District of Maine

PORTLAND, Maine: A Plymouth, New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to commit wire fraud.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker sentenced Tyree Jones, 33, to 24 months in prison to be followed by 2 years of supervised release. Jones was also ordered to pay $359,274 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Jones pleaded guilty on January 8, 2025.

According to court records, in 2020 and 2021, Jones conspired with others to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic by submitting fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds. Jones submitted three fraudulent applications for himself and obtained $51,666. On his applications, Jones claimed to be the sole proprietor of non-existent businesses in the agricultural and trucking industries.

In addition to filing fraudulent applications for himself, Jones offered to help others obtain PPP and EIDL funds in exchange for “kickbacks” from any funds they received. Jones and coconspirators caused fraudulent applications to be filed for at least 12 other people. In support of the false applications, Jones and his coconspirators provided falsified IRS and bank documents.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act: The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act made  EIDL funding available to business owners negatively affected by the COVID19 pandemic. EIDL proceeds were funded by the SBA and disbursed by the U.S. Treasury. EIDLs could only be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the COVID19 disaster not occurred.

Paycheck Protection Program: The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the SBA that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for making a false statement to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent.

U.S. District Judge Stacey Neumann sentenced Felipe De Jesus Zavala Medel, 64, to time served (approximately 104 days). Zavala Medel had been detained since January 29, 2025.

According to court records, in January 2025, Zavala Medel approached the Coburn Gore port of entry in a vehicle from the Canadian side of the international border and presented a North Dakota driver’s license in the name of “Johny Joe Olivo” along with identifying documents to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent. Zavala Medel falsely told the agent he was born in Texas. He also completed and signed a Customs Declaration form containing the false information. During questioning, Zavala Medel admitted that he did not have any documents that allowed him to legally enter, reside, or work in the U.S.

Zavala Medel was turned over to immigration authorities at the conclusion of the proceedings.

CBP and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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BANGOR, Maine: A man from Fujian, China, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for the misdemeanor offense of entry without inspection.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison sentenced Ruibo Pan, 21, to time served (28 days).

According to court records, on April 15, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol Agents from the Fort Fairfield Border Patrol Station were investigating a suspected illegal crossing from Canada. Agents located Pan in a remote area just inside the U.S. near the Canadian border. Pan acknowledged to agents that he had entered the country through the woods and did not have authorization to be in the country.

An alien who enters the U.S. without first being inspected at a designated Port of Entry is subject to up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Subsequent violations are punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Pan was turned over to immigration authorities at the conclusion of the proceedings.

U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  An Auburn man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for selling crack cocaine on two occasions to a confidential source working for the DEA.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Pierre Calhoun, 35, to 120 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Calhoun pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024.

According to court records, in May and June of 2024, agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) directed a confidential source to conduct two controlled buys from Calhoun. Both transactions were captured on video and audio recordings. The seized drugs were later tested by the DEA laboratory and confirmed to be approximately 24.7 grams of crack cocaine.

Because he had been previously convicted of at least two prior crimes of violence, the Court found that Calhoun qualified as a Career Offender, and was therefore exposed to an enhanced sentence under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

DEA, the Lewiston Police Department, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Windham man was sentenced on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to tamper with environmental monitoring devices on diesel vehicles, in violation of the Clean Air Act, and for obstructing the investigation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into those violations.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Isaac Allen, 35, to a three-year term of probation and a $40,000 criminal fine, the maximum amount recommended by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines for Allen’s offense level. As a term of his probation, Allen must ensure that all vehicles he owns directly or through any associated company are in compliance with the Clean Air Act by having all required emissions controls and an on-board diagnostic system (OBD) functioning within its original parameters. Allen pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024.

The purpose of the Clean Air Act, among other things, is “to protect and enhance the quality of the Nation’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population.” Under the Clean Air Act, diesel trucks are required to have working systems and components that limit harmful emissions of pollutants which may endanger public health. The Clean Air Act also requires that those systems be monitored by an OBD that will detect if an emissions control component is not working or has been removed. It is a felony to tamper with the OBD.

On multiple occasions between January 2017 and September 2020, a co-conspirator, Company A, which disabled emissions controls systems on diesel engine vehicles, referred its customers to Allen to download and install illegal software. The illegal software, known as “tunes,” was designed to prevent the vehicles’ OBDs from recognizing the disabling of the emissions controls. Allen would plug into vehicles’ OBD ports and download illegal software tunes through the internet onto the OBD. In response to a Clean Air Act Request for Information by EPA, Allen submitted a false document that materially underrepresented the number of illegal tunes he had installed.

EPA estimates that the installation of emissions control defeat devices can result in an increase of 10-100 times more air pollution emissions from a single diesel pickup truck. Diesel exhaust contains a mix of acidic and hydrocarbon gases that are harmful to human health. Those emissions cause a variety of adverse health effects, including eye, nose, and throat irritation; inflammation and irritation of the respiratory system; difficulty breathing; reduction in lung function; susceptibility to respiratory infection; and aggravation of asthma.

This case was referred to EPA by the Maine State Police and investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division.   

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PORTLAND, Maine: Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“Children are among the most vulnerable members of our society and can suffer the effects of sex abuse for a lifetime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine Craig M. Wolff. “My deepest thanks to FBI Boston and its state and local partners for their efforts in identifying and arresting those who allegedly preyed on these vulnerable victims.”

 “There are few situations more urgent than when a child is physically at risk, and as ‘Operation Restore Justice’ has shown, child predators come in many different forms,” said James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “As horrific as these alleged crimes are, they are not rare. Make no mistake, FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation - Human Trafficking Task Force is committed to finding these child sex abusers, locking them up, and ensuring those they have victimized are safe and well-supported.”

As part of this operation, FBI Boston arrested and charged seven people, including registered sex offender Joseph A. Maile, of Presque Isle, Maine. Maile was charged by criminal complaint for allegedly attempting to sex traffic a child, and enticement of a minor. Maile allegedly used social media accounts to offer various minors money to engage in sex acts with him.

Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

Other online resources:

Electronic Press Kit

Violent Crimes Against Children

How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Florida man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to attempting to evade federal taxes and engaging in fraudulent transfers and concealment in a bankruptcy proceeding. 

According to court records, Paul Archer, 46, formerly of Hampden and Orrington, operated a profitable online marketing business for software installation on computers, earning several million dollars from 2013 through 2015. After an IRS audit in 2016 assessed a federal tax debt totaling approximately $1 million for those years, Archer concealed and transferred assets through two LLCs he controlled and began using third-party bank accounts to evade paying the tax debt.   

From April 2018 through November 2019, Archer transferred and concealed assets and income by using a series of bank accounts held in the names of Max Tune Up, LLC; Stealth Kit, LLC; his father; and his spouse. Using a bank account held by Stealth Kit, LLC, for instance, Archer received income via direct deposits, initiated and received over $2 million in wire payments, and used cryptocurrency trading platforms and online payment systems to transfer funds. Archer transferred an investment account held in his own name to an account held in the name of Stealth Kit, LLC, then engaged in trading activity, stock ownership, and dividend/interest distributions. Archer further owned and transacted in Bitcoin using two different cryptocurrency exchanges, purchasing and later trading cryptocurrency valued at several hundred thousand dollars.

In March 2019, Archer filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding. In his Chapter 7 petition and schedules, Archer falsely claimed less than $50,000 in assets; a single checking account; no other assets or property interests; no recent asset transfers; and no connections to any businesses or memberships in any LLCs. Archer repeated these falsehoods under oath during meetings of creditors convened by a Chapter 7 Trustee, as well as in statements made to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine.

Archer faces up to five years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the two charges to which he pleaded guilty. Any sentence will be followed by up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Dixmont woman was sentenced on Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for her role in a northern Maine drug trafficking ring.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Sarah McBreairty, 36, to 60 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. On March 24, 2023, McBreairty pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiring to make false statements to a federal firearms licensee.

According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, McBreairty and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. McBreairty regularly arranged to obtain quantities of the two drugs from an out-of-state supplier  through phone calls and texts using coded language and then distributed those drugs through a network of dealers she supplied in Penobscot and Aroostook Counties. McBreairty used the proceeds of her distribution to purchase more drugs from her supplier. In addition, during the conspiracy, McBreairty and a co-defendant made false statements to an area federal firearms licensee in an attempt to obtain several firearms. 

Twenty-two defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in a widespread northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 19 of the defendants have been sentenced while three await sentencing:

Sentenced:

• Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
• Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
• Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
• Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou) – 48 months
• Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
• Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
• Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served (approx. 5 months)
• Carol Gordon (53, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 31 months) plus 6 months of community confinement
• Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
• Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington) – Time served (approx. 36 months)
• James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months
• Shelby Loring (29, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 32 months)
• Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
• John Miller (24, Caribou) – 54 months
• Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 33 months)
• Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
• Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle) – Time served (approx. 2 months) plus 24 months home detention
• Tamara Davis (29, Fall River, MA) – Time Served (approx. 14 months)
• Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont) – 60 months

Awaiting sentencing:

• Daquan Corbett (30, Brockton, Mass.) – sentencing to be scheduled
• Daviston Jackson (28, Boston, Mass.) – sentencing to be scheduled
• James Valiante (42, Linneus) – sentencing scheduled for May 27, 2025

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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Portland, Maine: An Augusta man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of at least one felony offense. 

According to court records, Raymond Lilly, 41, was encountered by Augusta police officers at an encampment in Mill Park in September 2023. During the interaction, officers observed a bottle of pills within Lilly’s tent, which Lilly admitted he did not have a prescription for. After officers arrested Lilly, they discovered a Smith & Wesson model M&P 15, .22 caliber rifle in his tent. Lilly had previous felony firearms convictions in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, which barred him from possessing firearms.

Lilly faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case in conjunction with the Augusta Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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Portland, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to unlawfully possessing a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order. 

According to court records, in December 2023, deputies with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a disabled vehicle in New Gloucester. Deputies located the vehicle and were approached by William Noddin, 58, who said he was operating the vehicle when it got stuck. He also said he had two handguns in the vehicle’s trunk. At the time he possessed the firearms, he was subject to a domestic violence protective order and was prohibited from possessing firearms while the order was in effect.

Noddin faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum supervised release term of three years. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man was sentenced on Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child sex abuse materials.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jeffrey Gray, 63, to 10 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Gray pleaded guilty on February 13, 2023.

According to court records, in September 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Gray’s  residence following reports that he had shared child sexual abuse material over a peer-to-peer file sharing network. Investigators seized eight electronic devices, and based on material recovered from several of those devices, executed a second search warrant in November 2022, recovering three additional devices. A forensic examination of the devices revealed hundreds of child sexual abuse images. Gray has a previous conviction in Rockingham (New Hampshire) Superior Court in 2012 for aggravated felonious sexual assault.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A former Scarborough resident was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for assaulting a federal officer.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Garrett McDonald, 28, to two years of probation. McDonald pleaded guilty on October 22, 2024.

According to court records, on August 6, 2023, an airline crew at the Portland International Jetport requested that law enforcement remove McDonald from a flight due to his behavior. A Portland police officer and a security officer with the Federal Air Marshal Service escorted McDonald from the plane. McDonald began yelling and arguing about being removed from the flight. Once inside the exit port, McDonald pushed one officer and then resisted the officer’s efforts to restrain him. The officers secured a handcuff on McDonald’s left wrist but were unable to secure a handcuff on his right wrist. McDonald freed his right arm from underneath his person and struck the federal officer with his fist.

The FBI, Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Portland Police Department investigated the case.

PORTLAND, Maine: An Ecuadorian national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.

According to court records, on January 27, 2025, an officer from the Brunswick Police Department observed Juan Pablo Clabijo Tacuri, 37, operating a vehicle without a seatbelt. After Clabijo Tacuri pulled into a gas station parking lot, the officer approached the vehicle. When asked for his license, Clabijo Tacuri presented a Massachusetts driver’s license with a false name. Immigration records showed that he had previously been removed from the United States on four occasions and did not have a visa or other documentation that would allow him to re-enter the United States.

Clabijo Tacuri faces a maximum prison term of two years and a fine up to $250,000. 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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case with assistance from the Brunswick Police Department.

Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty today to three counts of drug distribution in U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine.

According to court records, Francis Mezan, 34, sold drugs to a confidential source on three separate occasions in the summer of 2024. The transactions were video-recorded and monitored via surveillance. Mezan sold quantities of cocaine and cocaine base to the confidential source.

Mezan faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and three years to life of supervised release. A federal district 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 Portland Police Department and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

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PORTLAND, Maine: Two New Jersey men have been indicted for conspiring to commit wire fraud for their roles in an alleged multistate scheme to defraud and obtain money and other property from victims by posing as government officials.

As alleged in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on April 3, beginning in March 2023, Bharat Awasarmol and Prakashkumar Prajapati were involved in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud seven victims in five states, including Maine. As part of the scheme, victims received telephone calls from individuals posing as government officials. These imposters fraudulently instructed victims to withdraw cash and purchase gold to turn over to the government for safekeeping. The callers then arranged for victims to meet fake government agents to hand over the cash and gold. Awasarmol was intercepted when he was caught accepting a package from a victim in Maine. The Maine victim had been instructed to meet Awasarmol and turn over gold by an individual posing as an employee of the Federal Trade Commission. Awasarmol allegedly accepted cash and gold from six additional victims in New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. In furtherance of the conspiracy and scheme to defraud, Prajapati directed Awasarmol to meet the victims, and provided him with instructions and locations to meet victims.

The superseding indictment also alleges that Awasarmol made false statements to an FBI agent regarding his role in the scheme.

If convicted, Prajapati and Awasarmol face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the wire fraud conspiracy charge. Awasarmol also faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the false statement charge.

The FBI is investigating the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Honduran national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.

According to court records, on February 25, 2025, Josue Osmin Montoya Acosta, 36, was observed by an officer from the Brunswick Police Department operating a vehicle with no front license plate and no light on the rear license plate. The rear plate was later determined to be a temporary plate from Indiana. When asked for his license, Montoya Acosta presented a Honduran passport and told the officer he did not have a driver’s license. When asked if he had a visa, he told the officer he did not. The officer contacted a Border Patrol agent, and records showed that Montoya Acosta had previously been removed from the country twice and did not have a visa or other documentation that would allow him to re-enter the United States.

Montoya Acosta faces a maximum prison term of two years and a fine up to $250,000. 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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case with assistance from the Brunswick Police Department.

Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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PORTLAND, Maine: An Ecuadorian national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.

According to court records, on February 4, 2025, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the FBI conducted surveillance at a South Portland residence. After observing William Ariel Tamay Guaman, 23, get into a van, agents followed Tamay Guaman and conducted a traffic stop. An ERO agent familiar with Tamay Guaman approached the driver and asked for their name. Tamay Guaman provided a false name and was directed to step out of the vehicle. After briefly fleeing on foot and resisting arrest, he was taken into custody. He was positively ID’d by fingerprints.

Tamay Guaman, who entered the country in or before 2019, was charged in the Cumberland County Unified Criminal Docket in March 2023 with two counts of reckless conduct involving a minor for offenses that occurred between 2020 and 2021. He was convicted and sentenced to 364 days of imprisonment on one count, to be followed by an additional, fully suspended 364 days and probation. In a separate proceeding, an immigration judge ordered Tamay Guaman to be removed from the United States, and he was deported in September 2023.

Tamay Guaman faces a maximum prison term of two years and a fine up to $250,000. 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.

ICE-ERO investigated the case with assistance from the FBI.

Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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BANGOR, Maine: Two New York man were sentenced today for conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery in connection with a violent home invasion in Rangeley in 2016.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Andre Muller, 54, to 200 months in prison, and Robert Holland, 45, to 188 months in prison. Both men were also sentenced to three years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment. Muller and Holland were found guilty on November 23, 2023, after a three-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Bangor.

According to evidence presented during the trial, in July 2016, Muller, Holland and four coconspirators developed a plan to steal controlled substances from a Rangeley residence. On July 26, 2016, Muller traveled from New York City with Hector Munoz, 57, of Florida and one other coconspirator, meeting up with Holland and a fifth man at a location just outside Rangeley. On July 28, 2016, two of the coconspirators, including Munoz, entered the Rangeley residence armed with knives with the intent to take the controlled substances. During the commission of the robbery, the robbery’s intended target shot and killed the second coconspirator. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not identifying that conspirator because they were not charged.

Muller and Holland were initially convicted following a five-day jury trial that concluded August 10, 2022. Judge Torresen granted a motion for a new trial, however, based on evidence of juror prejudgment, and the second trial was held in November 2023.

Hector Munoz pleaded guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery on January 15, 2020, and was sentenced to time served on January 12, 2024.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine State Police; the Rangeley Police Department; the U.S. Border Patrol; and the Carrabassett Valley Police Department investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Honduran national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.

According to court records, earlier this month, Jose Luis Matute-Duarte, 35, was outside a Brownville convenience store when he was approached by a U.S. Border Patrol agent who thought he was acting suspiciously. Matute-Duarte told the agent he was from New Jersey and produced a New Jersey driver’s license. When asked if he was in the country illegally, Matute-Duarte initially declined to answer before acknowledging that he was. Immigration records showed that he was arrested in 2015 for illegally entering the U.S. in Texas and was removed from the country. Matute-Duarte did not obtain the express consent of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.

Matute-Duarte faces a maximum prison term of two years and a fine up to $250,000. 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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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PORTLAND, Maine: An Owls Head man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Felix Jose Bautista, 35, to 78 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.

According to court records, from January 2024 to June 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) covertly investigated a drug dealer who obtained fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs from sources of supply in New York City and then brought those drugs to Maine to sell. HSI identified three locations where the drug dealer was delivering controlled substances, including an Owls Head residence belonging to Bautista. HSI executed a search warrant at the residence, recovering about $11,319 in cash, two packages containing approximately 154 grams of cocaine and one package containing approximately 62 grams of fentanyl. Bautista admitted to investigators that he had purchased the drugs from a coconspirator, believed them to be cocaine and heroin, and that he was storing the cash on behalf of his accomplice. He claimed to have been operating for about five months, routinely ordering 200 grams of cocaine from the supplier as well as 60 grams of heroin as necessary to fulfill customer demand.

HSI, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Tyson Dyer, 38, to 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court records, in January 2023, officers from the Portland Police Department responded to a 911 call about two people smoking something inside a vehicle and something lit on fire inside the vehicle. When the officers arrived, Dyer was alone in the vehicle, which was registered to him. The officers observed an empty black gun holster on the front seat and after searching the vehicle, located five loaded magazines beneath some items on the seat. In all, officers recovered 103 rounds. Dyer was precluded from possessing ammunition due to previous convictions, including for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm.

ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Portland Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography involving a child under 12.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Michael King, 67, to 10 years imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $41,000 in restitution. King pleaded guilty on October 30, 2024.

According to court records, in November 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Bing indicating that a user had uploaded a sexually explicit image of a child. The user’s IP address was traced to Michael King, and in May 2023, investigators from the Maine State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at King’s residence. In an interview with agents, King admitted to possessing child sexual abuse material and using the Bing application to copy images and videos. He advised the agents they would find his computer under the couch. The laptop was seized, and hundreds of images depicting child sexual abuse were recovered, many of young children. King is a repeat offender, having been also convicted of a similar offense in 2017 in Penobscot County Superior Court.

HSI and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with NCMEC at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

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PORTLAND, Maine: An Ellsworth woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for theft of public money.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Melissa Milliken, 33, to three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $17,130.22 in restitution.

According to court records, in October 2022, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) launched an investigation after receiving a report that postal funds were missing following stamp stock and cash counts at the Cherryfield Post Office. Surveillance video from within the post office captured Milliken placing money into her pockets. Milliken admitted to investigators that she had been stealing from the post office for approximately a year. Investigators determined she stole more than $17,130 in government money between December 2021 and September 2023.

USPS-OIG Northeast Area Field Office, under Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Cornville man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for accessing child sexual abuse material.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Wade Willette, 46, to 30 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Willette pleaded guilty on October 3, 2024.

According to court records, in August 2020, an individual using the Kik Messenger app contacted an FBI online covert employee (OCE) after the OCE posted on an online bulletin board known to be frequented by people with a sexual interest in children and/or child pornography. The username for the Kik account and associated email address were traced to Willette. In January 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Kik revealing that the same username had uploaded three videos containing child sexual abuse material the previous month.

In March 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Willette’s residence, and FBI agents interviewed him. In the interview, he confirmed the Kik account was his, that he had searched for and viewed child sexual abuse material on his phone, and that he had engaged in online conversations about child pornography in the past. Two images of young children being sexually abused were recovered from his phone.

The FBI investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with NCMEC at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.

According to court records, in June 2022, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (MSPCCU) received two CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and traced the identified phone number to Harold Clayton III, 35. In September 2022, MSPCCU and the Lewiston Police Department executed a search warrant at Clayton’s residence. A cell phone and laptop seized from the residence contained multiple images and videos of children, some as young as toddlers, being sexually abused by adult men. The cell phone also contained Telegram Messenger communications in which Clayton distributed such images and videos.

Clayton faces 5–20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the distribution of child pornography charge and up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the possession charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and MSPCCU investigated the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to making a false statement to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent.

According to court records, in January 2025, Felipe De Jesus Zavala Medel, 64, approached the Coburn Gore port of entry in a vehicle from the Canadian side of the international border and presented a North Dakota driver’s license in the name of “Johny Joe Olivo” along with identifying documents to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent. Zavala Medel falsely told the agent he was born in Texas. He also completed and signed a Customs Declaration form containing the false information. During questioning, he admitted that he did not have any documents that allowed him to legally enter, reside, or work in the U.S.

Zavala Medel faces a maximum prison term of five years and a fine up to $250,000. 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.

CBP and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: An Eddington man, Thadius Wind, was arrested today and charged by criminal complaint with transmitting an interstate threat.

As alleged in the criminal complaint, in 2024, the FBI received information from Meta about a Facebook user who had discussed committing violence against police and military. The FBI also received online tips from members of the public about threatening statements made on X (previously known as Twitter). After further investigation, in November 2024 the FBI obtained and executed a search warrant relating to the X account. The recovered posts contained threats to Jews, political figures, the Supreme Court, and others. Details associated with the account were traced to Thadius Wind.

The FBI and Secret Service are investigating the case with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.

A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to attempting to transfer obscene materials to a minor.

According to court records, in May 2023, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent in Portland began posing as a 13-year-old girl on Facebook as part of an investigation to identify potential child predators looking to travel to meet minors for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual contact. While on the platform, the undercover agent received numerous friend requests from adult men, including from Steven Tsaitsios, 60.

Within the first few conversations, Tsaitsios asked “Kim” her age, and “Kim” told him she was 13. He told the undercover agent that he was 45 years old and lived in Massachusetts, providing his cell phone number so that “Kim” could communicate with him. Tsaitsios communicated with “Kim” for approximately a month during which time he sent two sexually explicit images of himself. The images were later recovered from his phone and sexually explicit conversations were recovered from his Facebook account. In an interview with investigators, Tsaitsios admitted to messaging and having conversations with “Kim” and that he believed her to be a minor.

Tsaitsios faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI investigated the case.

Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2023, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received more than 36 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included nearly 187,000 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts and 36 million reports of child sexual abuse materials. Victimization can take place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. To make a CyberTipline Report, visit https://report.cybertip.org/.  If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Millinocket man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jeffrey Barnard, 61, to time served, approximately 22 months, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Barnard pleaded guilty on March 3, 2025.

According to court records, in March 2023, an officer with the East Millinocket Police Department ran a registration check on a vehicle and discovered that it was registered to someone with a suspended driver’s permit. The officer stopped the vehicle, and a confrontation ensued between the officer and the driver, Jeffrey Barnard. Barnard was arrested with the assistance of a second officer and a private citizen. As he was searched, a .22 caliber revolver was found in his jacket pocket. Barnard is precluded from possessing a firearm due an extensive criminal history, which includes a 2017 conviction in the U.S. District Court for being a felon in possession of a firearm in a case that stemmed from an armed standoff with police in Ellsworth.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the East Millinocket Police Department.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Dominican national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to entering the United States after a prior removal.

According to court records, in January 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assisted the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) with a search warrant in Lewiston. During the warrant’s execution, investigators arrested Odanis Manuel Brea Mejia, 53, for drug trafficking. A records check showed that Brea Mejia was a Dominican national with an extensive criminal history who had been previously removed from the country in October 2021. He had not obtained consent to re-enter the United States. HSI notified U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and a Border Patrol agent transported Brea Mejia to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station.

Brea Mejia faces a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. 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.

HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case with assistance from the MDEA.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Topsham man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a stolen firearm. 

According to court records, in May 2024, officers from the Brunswick Police Department responded to a citizen’s report of suspicious activity at a nearby residence. The responding officers found that the door of the residence’s garage was open and cabinets inside appeared to have been pried open, with ammunition scattered on the floor. The owner informed the officers that multiple firearms were stored in the locked cabinets. Officers located a vehicle matching the description the reporting witness had provided. Christopher Tucker, 34, the owner and only occupant of the vehicle, fled on foot before being secured and placed into custody. Officers recovered a total of 20 firearms from inside the vehicle. Tucker was prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple past felony convictions.

Tucker faces up to 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Brunswick Police Department and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for Social Security fraud.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Donna Desrosiers, 62, to one year of probation and ordered her to pay $90,674 in restitution. Desrosiers pleaded guilty on October 21, 2024.

According to court records, Desrosiers began receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in 2003. At that time, she was informed that she was required to report any changes in her household composition, income, or resources. In a 2012 eligibility review, Desrosiers was reminded of her reporting responsibilities yet did not indicate that her husband was part of her household or that he contributed any income. She received additional reminders of her reporting responsibilities over the years. In 2022, she acknowledged being married to her husband but claimed they had not lived together since 2003, the year she became eligible for SSI. The investigation showed that the couple deposited their funds into a joint bank account.

During an October 2022 interview with investigators, Desrosiers admitted that her husband lived with her and stayed at her apartment at least part of each month for the previous 11 years. When investigators asked what would have happened if she had reported the presence of her husband in her household, she responded, “They would probably take my check.” From 2011 to 2022, Desrosiers fraudulently collected approximately $90,674 in SSI benefits.

SSA’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jermaine Gillespie, 31, to 72 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Gillespie pleaded guilty on August 26, 2024.

According to court records, in September 2022, Biddeford police officers responded to a report that an individual was smoking marijuana in a parked vehicle. Responding officers identified Gillespie and learned that he had existing bail conditions that prohibited the use or possession of marijuana. After a search of the vehicle, the officers recovered a 9 mm pistol. Gillespie is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his conviction history which includes a 2013 conviction in Massachusetts for assault and battery with serious bodily injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Biddeford Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Gage Barton, 26, to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on December 10, 2024.

According to court records, in September 2024, a Biddeford police officer responded to a call of a fight occurring at an apartment building. The officer encountered Barton walking away from the building. Barton was on probation for unlawful possession of cocaine and was also on bail conditions in the State of Maine District Court in York County. The officer searched Barton under his bail conditions. Barton was wearing a sling bag under his coat, and when the officer felt the bag, he discerned what he believed to be a weapon. When the officer looked inside the bag, he discovered a small digital scale and several clear plastic bags containing approximately 308 grams of cocaine.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case with assistance from the Biddeford Police Department.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for filing a fraudulent application for a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Shahied Golden, 30, to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $24,090.82 in restitution. Golden pleaded guilty on September 27, 2024. The sentence will be served consecutively to Golden’s 27-month state prison sentence for illegal possession of a firearm and a state probation violation.

According to court records, in April 2021, Golden filed a fraudulent PPP loan application and received approximately $20,833 in PPP funds. The application listed a false gross income for 2020 and falsely stated the loan proceeds were needed to make payroll payments for his alleged business. He also submitted a fraudulent document in support of his application, which falsely stated his gross income, among other things. Further, Golden caused the funds to be deposited into his own personal bank account, quickly withdrew the funds, and did not use the PPP proceeds for approved expenses. 

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Guatemalan national pleaded was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for entering the United States after a prior removal.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jorge Martinez-Urizar, 50, to time served. Martinez-Urizar had been detained since November. He will likely face deportation now that the case has concluded. Martinez-Urizar pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025.

According to court records, in November 2024, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent conducted a records check on Martinez-Urizar. The check showed that he had been removed from the country on three prior occasions, most recently in July 2005, and that he had not filed any applications or petitions granting him permission to reenter or remain in the United States lawfully. Martinez was removed in 2005 after serving a 70-month sentence in Oregon for assault in the second degree and unlawful use of a weapon.

ICE investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of firearms.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Lonnel Diggs (aka Cash, Cashiiso Runzitup), 40, to nine years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Diggs pleaded guilty on August 19, 2024.

According to court records, in March 2022, Diggs, of Van Nuys, Calif., and a co-conspirator proposed to a couple who purchased crack cocaine from Diggs that they purchase firearms on the men’s behalf in exchange for cash and crack cocaine. The couple agreed and began traveling to gun shows and stores in Maine to make the straw purchases. At one of the gun shows, Diggs took photos of firearms and texted the images to the couple who then made the purchases and provided him with the firearms. Diggs was convicted in California for robbery in 2003 and for assault with a dangerous weapon on a peace officer in 2010 and is therefore precluded from possessing any firearms.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department.

STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Dominican national pleaded guilty to two counts in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

According to court records, from August 2023 to June 2024, Alexis Mariano De Leon (aka Leon Leon), 28, and coconspirators transported quantities of fentanyl from Massachusetts to Maine for distribution. The investigation showed that an individual known as “Leon Leon” was using a Facebook account and other means to arrange for fentanyl to be transported to the Bangor area. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arranged for several controlled buys and in June 2024 arranged a traffic stop of De Leon’s vehicle near Pittsfield with the assistance of the Maine State Police. More than a kilogram of a substance containing fentanyl was recovered from the vehicle. Investigators recovered additional evidence from De Leon’s Massachusetts residence, including a press for compressing powder into brick form.

De Leon faces 10+ years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $10 million, and five years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The DEA investigated the case with assistance from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Maine State Police.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and conspiring to sell stolen government property. 

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Christopher Hagan, 33, to 12 months plus one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also fined $10,000, ordered to forfeit $150,000, and will be required to refile his tax returns for five years. Hagan pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024.

According to court records, between October 2017 and September 2021, Hagan obtained stolen government items which he resold on online forums. One of Hagan’s coconspirators, Jonathan Chaisson, 34, of New Hampshire was employed by a national defense contractor based in New Hampshire and received used and/or broken Advance Target Pointer Illuminator Aiming Laser (ATPIAL) devices designated for military and law enforcement use. Chaisson stole or converted new and used parts and components to repair the ATPIALs and provided Hagan with the repaired devices to sell.

Hagan also conspired with Wade Walker, 45, and Michael Humphrey, 46, both of Texas, to steal and sell military equipment from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), an agency of the United States Department of Defense. Both Walker and Humphrey were employed by the DLA Red River Army Depot facility in Texarkana, Texas. On multiple dates in 2019 and in 2020, Humphrey transferred stolen government property to Walker for resale, and Walker provided the stolen property to Hagan for further resale. Through the investigation, agents determined that Hagan had at least one customer in China.

On July 24, 2023, Chaisson pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and was sentenced to probation for two years. On October 31, 2023, Humphrey pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell stolen government property and was sentenced to probation for two years. On January 8, 2024, Walker pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell stolen government property and was sentenced to probation for three years.

The United States Department of Commerce – Office of Export Enforcement and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

“That Mr. Hagan and his conspirators would exploit their connections to the defense industry to put their own financial gain ahead of the nation’s security is unconscionable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends the remarkable interagency cooperation that underpinned this complex and important investigation.”

“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, is fully committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD supply chain,” said Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Profiting from the sale of stolen DoD property undermines the mission of the Defense Logistics Agency and negatively impacts our military members. This investigation demonstrates DCIS’ commitment to work with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to hold accountable those who harm the DoD.”

“By stealing sensitive military technology and selling it to China, Christopher Hagan along with those he conspired with, prioritized greed and personal gain over U.S. national security,” said Special Agent in Charge James Guanci, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office. “This case serves as a strong reminder that those who betray the trust of the American people will be held accountable.”

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BANGOR, Maine: A California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Alex Hanna, 31, to 138 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hanna pleaded guilty on March 14, 2024.

According to court records, between May 2022 and March 2023, Hanna and others trafficked methamphetamine in Downeast Maine, receiving the drugs by mail from a source in California. Hanna coordinated drug shipments from the source and found coconspirators in Maine willing to receive the packages. He also sent the sales proceeds to the source via Walmart2Walmart, Cash App and Venmo, using coconspirators’ identifications and accounts to conceal his involvement in the transactions.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Ellsworth Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Holden Police Department, and Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Millinocket man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, in March 2023, an officer with the East Millinocket Police Department ran a registration check on a vehicle and discovered that it was registered to someone with a suspended driver’s permit. The officer stopped the vehicle, and a confrontation ensued between the officer and the driver, Jeffrey Barnard, 61. Barnard was arrested with the assistance of a second officer and a private citizen. As he was searched, a .22 caliber revolver was found in his jacket pocket. Barnard is precluded from possessing a firearm due an extensive criminal history, which includes a 2017 conviction in the U.S. District Court for being a felon in possession of a firearm in a case that stemmed from an armed standoff with police in Ellsworth.

Barnard faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the East Millinocket Police Department.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for aiding and abetting another individual in making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Nikeshia Knight, 25, to 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Knight pleaded guilty on October 30, 2024.

According to court records, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) obtained a copy of an ATF Form 4473 regarding a June 16, 2022 firearm purchase from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Fairfield, Maine. Further investigation revealed Knight was involved in this purchase. When interviewed, Knight admitted that she had used a straw purchaser to acquire the firearm because she would not pass a background check, providing money for the purchase and fentanyl after it was successfully made. Text messages between Knight and the proxy purchaser confirmed that Knight directed the purchase. 
Jason Palmer, 44, of Albion was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for making the straw purchase.

ATF investigated the case.

STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.

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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. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Keon Shine (aka Keylin Hall), 35, to 30 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Shine pleaded guilty on July 29, 2024.

According to court records, in June 2023, the Lewiston Police Department stopped a vehicle in which Shine was a passenger. A check of the vehicle’s occupants revealed that Shine had previously served six and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and was on federal probation. When questioned by law enforcement, the vehicle’s driver said there was a firearm in the vehicle’s center console. Shine later admitted when questioned by investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that the Glock firearm recovered belonged to him. Shine’s 2017 conviction in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine precluded him from possessing a firearm. 

The Lewiston Police Department and ATF investigated the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court records, from January to February 2023, Andre Hill, 25, obtained and used multiple debit card numbers without the knowledge of the account holders. Hill loaded the stolen numbers into a digital wallet application on his phone and then traveled to Maine and other locations to make purchases, request cash back, and purchase money orders payable to himself. The purchases made in Maine took place at multiple retail locations and post offices in the greater Portland area.

Hill faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $1 million on the bank fraud charge. He faces a mandatory prison term of two years and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the aggravated identity charge. Any sentence imposed on the aggravated identity theft charge will run consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Following a term of incarceration, Hill faces up to five years of supervised release. He will also be required to pay restitution to the victims. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine: Four individuals from Maine were sentenced today in separate hearings at the U.S. District Court in Bangor for their roles in a northern Maine drug trafficking ring. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced the four defendants:

• John Miller, 24, was sentenced to 54 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On April 19, 2023, Miller pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
• Jason Cunrod, 42, was sentenced to 48 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On August 29, 2023, Cunrod pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
• Joshua Young, 48, was sentenced to time served (approximately 62 days), followed by three years of supervised release to include 24 months of home detention. On April 26, 2023, Young pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
• Carol Gordon, 53, was sentenced to time served (approximately 30 months and 25 days), followed by three years of supervised release to include six months of community confinement. On March 14, 2023, Gordon pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Cunrod, Miller, Gordon, Young and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Miller, Cunrod,and Young each regularly arranged to obtain quantities from a coconspirator through phone calls, texts and social media using coded language and then distribute those drugs to customers in Aroostook County, using the proceeds to purchase more drugs from the source. In addition, during the conspiracy, Miller provided his source with dozens of firearms that he acquired from various individuals in Aroostook County. Gordon allowed others to sell drugs from her Bangor home and facilitated distribution events by serving as an intermediate between the seller and customer in exchange for narcotics for her personal use.

Twenty-one defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in a widespread northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 17 of the defendants have been sentenced while four await sentencing:

Sentenced:

• Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
• Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
• Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
• Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou) – 48 months
• Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
• Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
• Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served (approx. 5 months)
• Carol Gordon (53, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 31 months) plus 6 months of community confinement
• Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
• Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington) – Time served (approx. 36 months)
• James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months
• Shelby Loring (29, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 32 months)
• Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
• John Miller (24, Caribou) – 54 months
• Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 33 months)
• Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
• Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle) – Time served (approx. 2 months) plus 24 months home detention

Awaiting sentencing:

• Daquan Corbett (30, Brockton, Mass.)
• Daviston Jackson (28, Boston, Mass.)
• Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25
• James Valiante (42, Linneus) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 

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PORTLAND, Maine: The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine announced today the departure of Darcie N. McElwee as U.S. Attorney following termination by the new administration.

Under the Vacancies Reform Act, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff is now the Acting U.S Attorney for the District of Maine. As Acting U.S. Attorney, he is the chief federal law enforcement official in the state of Maine.

Wolff is a career prosecutor who became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2002. He has served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney and Senior Litigation Counsel, and prior to joining the District of Maine he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Maryland for four years.

Wolff received an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. Before joining the Department of Justice, he clerked for U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz in the District of Maryland and worked as an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of an international law firm.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A Biddeford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Tyrone Fleurimont, 36, to 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

According to court records, in April 2024, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators executed a search warrant at a Biddeford apartment used by Fleurimont. Agents seized approximately 180 grams of methamphetamine pills, 90 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 293 grams of cocaine, and 66 grams of cocaine base, along with cash, a 9mm handgun and a loaded 18-round magazine. Individually wrapped baggies containing approximately 14 grams of cocaine were also later recovered from Fleurimont’s person.

Fleurimont has prior criminal convictions in both Massachusetts and Maine, including a 2013 conviction for possessing a Class A drug with intent to distribute, a 2016 conviction for possessing a firearm without a permit, and a 2019 conviction for unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs. 

DEA investigated the case with the assistance of the Biddeford Police Department.

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SVCMC Inc., formerly known as Saint Vincents Catholic Medical Centers of New York (Saint Vincent), has agreed to pay $29 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly retaining erroneously inflated payments received from the Department of Defense for healthcare services provided to retired military members and their families.

Saint Vincent is one of six health plans participating in the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP) program, which is a federal health insurance program funded by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), a component of the Department of Defense. Under the USFHP program, DHA pays Saint Vincent capitated rates to provide healthcare services to military personnel, retirees, and their families. The complaint alleged that, in 2012, Saint Vincent learned that errors had been made in the calculation of the capitated rates resulting in substantial overpayments to Saint Vincent and the other five USFHP plans over the preceding four years. According to the government’s complaint, instead of notifying the government of the overpayments or repaying the funds, Saint Vincent, along with the other five USFHP plans, took steps to conceal the existence of the overpayments from DHA, continued to submit invoices at the inflated payment rates, and conspired to avoid paying the money back. Today’s settlement resolves the government’s claims against Saint Vincent.

“Those who receive public funds, including participants in government health care programs, must return funds to which they are not entitled,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with our partners across the federal government, we will hold accountable those who knowingly violate this obligation to the American taxpayers.”

“I want to thank the Justice Department for resolving this case on behalf of TRICARE and the Defense Health Agency,” said Dr. David C. Krulak, Director, TRICARE Health Plan, DHA. “Providing excellent health care to our 9.5 million beneficiaries worldwide is essential to maintaining force readiness and keeping our promise to our family members and retirees, while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars at the same time.”

The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Jane Rollinson and Daniel Gregorie in the District of Maine. From 2007 to 2015, Ms. Rollinson worked at Martin’s Point Health Care, one of the health plans participating in the USFHP program, including as its Interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Gregorie was a consultant to the CEO and Board of Martin’s Point Health Care and later served on its Board of Trustees. Under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The United States may intervene and proceed with the case, as it did here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Rollinson v. Martin’s Point Health Care, Inc., No. 2:16-cv-00447-NT (D. Me.). As part of today’s settlement, Ms. Rollinson and Mr. Gregorie will receive $5.655 million. The United States is continuing to pursue the remaining claims in this case.

The resolution of this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, with assistance from the DHA.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Diana Cieslak and Evan Ballan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Lizotte and Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

PORTLAND, Maine:  A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for making false statements to acquire a firearm.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Brandon Pinard, 33, to time served, approximately 9 months, followed by three years of supervised release. Pinard pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024.

According to court records, in May 2024, the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department received a firearms denial notice showing that Pinard was denied a purchase of a long gun in Bath, Maine. When attempting to purchase the Daniel Defense DDM4 assault rifle, Pinard listed a Dover, N.H. address and checked “No” next to the question on the ATF Form 4473 that read, “Have you ever been convicted in any court, including a military court, of a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year, or are you a current member of the military who has been charged with violations(s) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and whose charge(s) have been referred to a general court-martial?” At the time of the attempted purchase, Pinard was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2013 conviction in Massachusetts for a felony sex offense. He had been a registered sex offender in Seabrook since relocating from Dover in November 2022. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A West Springfield, Mass. man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and for stealing those firearms.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Ryan Ansart, 22, to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $17,253.37 in restitution. Ansart pleaded guilty on August 22, 2024.

According to court records, in April 2022, Ansart and coconspirator Damiean Marcial-Alexander broke into a Waterville firearms dealer and stole multiple firearms, including a Glock, Model 17 Gen5 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver. According to an ATF Theft/Loss Report submitted by the store owner, 15 firearms in all were reported stolen, six revolvers and nine semi-automatic pistols. Evidence collected included Instagram and text messages planning the theft, including a map to the location from Marcial-Alexander’s apartment, as well as photos of the two men holding some of the stolen firearms. 

On February 4, Damiean Marcial-Alexander, (22, Waterville) was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $17,253.37 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy and theft.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Waterville Police Department.

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