Years for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Contact: David B. Joyce
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Paul Robinson, 33, of Lewiston, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 121 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for distributing cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Robinson pleaded guilty on September 4, 2014.
Court records reveal that between early 2011 and September 2013, Robinson and others obtained crack cocaine in Massachusetts for distribution in the Lewiston area. On April 11, 2013, after Robinson distributed about an ounce of crack cocaine, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Robinson’s apartment in Lewiston. Among the items seized were crack cocaine, about $4,500 in cash, two firearms, video monitors attached to surveillance cameras facing the front of the building, and EBT cards in the names of five other people. In total, Robinson was held responsible for 2.73 kilograms of crack cocaine.
This case results from a joint investigation conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine State Police, the Lewiston and Auburn Police Departments, and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office. This investigation is part of the ongoing effort of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.Waterville Man Resentenced to an Additional 18 Months for Failing to Pay RestitutionRead the Press Release
Contact: Jim Moore
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Gregory Violette, 59, of Waterville, was resentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release for failing to pay restitution.
Court records reflect that on October 31, 2002, Violette was sentenced to 87 months in prison for wire, mail and bankruptcy fraud; making false statements to financial institutions; and money laundering. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $422,657 in restitution to the victims of his fraud. As of June 2, 2015, he still owed $406,487 in restitution. The Court resentenced the defendant to an additional 18 months in prison to be followed by two more years of supervised release after finding that Violette transferred more than $70,000 to his wife in order to prevent the money from being used to pay restitution to his victims.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S Probation Office and the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
South Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: David B. Joyce
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Sean Johnson a/k/a “Thomas Butler” a/k/a “Wayne Sunderland,” 32, of South Portland, Maine, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, on May 23, 2015, Johnson pulled alongside another vehicle with two occupants stopped at a traffic light located at the intersection of Payne Road and the Maine Turnpike Approach/Connector Road in Scarborough. Johnson fired a shot into the vehicle missing both occupants and lodging in the driver side door. He fled down Payne Road. A passing motorist reported the incident by calling 9-1-1. Scarborough police officers responded and located Johnson’s vehicle parked in a driveway a short distance away. Johnson was found and arrested hiding in nearby woods. A police K-9 led officers to Johnson’s firearm, a Glock nine millimeter semi-automatic pistol that was buried under leaves near his vehicle. Johnson was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2013 felony drug trafficking conviction in Maine.
Johnson 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.
This case was investigated by the Scarborough Police Department and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland and Biddeford Police Departments.
Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Crack Cocaine Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: Julia M. Lipez
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Marco Gordon, 34, of Portland and Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, often referred to as crack cocaine, and to possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
Court records reveal that between December 2013 and January 2015, Gordon conspired with others to distribute crack cocaine. Conspirators arranged for the acquisition of drugs out of state and transported them to Maine where they were provided to retail distributors, including Gordon, who sold them in the Portland area. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted controlled purchases of crack cocaine from members of the conspiracy. On January 9, 2015, officers arrested Gordon on Gilman Street in Portland and seized 183.6 grams of crack cocaine and over $3,400 in cash.
Gordon faces between five and 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine on each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. In May 2015, conspirators Russell Gordon and Robert Joiner, Jr. pleaded guilty to crack cocaine distribution charges and await sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland and Biddeford Police Departments. The Lewiston Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Maine State Police also assisted with the investigation.
The case also results from the ongoing effort of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Windham Man Sentenced to Three Months for Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Contact: Halsey B. Frank
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Manuel J. Arruda, 46, of Windham, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to three months in prison and two years of supervised release for mail and access device fraud and identity theft. He was also ordered to pay $11,962.85 in restitution. Arruda pleaded guilty to the charges on February 20, 2015.
According to court documents, in March of 2012, the defendant applied on-line, over the Internet, for a Chase Bank Freedom credit card in the name of another person. In doing so, the defendant used the victim’s name, date of birth and Social Security number. He obtained the victims personal identifiers using his position as service manager at a car dealership in Portland when the victim brought his truck in for servicing. Chase Bank approved the application and mailed two credit cards to the defendant in Windham. Between about March and December of 2012, the defendant used the card to make about $12,000 worth of purchases, took over $2,300 in cash advances, made payments of about $1,200, and received about $350 in credits.
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Levy stated that identity theft is a serious crime that involves significant planning and causes more than monetary harm and that some incarceration was required to deter others who might be similarly inclined.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.