District of Maine
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Old Town Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Old Town man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to possessing child pornography involving a child under 12.
According to court records, between October and December 2022, Matthew Podlaski, 40, searched the internet for, and downloaded images of, the sexual abuse of young children, storing the images on multiple devices. Investigators seized 14 devices belonging to Podlaski, including laptop computers, flash drives and external storage devices.
Podlaski faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by 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.
Homeland Security Investigations 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 the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 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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Bangor Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Toman Caudill, 31, to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Caudill pleaded guilty January 17, 2024.
According to court records, in September 2023, officers with the Bangor Police Department responded to a report that a male had fired a handgun in a residential area. A bystander directed officers to Caudill, and he was taken into custody when officers found a box of 9mm ammunition in his backpack. Further investigation revealed that Caudill had discharged a Ruger 9mm pistol and then handed the firearm to his fiancée as officers approached. Caudill stated that he had fired the gun due to an altercation with another male. The Ruger 9mm pistol was recovered and seized, as was the ammunition from Caudill’s backpack.
Caudill is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions.
The Bangor Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
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U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee Provides Statement on Illicit Marijuana Grow Operations in MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee issued a statement today to update the community on the Office’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal marijuana grows in rural Maine:
Local law enforcement has our full support: The U.S. Attorney’s Office and multiple federal agencies, including the DEA, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS, have been actively and directly working with local and state law enforcement partners in a coordinated response to the illegal marijuana grows operating predominantly in central Maine. Simultaneously, our Office continues to investigate individuals involved in this activity for possible federal prosecution.
Investigations are having an impact: The success of our collective efforts is already evident with 40+ operations shut down and multiple arrests made over the last several months. We expect this law enforcement action to continue until the individuals operating the illegal grows come to understand that Maine is not a safe or hospitable place for such activity. I cannot speak more highly of the collaborative and coordinated efforts that have taken place across Maine to date and the strong federal, state and local partnerships and support that exists in Maine.
Interstate distribution and potential ties to China warrant federal involvement: According to the DEA, there are currently transnational criminal organizations involved in illegal marijuana growing activities in at least 20 states. The possibility that organized criminal enterprises with alleged ties to China are using Maine properties to profit from unlicensed marijuana operations and interstate distribution makes it clear that there is need for a strong and sustained federal, state and local effort to shut down and thoroughly investigate these operations.
To date, there is no evidence of illegal immigration associated with the illicit marijuana grows: To date, we have seen no evidence of illegal U.S. border crossings into Maine by any individuals associated with these illicit grows. Rather, the individuals tending these grows in homes across central Maine who have been encountered by law enforcement have been individuals who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents living in states like New York and Massachusetts. An investigation into three Chinese nationals recently apprehended at a border crossing in northern Maine showed no connection to illegal marijuana grows.
To date, our investigation has encountered no evidence of human trafficking: Through coordination and execution of more than 40 search warrants, investigators have seen no evidence of human trafficking to date. From what we know now, the individuals working in these illicit grows appear to be doing so willingly. Human trafficking is a heinous crime that our Office takes seriously. Any evidence of human trafficking will be thoroughly investigated and if discovered, vigorously prosecuted.
Number of illicit grows: Based on information currently available to federal authorities involved, there are approximately 100 illicit marijuana grows that have been identified operating in Maine. This number has and will fluctuate as law enforcement continues to shut down the operations or those involved abandon the grows to avoid arrest or prosecution. No Maine property owner or anyone else should ever be assumed to be part of a criminal enterprise simply because of their surname or nationality.
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South Portland Man Sentenced to Five Years on Gun and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute.
U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Joshua Hopkins, 33, to 60 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Hopkins pleaded guilty on February 21, 2024.
According to court records, in April 2023, investigators located Hopkins, who had an active state arrest warrant, at a South Portland hotel. A search of a backpack Hopkins had been wearing revealed multiple scales, a single round of 7.62 mm x 39 mm ammunition, a blender that contained suspected fentanyl powder, smaller containers of additional suspected fentanyl powder, bags of suspected cocaine, and what appeared to be a substance used to “cut” drugs. Officers found a black Norinco SKS-style rifle in the vehicle. The round of ammunition in the backpack matched the caliber of the rifle. Hopkins is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; South Portland Police Department; Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
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Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, from May to June 2022, Paul Logugune, 22, and a coconspirator broke into unattended vehicles to steal purses and wallets to obtain driver’s licenses and checkbooks. Forged checks were then drawn on the stolen checkbooks and made payable to the names on the stolen licenses. They then recruited others to cash the forged checks at multiple credit union branches in Cumberland County using the stolen IDs to impersonate the ID theft victims.
Logugune faces a maximum sentence of 30 years followed by up to five years of supervised release. He also faces a fine of up to $1 million. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Former HUD Property Manager Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Glenburn woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to embezzling from an organization receiving federal funds and conspiring to alter money orders.
According to court records, Kelly Ballinger, 57, was a former property manager for a Portland apartment complex with residences funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). From about December 2017 to June 2021, Ballinger stole rent payments made by HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program tenants. Ballinger would direct the tenants to pay their rent with a blank postal money order and then would place her name or that of fellow employee Kathleen Conway, 70, on the payee line, adding information such as “groceries” on the memo line to suggest the payments were reimbursements. In some instances, Ballinger would deflate the tenants’ income to as low as $0 so that HUD would pay a larger share of the rent to disguise shortfalls.
Ballinger faces up to ten years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the embezzlement charge and up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the alteration of a postal money order charge, followed by up to three years of supervised release. The Court may also order Ballinger to pay restitution to HUD.
Kathleen Conway pleaded guilty to embezzlement on August 2, 2023 and is awaiting sentencing.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and U.S. Postal Inspection Service the investigated the case.
“Ballinger used her position of trust to take advantage of elderly and disabled individuals by preying on their vulnerability for her own self-enrichment,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge William Woolard with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable bad actors who willfully misuse Federal assets.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service commends the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for their hard work on this investigation,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “We will continue to conduct investigations and seek prosecution of those individuals who choose to partake in fraud schemes that take advantage of systems that are designed to support those in need.”
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Wayne Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Smuggling Methamphetamine Pills into U.S., Lying to DEA Task Force OfficerRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Wayne man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor to attempting to smuggle methamphetamine pills into the U.S. and intentionally making false statements to a federal law enforcement agent.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Victor Sousa, 25, to 33 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Sousa pleaded guilty to the drug charges on September 30, 2022, and to making false statements on December 5, 2023.
According to court records, in July 2019, Sousa crossed the U.S. border into Canada, returning a few hours later. Sousa was observed fidgeting with his pants and was stopped for secondary inspection. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 93 pills in his underwear. Sousa admitted to investigators that he had gone to Canada to purchase the pills, which weighed a total of 41.12 grams and contained a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine.
In November 2022, while in jail awaiting sentencing on the drug charges, Sousa was questioned by a Task Force Officer with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regarding two subjects of a federal narcotics investigation. After denying that he knew either subject, Sousa called one of the subjects from jail multiple times. Court records further indicated that Sousa had previously lived with the subject whom he called from the jail, and that the second subject had supplied Sousa with narcotics in the past.
The DEA investigated the case.
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Manchester, Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank Robbery in AugustaRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Manchester, Maine man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to armed bank robbery.
According to court records, in October 2022, Joshua Brougham, 38, entered an Augusta bank wearing a brimmed hat and a standard hospital mask over his face. After a brief conversation with the bank teller, Brougham placed a newspaper he had been holding on the counter, pulled out a silver handgun, and placed the handgun on the counter in the direction of the teller. Brougham told the teller to give him “all the money in the drawer.” After the teller placed money on the counter, Brougham folded up the newspaper with the money inside and fled to the area of a nearby parking lot, leaving in a gold-colored GMC Yukon.
Four days after the robbery, Augusta Police Department investigators located a vehicle matching the one from the robbery surveillance footage, arresting Brougham as he exited a convenience store. A search of Brougham’s vehicle revealed a handgun magazine loaded with seven .380 caliber bullets as well as an unloaded silver Walther PPK/S .380 caliber pistol wedged in the back seat of the vehicle that matched the description of the firearm used during the robbery. During the investigation, law enforcement also seized a brimmed hat that matched the hat worn during the robbery.
Brougham faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine followed by up to five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Augusta Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.
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Troy Woman Pleads Guilty to Yearslong Fraud to Obtain BenefitsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Troy woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor to Social Security fraud, health care fraud, and theft of public money.
According to court records, from about October 2013 to February 2020, Christie Mitchell, 49, lied to the Social Security Administration (SSA) about her husband’s presence in her household and his income to fraudulently appear eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. Mitchell also concealed her husband’s presence and income from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (ME/DHHS) from about October 2013 to December 2019 during which time she received MaineCare benefits and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Mitchell falsely represented to the SSA and ME/DHHS that she and her husband lived separately. She failed to disclose her husband’s presence and income despite knowing that she was required to and that it would affect her eligibility to receive benefits.
Mitchell faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 followed by up to three years of supervised release on each of the Social Security fraud and health card fraud charges. She faces up to 10 years and a maximum fine of $250,000 followed by up to three years of supervised release on the theft of public money charge. The Court may also order Mitchell to pay
restitution to SSA for the Social Security fraud charge and must order her to pay restitution to ME/DHHS for the health care fraud and theft of public money charges.
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and ME/DHHS’s Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit investigated the case.
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Standish Man Sentenced to 3+ Years for Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Standish man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced John Wilson, 36, to 40 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Wilson pleaded guilty on January 30, 2023.
According to court records, in March 2022, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office received reports that an individual later identified as Wilson had engaged in inappropriate conversations with at least two minor children using the internet and social media. In June 2022, Wilson engaged in sexually explicit online chats with members of a watchdog group posing as underage girls. During one sexually explicit chat, Wilson sent photographs of his penis and live-streamed a video of himself masturbating to someone he believed to be an 11-year-old girl.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Online enticement is increasing: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported an alarming increase in online enticement reports between 2020 and 2022, with reports more than doubling. “Online enticement” involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a child via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction. This type of victimization takes place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. Learn more about online enticement, including red flags and risk factors, at https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/onlineenticement. 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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Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to 14 Charges for Producing, Transporting and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A West Gardiner man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to 14 charges relating to the production, transportation and distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as failing to register as a sex offender.
According to court records, on August 29, 2022, Maine State Police executed a search warrant in West Gardiner on the person of Jon A. Hall, 30. In the search, they seized an iPhone belonging to Hall, and child sexual abuse material was recovered from that phone. Some of the images and video files depicted Hall sexually abusing a young child while earlier living in another state. The phone also included messages with a person in Maine while Hall was out of state. In many of those messages, Hall sent child sexual abuse material to the user in Maine.
On September 11, 2022, Hall was arrested for a sex offender registry violation. At the time, he was in possession of another phone, which also contained images of victims under 12 that Hall had downloaded from online storage, and images Hall had solicited and received directly from a 12‑year-old child using the internet.
Hall was required to register as a sex offender following a conviction for possessing sexually explicit material depicting a child under 12. Although Hall was aware of his requirement to notify the registry of changes in residence, he failed to update his registry information after he moved back to Maine from out of state in August 20222.
Hall faces:
- Transportation of child pornography charge (2 counts): Minimum of 15 and maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,00, followed by up to three years of supervised release.
- Receipt of child pornography (1 count): Minimum of 15 and maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release.
- Possession of child pornography (2 counts): Minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release.
- Distribution of child pornography (8 counts): Minimum of 15 and maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release.
- Failure to register as a sex offender (1 count): Up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by 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.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – "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. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 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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Ecuadorian National Sentenced to 1 Year and 1 Day for Illegally Entering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Ecuadorian national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States after a prior removal.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Cristian Paul Pinguil-Caguana, 37, to 12 months and one day in prison. Pinguil-Caguana has been incarcerated since October 6, 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 27, 2023.
According to court records, during an investigation of another individual with an open immigration detainer, U.S. Border Patrol personnel in the Jackman area encountered Pinguil-Caguana in a vehicle with that individual. Pinguil-Caguana identified himself as from Ecuador and reported that he was in the country illegally. Immigration records showed that he had previously been removed from the U.S. on four occasions, mostly recent in September 2021 at Alexandria, Louisiana, and had been prosecuted a total of four times for immigration offenses. Pinguil-Caguana had not obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.
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Careless Firearm Use Near Exeter Residence Leads to a 1 Year Plus 1 Day Sentence for Illegal Possession for Millinocket ManRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Millinocket man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Scott Lynch, Jr., 23, to 12 months plus one day imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Lynch pleaded guilty on December 13, 2023.
According to court records, in November 2020, the Maine Warden Service received a complaint about shots being fired at a residence in Exeter, Maine. A game warden observed bullets lodged in the exterior walls of the residence, and the homeowners reported hearing gunshots from across the pond and seeing two individuals wearing hunter’s orange. The warden located Lynch and a 14‑year-old minor in a parked truck. Lynch admitted to the warden that that he had been target shooting in the woods. He also told the warden that he was a convicted felon. The warden located .22 caliber and .308 caliber casings in the woods where Lynch stated they had been shooting.
While at the minor’s house to retrieve the .22 rifle, the warden overheard the minor tell his mother that there was another rifle hidden in the house, which the mother then retrieved. Lynch had the key to a gun case on a key ring on his belt. Two guns were retrieved from the case, a .308 caliber rifle and a 9mm pistol, with obliterated serial numbers. Further investigation showed both the guns and the case had been stolen from a vehicle in Millinocket, and Lynch told investigators that he had traded a dirt bike for the firearms.
The Maine Warden Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
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British National to Reimburse United Airlines $20,638 for Interfering with Flight Crew on Flight Diverted to BangorRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Chelmsford, England man was sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Bangor for interfering with a flight crew. The charge stemmed from an incident on a United Airlines flight that diverted to Bangor International Airport (BGR) on March 1, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Alexander Michael Dominic MacDonald, 30, to time served; he had been in custody since his arrest on March 1. MacDonald was also ordered to pay $20,638.00 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on March 22.
According to court records, MacDonald was a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight traveling from London, England to Newark, New Jersey on March 1, 2024. While the flight was in U.S. airspace, MacDonald began arguing with his travelling companion and causing a disturbance. When flight attendants asked MacDonald to be quiet and attempted to calm him, he became belligerent, threatening, and intimidating towards them. When the international purser aboard the flight intervened, MacDonald became belligerent and intimidating toward him as well and stated that he would “mess up the plane.” When MacDonald’s conduct continued, he was restrained in flex cuffs, and the flight was diverted to Bangor.
The FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Bangor Police Department investigated the case.
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Child Exploitation Investigation Leads to 50-Month Sentence for Defendant’s Drug SupplierRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to distribute cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Tyler Vangel (aka Tyler Linscott, Tyler Carter, Andrew Flanagan), 30, to 50 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2023.
According to court records, while investigating Sebastian Demers in early 2022 for suspected child exploitation, law enforcement learned that Demers was also selling drugs and that Vangel was Demers’ supplier. Investigators opened a separate inquiry into Vangel and learned that between January 2021 and June 2022, Vangel regularly obtained and transported large quantities of cocaine from a Lawrence, Massachusetts-based supplier to be distributed by himself and others, including Demers, to customers in Maine. Among the evidence seized during the investigation was Vangel’s phone, which revealed orders from lower-level distributors requesting a “basket” (3.5 grams) and “half key” (half kilogram) as well as Vangel responding about having a “brick” (kilogram).
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
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Sex Traffickers Sentenced in MaineRead the Press Release
Ricardo Middleton, 32, of Boston, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release after a jury found Middleton guilty in December 2023 of sex trafficking a young woman through force, fraud and coercion and obstruction in Maine.
Middleton’s co-defendant, Sherry Jones, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 80 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Jones had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking on May 23, 2023.
“This significant sentence imposed by the court reflects the severity of the defendant’s exploitation of the victim over three days. He used drugs, threats, physical force and rape to force her to engage in commercial sex for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These acts were odious and intolerable. They denied the victim’s basic humanity. The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute human trafficking crimes to hold offenders accountable and to seek justice for survivors of these heinous crimes.”
“Commercial sex trafficking traumatizes its victims and strips them of their freedom and dignity,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “Addressing this serious crime is a priority to my office. I commend the commitment of the law enforcement team that diligently worked this important case for years, always keeping the safety and recovery of Middleton’s vulnerable victim as the main priority.”
“The horrific violence inflicted upon women by Middleton and his co-conspirators is difficult to comprehend,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England. “He targeted someone battling substance use issues and used this as a lever to control, making it even harder for her to escape the nightmare she found herself in. We hope that today’s sentence marks and end to this traumatic experience as he faces a lengthy federal sentence and a beginning for those he victimized to look forward and work towards a life of dignity and self-determination.”
The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Middleton exploited a 25-year-old Maine woman who was suffering with substance abuse disorder and compelled her to engage in commercial sex, using drugs, lies, intimidation, physical violence and rape as means to control her. Testimony provided details of the three days in November 2015, in which Middleton, along with Jones and co-defendant Mathew Thatcher, of Scarborough, Maine, transported the victim to several locations in Maine and Massachusetts. Along the way, Middleton berated the victim, abused her and humiliated her, including raping her and saying he was “going to make a lot of money off” her. The evidence further detailed how Middleton, while detained pending trial, instructed a co-defendant not to cooperate with the government or incriminate him.
On March 22, Thatcher was sentenced to 44 months in prison and three years of supervised released. Thatcher pleaded guilty on Nov. 17, 2023, to interstate transportation in aid of racketeering and contempt of court. Neither of Middleton’s co-defendants testified at the December trial.
The HSI New England Field Office, Portland Resident Agent in Charge Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI, Biddeford Police Department, Portland Police Department, South Portland Police Department, Topsham Police Department and Saco Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Joyce for the District of Maine and Trial Attorney Meghan Tokash and Deputy Director William Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Oxford Man Sentenced to 20 Months for Armed Confrontation with PoliceRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Oxford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Brandon Dearborn, 31, to 20 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on January 31, 2024.
According to court records, in August 2022, a 911 caller reported a man, later identified as Dearborn, was observed brandishing a firearm outside an apartment building in the town of Mexico. Officers confronted Dearborn and instructed him to drop the weapon, a Ruger .22 pistol. Dearborn instead urged the officers to shoot him and raised the pistol towards them, prompting the officers to fire, striking Dearborn multiple times. At the time of his arrest, Dearborn was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony drug conviction in the Oxford County Superior Court.
The FBI and Maine State Police 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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Massachusetts Man Who Attempted to Traffick Fentanyl to Maine by Taxi Sentenced to 44 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A man from Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Jose Alfredo Mercedes Botello, 22, to 44 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Botello pleaded guilty on November 27, 2023.
According to court records, in March 2022, FBI agents and local law enforcement in Lebanon conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle bearing Massachusetts livery plates. During the stop, the vehicle’s passenger was observed reaching to the floor where agents later recovered a cellophane-wrapped package under the front passenger seat. The contents of the package were confirmed to be fentanyl. The hired driver of the vehicle stated that he had picked up Botello in Lawrence, Mass. and had been instructed to drive him to Maine.
An FBI investigation revealed that Botello planned to distribute the fentanyl to an individual in Maine.
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Peru Woman Pleads Guilty to Selling Methamphetamine to Undercover OfficerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Peru, Maine woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, conspiring to distribute and possess methamphetamine, and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court records, from July 2022 to January 2023, Mandy Shorey, 43, made multiple sales of methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Portland after obtaining the drugs from her Massachusetts supplier. Following several successful controlled buys from Shorey, in November 2022 the undercover officer arranged to purchase two pounds of methamphetamine from her. That night, while waiting for her supplier to arrive, Shorey was armed with a handgun; she told the undercover officer that it was her practice to always carry a firearm for protection when conducting drug deals. On January 26, 2023, Shorey again supplied the undercover officer with a substantial quantity of methamphetamine—approximately one pound—at the same Portland location. That night, Shorey’s supplier, Angel Luis Lozano of Lowell, Massachusetts, who has also pleaded guilty to federal drug charges for his role in the conspiracy, sold Shorey approximately 459 grams of methamphetamine which she in turn sold to the undercover officer. Shortly after the transaction, the Portland Police Department initiated a traffic stop of Shorey’s vehicle, recovering the handgun.
Shorey faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million followed by supervised release for at least five years and up to life for the drug charges. She faces a minimum sentence of five years and a fine of up to $250,000 on the firearms charge. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Portland Police Department.
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Buxton Man Sentenced for Threats Against the Jewish CommunityRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Buxton man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for transmitting a threatening interstate communication.
U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Brian Dennison, 27, to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Dennison was found guilty by a federal jury on December 7, 2023, following a three-day trial.
According to evidence presented during the trial, on September 8, 2021, Dennison posted on Twitter, “I’m going to kill jews with my ar15 tomorrow.” FBI investigators identified Dennison as the likely author of the threat and executed search warrants at his Buxton residence. Among the items seized were approximately 1,700 rounds of ammunition that could be fired from an AR-15-style rifle. Investigators also found evidence that Dennison had a long-standing animus toward Jewish people. In October 2021, investigators executed another search warrant at the property and found an AR-15-style rifle and ammunition in a case that had been hidden in the woods behind the residence.
In imposing sentence, Judge Levy noted that threats like the one Dennison communicated are corrosive and strain the fiber of our country. He also noted that the core liberties enshrined in the Constitution are undermined by threats based on someone’s faith.
“Brian Dennison communicated his violent anti-Semitic threat on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration,” said Darcie McElwee, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine. “Such repugnant threats have no place in any society. I commend the FBI for its excellent investigative work in this case. Under the First Amendment, you have a right to believe hateful things, and to express those hateful beliefs in lawful ways. But when your speech constitutes a true threat to kill or injure others, you will be held accountable.”
“Our Maine Joint Terrorism Task Force is to be highly commended for its rapid response to Brian Dennison’s threat to commit mass murder with an assault rifle, born out of his long-standing hatred for Jewish people,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Hate has no place here in Maine, and the fact that Mr. Dennison had the actual means to carry out his articulated threat is chilling. Protecting human life is our absolute priority, and the FBI stands ready to intervene whenever threatening language crosses the line into illegal activity.”
The FBI and U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
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Former Postal Carrier Pleads Guilty to Theft of Mail in South Berwick and EliotRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Berwick man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to theft of mail by a postal carrier.
According to court records, between January and May 2023, Russell Joaquin, 48, opened and stole the contents of greeting cards from his postal route. Joaquin was interviewed by investigators from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and admitted to stealing greeting cards from his mail routes in South Berwick and Eliot to take the cash and gift cards they contained.
Joaquin faces up to five years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case with assistance from the Berwick Police Department.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Kidnapping and Interstate Violation of a Protective OrderRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Brighton, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for kidnapping and transporting a woman into Maine against her will.
U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Stephen Pilson, 56, to 156 months in prison for kidnapping and 50 months for interstate violation of a protective order, with the sentences to be served concurrently. Judge Levy also sentenced Pilson to four years of supervised release following his prison term. A federal jury found Pilson guilty on December 21, 2023, after a three-day trial.
According to evidence presented during the trial, on December 15, 2019, Pilson drove the victim, with whom he had a relationship, from Massachusetts to Maine against her will. Throughout the trip, he drank heavily and told the victim they were going to Canada where she would die. Pilson tied the victim to the vehicle’s gear shift with her scarf and struck her when she tried to escape. On I-95 near Arundel, the victim attempted to open the door while the car was traveling at high speed. After Pilson pulled over, she attempted to remove the vehicle’s keys, breaking the key off in the ignition before fleeing along the highway with Pilson in pursuit. Maine State Troopers were alerted to the incident by 911 calls from at least five concerned motorists. Troopers later found Pilson in the woods with the aid of a K-9.
On December 12, 2019, three days before the kidnapping, Pilson had pleaded guilty in Waltham (Massachusetts) District Court to five charges, including kidnapping the same victim, for which he had been sentenced to time served and probation. A no-contact order was also imposed, prohibiting him from contacting the victim. The federal jury found Pilson guilty of interstate violation of a protection order for violating the Massachusetts order.
While incarcerated on the federal kidnapping charge, Pilson sought to obstruct justice by convincing the victim to recant her statement to police and cease cooperating with the investigation. In a recorded phone call Pilon made to the victim from jail, Pilson instructed her to write to prosecutors to say that she wasn’t kidnapped, and that she wanted the charges dropped. During the call, Pilson told the victim that if she did not write the letter, Pilson would kill himself because he could not face years in prison.
At sentencing, Judge Levy observed that, “Mr. Pilson’s recorded call to the victim was chilling and reflects someone who is both calculating and will do whatever it takes to another person to get his way.”
The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Maine State Police investigated the case.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available via the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or via the hotline’s website at https://www.thehotline.org/. Mainers experiencing domestic violence can also contact the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV) at 1-866-834-HELP (4357). The MCEDV website, https://www.mcedv.org/, also has information about member organizations across Maine.
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South Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.
According to court records, in August 2023, Scarborough Police officers encountered Ethan Bubier, 41, in a parked vehicle and observed drug paraphernalia and a knife on the seat. Officers searched the vehicle and found a backpack with several containers of suspected controlled substances, including 20 individual packets of fentanyl powder, a scale, and empty plastic bags. Officers also found six additional packets of fentanyl as well as $1662 in cash. In total, investigators recovered more than 264 grams of fentanyl. A later search of Bubier’s phone revealed messages documenting what appeared to be his large purchase of narcotics days before the seizure as well as messages from potential buyers.
Bubier faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million followed by three years to life of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance from the Scarborough Police Department. The Maine Attorney General’s Office also assisted with the case.
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Federal Jury Convicts South Portland Man of Possessing a Firearm After Conviction for Assaulting His WifeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland man was found guilty yesterday of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court in Portland.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in June 2010, Willie Richard Minor, 63, formerly of Auburn, was convicted in Maine Superior Court of assaulting his then-wife. As a result of that conviction, Minor was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition. In November 2016, Minor admitted to having a gun in an interview with the Auburn Police Department. The police recovered the gun from his apartment in Auburn.
Minor was originally convicted and sentenced on the federal charge after a trial in December 2017. While the case was pending on appeal, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision, Rehaif v. United States, that changed what the government is required to prove in certain federal firearm possession cases. As a result, the parties agreed to have the original conviction vacated, and the case was remanded for a new trial. Minor was again convicted after a trial in February 2020, and in September 2020, he was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release.
In March 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit found that the jury had been incorrectly instructed in Minor’s second trial. The Court of Appeals clarified what the government is required to prove under the Supreme Court’s Rehaif decision. The case then proceeded to trial for a third time.
“This case was particularly important because the new jury instructions given here provide clarity for our future pursuit of such prosecutions against former domestic abusers who illegally possess firearms across Maine,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Those convicted of abusing their loved ones should understand that illegal gun possession will not be tolerated in Maine.”
Minor 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 Auburn Police Department; the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the FBI investigated the case. The Mechanic Falls Police Department investigated Minor’s earlier assault case.
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Massachusetts Man Caught with Large Quantities of Fentanyl, Cocaine and Methamphetamine in Anson is Sentenced to 15 YearsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Hyde Park, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for two drug trafficking charges and one firearms charge.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Harold Andujar-Pimentel, 25, to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Andujar-Pimentel pleaded guilty on December 21, 2023.
According to court records, in November 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Anson, searching the main residence and a camper on the property. Andujar-Pimentel was located and detained in the camper, and after being detained, ran from officers who pursued him through the woods to apprehend him. Officers located a key to the camper on Andujar-Pimentel’s person. During the search of the camper, officers recovered a plastic bag containing more than $5,000 in cash; a plastic bag that contained over 2,308 grams of fentanyl powder, 492.8 grams of pure methamphetamine, 453.9 grams of cocaine base, 89 Oxycodone pills, and 50 Xanax “bars”; and six firearms, including a loaded Glock Model 43 9mm handgun. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine; just 2 mg of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Maine Drug Enforcement Administration (MDEA), Somerset County Sheriff’s Office and Winslow Police Department investigated the case. The Somerset County District Attorney’s Office assisted with the case.
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Caribou Man Sentenced to 13+ Years for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Caribou man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced James King, 54, to 165 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. King pleaded guilty on September 25, 2023.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, King and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. King, an Aroostook County distributor, regularly obtained quantities of drugs from his source in the Bangor area. Others then would distribute the drugs to dealers who, in turn, would distribute the drugs to customers. King knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy.
King is the tenth participant involved in the northern Maine conspiracy to be sentenced. Seven of the remaining 11 defendants have pleaded guilty:
Sentenced:
- Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
- Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
- Danielle McBreairty (33, Glenburn) – 20 years
- Blaine Footman (37, Bangor) – 5 years
- Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
- Dwight Gary, Jr. (53, Medway) – Time served
- Matthew Catalano (37, Penobscot County) – 165 months
- Thomas Hammond (25, Charleston) – 84 months
- Christopher Coty (43, Bangor) – 4 years
- James King (54, Caribou) – 165 months
Pleaded Guilty:
- Sarah McBreairty (35, Dixmont)
- John Miller (23, Caribou)
- Shelby Loring (28, Bangor)
- Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle)
- Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington)
- Carol Gordon (53, Bangor)
- Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou)
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. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee 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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Bangor Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Aaron Rodgers, 43, and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Rodgers knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy.
Twenty-one defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in the northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, ten of the defendants have been sentenced and eight have pleaded guilty:
Sentenced:
- Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
- Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
- Danielle McBreairty (33, Glenburn) – 20 years
- Blaine Footman (37, Bangor) – 5 years
- Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
- Dwight Gary, Jr. (53, Medway) – Time served
- Matthew Catalano (37, Penobscot County) – 165 months
- Thomas Hammond (25, Charleston) – 84 months
- Christopher Coty (43, Bangor) – 4 years
- James King (54, Caribou) – 165 months
Pleaded Guilty:
- Sarah McBreairty (35, Dixmont)
- John Miller (23, Caribou)
- Shelby Loring (28, Bangor)
- Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle)
- Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington)
- Carol Gordon (53, Bangor)
- Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou)
- Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor)
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. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee 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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Two Men Charged with Robbing U.S. Postal Carriers at Knife PointRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Two men from the New York City metro area were charged with burglarizing two Maine post offices and robbing, at knife point, two U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers.
A federal grand jury charged Winston McLeod, 30, and Lance Funderburk, 30, in a five-count indictment on March 20, 2024, charging each with two robberies, two burglaries, and participating in the overall conspiracy.
According to the indictment and other court records, during a one-week period in January 2024, McLeod and Funderburk broke into the Paris and North Monmouth post offices and stole money order printers, mail, computers, post office box keys, and other items. The two men are then alleged to have robbed two Lewiston postal carriers in quick succession on January 20, 2024, threatening to stab each of them with a knife unless they turned over their postal keys.
If convicted, the men face up to 25 years imprisonment on each of the two robbery counts, up to five years imprisonment on each of the two burglary counts, and up to five years on the conspiracy count. They also face up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count of conviction.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with the assistance of FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Rumford, Lewiston, Paris and Monmouth police departments.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Westbrook Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Westbrook man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for sexually exploiting a child.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Rayevon Deschambault, 28, to 216 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Deschambault was convicted of two counts of sexually exploiting a child following a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Portland in January 2023. Deschambault also received a concurrent 27-month sentence on an unrelated charge of distributing cocaine base, stemming from his sale of cocaine base to a confidential informant in August 2019. Deschambault pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking charge on March 30, 2023.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in August 2019, Deschambault sexually abused a 14-year-old victim for the purpose of creating child sexual abuse material. The videos Deschambault produced were found on his cell phone after investigators seized the phone in August 2019.
In sentencing Deschambault, Judge Woodcock noted that videorecording of sexually exploitative acts “places this crime at a different level” because “videotaping is a potentially permanent visual record of the crime.”
The FBI and Portland Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“Rayevon Deschambault’s actions were beyond heinous. He sexually abused a child and recorded the abuse so he could savor it whenever he wanted. No child should ever have to experience this,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We thank the victim in this case for cooperating with law enforcement. With today’s sentence, Mr. Deschambault won’t be able to victimize anyone else for years to come.”
“Mr. Deschambault sexually abused a child then took it even further to memorialize that abuse on video,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Protecting Maine children from the lasting and traumatic impact of sexual exploitation is among the most necessary and important work we do at the US Attorney’s Office In support of our law enforcement partners at every level,”
Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2022, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included more than 80,000 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts, an increase of 82% from 2021 to 2022, and more than 31 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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Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Racist Death Threats to Black Family in His Apartment ComplexRead the Press Release
A Maine man pleaded guilty today to one count of threatening communications in interstate commerce for sending racist death threats to a Black family living in his apartment complex.
According to court documents, in August 2022, Charles Allen Barnes, 46, of Lewiston, used Facebook Messenger to record and transmit a racial-slur-laden voice message in which he threatened, in graphic and violent terms, to kill his neighbor. In the message, Barnes made repeated derogatory references to the neighbor’s race and stated that he was waiting in his car outside the neighbor’s apartment and would kill the next person who emerged from it. Barnes then sent the recording to an acquaintance of his whom he knew to be close personal friends with the neighbor. Alarmed by the message’s contents, the acquaintance forwarded the recording to Barnes’s neighbor, to warn her of possible danger from Barnes.
“Charles Barnes thought that hiding behind a social media account would shield him from the consequences of terrorizing his neighbors with vile, racist death threats, but he was wrong,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racially-motivated death threats and acts of violence are unacceptable in our society today. The Justice Department will continue to thoroughly investigate and vigorously prosecute anyone who carries out threats or acts of bias-motivated violence in our country.”
“Hate of any kind will not be tolerated in Maine,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “With our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine will diligently pursue justice for victims of racial harassment, threats, and violence. Barnes’ conduct is not representative of how we treat our neighbors in Maine. Protecting civil rights is one of our highest priorities.”
“Charles Barnes admitted today to using his words as a weapon and making violent, racist threats against his neighbor,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Division. “Threats to life are most certainly not protected speech, and the FBI will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice anyone who crosses the line and commits this type of crime.”
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Barnes faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. If the judge determines that Barnes intentionally selected the victim of his crime because of the victim’s race, a sentencing enhancement will be applied.
The FBI Boston Field Office, Lewiston Police Department and the Maine Attorney General’s Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.
Traffic Stop Leads to Guilty Plea to Fentanyl and Firearm Possession Charges for Bangor ManRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition and to possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them.
According to court records, in October of 2023, Bangor police officers encountered Andrew Blais, 37, during a traffic stop and identified an active warrant for his arrest. Officers observed drug paraphernalia in open view in the vehicle and recovered bundles of cash and a loaded handgun on Blais’ person. A further search at the Penobscot County Jail revealed 38 individual bags containing fentanyl concealed underneath his clothing. Blais was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony drug trafficking conviction.
Blais faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine up to $1 million and at least 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 Bangor Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
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California Man Pleads Guilty to Arranging Large Shipments of Methamphetamine from CaliforniaRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A California man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy in Downeast Maine.
According to court records, between May 2022 and March 2023, Alex Hanna, 30, coordinated shipments of methamphetamine from a source in California to multiple individuals who distributed it in Downeast Maine. Hanna found others willing to either have USPS deliveries of methamphetamine shipped to their address or find other addresses where the packages could be delivered. Hanna, along with his conspirators, trafficked the methamphetamine in Maine.
In addition to the drug conspiracy charge, Hanna also pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering. He conspired with others in Maine to send money and proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine to his source in California using various money services, including Walmart2Walmart, Cash App, and Venmo. Hanna used coconspirators’ identifications and accounts to send the money in an effort to conceal and disguise his involvement in these transactions.
Hanna faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison on the drug conspiracy charge and a maximum fine of $10 million. For the money laundering conspiracy charge, Hanna faces up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine or twice the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. 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 Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, FBI, Ellsworth Police Department, Holden Police Department, and Hancock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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Bangor Man Sentenced to 14 Years After Being Caught with 400g of Fentanyl, 30g of Cocaine and a Firearm while Out on BailRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Allen Henry, 49, to 168 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Henry pleaded guilty May 23, 2023.
According to court records, in May 2022, officers with the Brewer Police Department responded to a call for service and located Henry in a parked vehicle. A record check revealed Henry had an active warrant for his arrest and active bail conditions stemming from a state charge. The bail conditions prohibited him from using or possessing any alcohol or illegal drugs. Upon conducting a bail check to ensure Henry was compliant with conditions, officers located more than 400 grams of fentanyl, approximately 30 grams of cocaine base and a firearm in his vehicle. Henry has a previous 2013 state conviction that prohibits him from possessing firearms.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Brewer Police Department investigated this case.
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Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Supplying Drug Trafficking Biddeford Couple with FentanylRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.
According to court records, in August 2023, law enforcement encountered Darwin Mateo, 24, while executing a search warrant at the Biddeford residence of Michael and Jessica Bolster. Investigators discovered two large bundles of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl inside the residence. One bundle was located inside a backpack in a locked bedroom. The other bundle was discovered hidden at the bottom of the stairwell, a few inches from where investigators located Mateo. Each bundle contained numerous individual baggies, totaling approximately 541 grams. Mateo admitted to investigators that the backpack was his, and that he had traveled from Massachusetts to Maine to distribute the fentanyl.
Darwin Mateo faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million, followed by a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release. Michael Bolster pleaded guilty on January 18, 2024, for his role in the trafficking conspiracy and faces 5-40 years in prison. Jessica Bolster pleaded guilty on February 21, 2024, and faces up to 20 years. Each of the three defendants will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
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Somerset County Man Caught with 760 grams of Fentanyl is Sentenced to 57 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Somerset County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Cody Mosher, 29, to 57 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Mosher pleaded guilty on September 1, 2023.
According to court records, in January 2023, Mosher led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through Norridgewock and Madison after deputies approached his vehicle and informed him they were executing a search warrant and arrest warrant. Once stopped, Mosher was placed under arrest and his vehicle searched. Investigators recovered approximately 760 grams of fentanyl, 21 grams of cocaine, a digital scale, and a substantial amount of cash from the vehicle. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine; just 2 mg of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the Maine State Police.
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South Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute.
According to court records, in April 2023, law enforcement located Joshua Hopkins, 33, who had an active state arrest warrant, at a South Portland hotel. A search of a backpack Hopkins had been wearing revealed multiple scales, a single round of 7.62 mm x 39 mm ammunition, a blender that contained suspected fentanyl powder, smaller containers of additional suspected fentanyl powder, bags of suspected cocaine, and what appeared to be a substance used to “cut” drugs. A man with Hopkins told officers that Hopkins supplied him with drugs and had left a rifle and personal belongings in his car. Officers found a black Norinco SKS-style rifle in the vehicle. The round of ammunition in the backpack matched the caliber of the rifle. Hopkins is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions.
Hopkins faces up to 15 years in prison on the gun charge and five to 40 years on the drug charge, with maximum fines of $250,000 and $5 million, respectively. 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; South Portland Police Department; Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
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Portland Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Child Sexual Exploitation and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for sexually exploiting a child and drug trafficking.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Sebastian Demers, 32, to 15 years on the child exploitation count and one year on the drug count, to be served consecutively, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay the victim and the victim’s family $15,843.27 in restitution. Demers pleaded guilty on December 9, 2022.
According to court records, in November 2020, Demers befriended a 14-year-old child online and soon thereafter began engaging in illegal sexual contact with the victim. Even after the victim’s parents obtained a protection order against Demers, Demers continued to pressure the victim to see him and threatened to harm the victim and the victim’s family if the victim did not comply. Demers took several sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim, which investigators later found on Demers’ cell phone. Demers also plied the victim with alcohol and drugs and told the victim that he sold drugs. In April 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Demers’ residence and found cocaine and other evidence of drug trafficking.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland Police Department investigated the case
Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2022, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received approximately 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included more than 80,500 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts and more than 31 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
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Report to Waterville Police of ‘Large-Scale Drug Trafficker’ Leads to 17 ½-Year Sentence for Local ManRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville-area man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing fentanyl and cocaine with the intent to distribute.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Victor Soto Sanchez, 39, to 210 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Soto Sanchez had been found guilty on October 18, 2023, following a two-day federal jury trial.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, in late November 2021, the Waterville Police Department received information about a large-scale drug trafficker selling cocaine and fentanyl out of his apartment. The resulting three-week drug investigation culminated in the execution of a search warrant at Soto Sanchez’s residence where law enforcement found approximately five pounds of fentanyl in pill and powder form, almost five pounds of cocaine, over $5,000 in cash, and several firearms. The value of the narcotics seized was over $400,000.
The Waterville Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine State Police; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 27 Months for Illegal Border CrossingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States after a prior removal.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Alberto Beltran-Martinez, 44, to 27 months in prison. Beltran-Martinez has been incarcerated since he was arrested on April 29, 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 25, 2023.
According to court records, Beltran-Martinez and six other individuals were pulled over in Hamlin near the international boundary by a U.S. Border Patrol Agent from the Van Buren Border Patrol Station. Immigration records showed that Beltran-Martinez had previously been removed from the U.S. in September 2006 at Laredo, Texas and in April 2021 at Del Rio, Texas. He had not obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.
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Lincoln Woman Pleads Guilty to High-Speed Flight from Immigration Checkpoint in ShermanRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Lincoln woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to fleeing and evading a U.S. immigration checkpoint in Sherman and leading U.S. Border Patrol agents on a high-speed pursuit.
According to court records, in May 2023, Shania England, 24, and a passenger were traveling southbound on I-95, when England drove up to and stopped at a checkpoint being operated by the U.S. Border Patrol in Sherman. When an agent instructed England to pull over to a secondary inspection area, she instead sped away on I-95. England fled from Border Patrol agents at high speed for about eight miles and was apprehended after crashing the vehicle in a ditch.
England faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine followed by up to three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the East Millinocket Police Department.
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Former Fort Hood Texas Soldier Guilty Sentenced to 10 Years for Multiple Child Exploitation CountsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A former Fort Hood, Texas soldier was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor on multiple counts of child exploitation.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Christopher Meza, 23, to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Meza was also ordered to pay $16,650 in restitution. Meza had been found guilty on November 1, 2023, of one count of enticement of a child, two counts of travelling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The verdict came after a two-day federal jury trial.
While sentencing Meza, Judge Walker stated, “It’s hard to put one’s mind to just how deeply disturbing the conduct was,” further describing the conduct as “debased, deviant, depraved, and craven.”
According to evidence presented during the trial, between February and December 2021, Meza interacted with a 13-year-old from Maine on a popular online gaming platform. The conversations included descriptions of sex as well as Meza’s acknowledgement of the victim’s age. Meza twice traveled from Texas to Maine to meet with the then 14-year-old victim, and on both occasions was successful in leaving the state with the child.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was the lead law enforcement agency. Additional investigative resources were provided by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and multiple police departments in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Texas.
Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2022, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received approximately 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included more than 80,500 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts and more than 31 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $24.4 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced today that the District of Maine collected a total of $24,435,341.37 in civil and criminal actions in 2023.
$1,390,922.70 was collected in criminal actions and $23,044,418.67 was collected in civil actions, including $22,589,634.83 from the July 2023 settlement in United States of America v. Martin’s Point Heath Care, Inc., a collaborative effort with the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. This False Claims Act settlement was the largest Medicare fraud settlement in state history.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. The VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 added a new source of revenue for the Crime Victims Fund, directing revenues collected from deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements to be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Maine, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,390,922.70 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
“The Crime Victims Fund is a vital resource that helps fund state and local programs that provide services for victims of crime, and it is funded by the work that occurs in U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country including our district,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “Ensuring that the taxpayers of the United States as well as crime victims receive the money that is due to them and that is needed to aid in their recovery is a priority for our office.”
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New York Man Sentenced for Mailing Fentanyl to MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A New York man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing fentanyl through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Tyler Dean, 49, to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court records, in June 2020, Dean shipped an envelope via USPS Priority Mail Express from the Schenectady, New York area to a residence in Rockland, Maine using an alias. Text and Facebook messages confirmed Dean mailed the envelope and knew that he was sending a controlled substance but did not know the identity of the substance he shipped. Lab testing confirmed that the envelope contained fentanyl. The package’s recipient and their spouse died of accidental overdoses the day the package arrived.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Rockland Police Department, and Maine Attorney General’s Office investigated the case.
Fentanyl listed as a cause of death in 78% of Maine overdose deaths in 2023: According to the December 2023 Maine Monthly Overdose Report, from January 2023 thru December 2023, 78% of confirmed overdose deaths in Maine included fentanyl or fentanyl analogs, alone or in combination with other drugs. To find help dealing with substance use disorder for yourself or a loved one in Maine, including finding naloxone (Narcan) to have on hand and accessible in the case of an opioid overdose emergency, visit https://knowyouroptions.me.
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Repeat Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing More than 12,000 Images and 1,000 Videos of Children being Sexually AbusedRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child sexual abuse material.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Mark A. Burns, 61, to 10 years in prison followed by eight years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $58,000 in restitution. Burns pleaded guilty on August 28, 2023.
According to court records, in April 2023, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit learned that a computer at an IP address belonging to Burns had shared a sexually explicit image of a child under the age of six. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a search warrant at Burns’ residence, where he admitted that he had downloaded child sexual abuse material. A search of his tablet revealed that it contained 1,103 video files and more than 12,000 images of children ranging in age from infants to young teens. Burns has a 2016 state conviction for possessing sexually explicit material involving a child under the age of 12, which subjected him to a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Jon D. Levy noted that Burns’ collection of child pornography was “immense.” When imposing sentence, Judge Levy called the volume of Burns’ collection a “significant aggravating factor,” as well as the fact that Burns had previously been convicted of the same conduct.
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 – "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization every time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
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Getaway Driver from Stratton Sentenced to 4 Years for Role in Violent Attempted Theft of Drugs from Rangeley HomeRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Stratton man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court today for his role in a violent home invasion in Rangeley in 2016.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced John Raymond, 36, to 48 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court records, in July 2016, Raymond, along with others, developed a plan to steal controlled substances from a Rangeley residence. On July 28, 2016, Raymond purchased drugs from the owner of the residence, confirming the illegal drug trafficking. He then drove two of the co-conspirators to the residence later the same evening, remaining in the car while the two men entered the home. During the commission of the robbery, the intended target of the robbery shot and killed one of the co-conspirators. Raymond fled the scene when he heard the commotion and was later stopped by police officers while driving another co-conspirator to a bus station.
Co-conspirators Andre Muller (aka “Dre Muller”), 53, and Robert Holland (aka “Kurt Holland”), 44, both of New York, were both convicted in a jury trial in November 2023 and are awaiting sentencing. Hector Munoz, 56, of Florida pleaded guilty and was sentenced on January 12, 2024 to 54 months imprisonment.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Maine State Police; Rangeley Police Department; U.S. Border Patrol; and Carrabassett Valley Police Department investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General.
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Connecticut Woman Sentenced for Role in Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking in Franklin CountyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Connecticut woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with the intent to distribute.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Chrissie LaForge, 43, to 18 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. LaForge pleaded guilty on June 5, 2023.
According to court records, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the suspected trafficking of illegal narcotics out of a residence in Avon. Over the course of several months, law enforcement observed vehicles parked at the residence rented or owned by LaForge that stayed for short durations. The investigation produced evidence that a drug trafficking organization was operating out of the residence and that LaForge was renting vehicles in Connecticut for others to transport narcotics to the residence or was transporting them herself.
In July 2020, investigators executed a search warrant and found LaForge inside the residence and a vehicle she had rented in Connecticut in the driveway. Investigators seized approximately $1,200 in cash from LaForge’s pocket and found 44.9 grams of fentanyl and 12.65 grams of cocaine base in her purse. She admitted to investigators that she brought the drugs to the residence and planned to pick up between $5,000 and $6,000 in drug proceeds during this visit. Investigators also seized $8,863 in cash, digital scales with residue powder, baggies, straws, hypodermic needles, and other drug paraphernalia.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.
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Corinna Counselor Ordered to Pay MaineCare $13,087.62 for Submitting Bogus Treatment RecordsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Corinna woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for false statements involving a health care benefit program.
U.S. District Judge John A Woodcock, Jr. ordered April McKinney, known professionally as April Taylor, 47, to pay $13,087.62 in restitution to the Maine Department of Health & Human Services (ME/DHHS). ME/DHHS administers the MaineCare program. McKinney was also sentenced to three years of probation and fined $2,500. She pleaded guilty on August 15, 2023.
According to court records, between April and December 2020, McKinney falsified appointment details and session notes in therapy service records. She used the falsified records to bill and receive funds from MaineCare. MaineCare is funded primarily by the federal government, which pays approximately two-thirds of all reimbursed claims. McKinney’s submission of falsified information led to the misuse of taxpayer dollars through reimbursements higher than warranted by any actual patient care given. She surrendered her counseling license on January 22, 2024, through a consent agreement.
The FBI investigated the case.
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DEA Controlled Buys, Seizure of 541g of Fentanyl Lead to Guilty Plea from Biddeford ManRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in southern Maine.
According to court records, Michael Bolster, 48, conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. In July 2023, Bolster and a coconspirator sold fentanyl to a confidential source on three separate occasions. The sales were for 9 grams, 30 grams and 29 grams of fentanyl, respectively. In August 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bolster’s residence and seized two large bundles of suspected fentanyl made up of small baggies wrapped for individual sale totaling 541 grams. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lab tested a sample of the substance and confirmed it to contain the presence of fentanyl. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose.
Bolster pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. He faces 5-40 years in prison and a fine up to $5 million followed by four years to life of supervised release on the conspiracy charge. On each of two counts of distribution of fentanyl, he faces up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million followed by three years to life of supervised release. Bolster 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.
DEA investigated the case.
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Recovery of 1299 Grams of Fentanyl, 227 Grams of Methamphetamine, and Firearms Leads to 15+ Year Sentence for Wade ManRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Wade man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Daniel White, 57, to 188 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. White pleaded guilty on July 24, 2023.
According to court records, on November 30, 2022, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) agents executed a search warrant at White’s home in Wade. Drug paraphernalia, three pistols and two rifles, and $12,586 in drug proceeds were found in the residence. Investigators recovered more than 1299 grams of fentanyl from White’s bedroom, near a loaded weapon. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose. Investigators also recovered more than 227 grams of methamphetamine.
The investigation revealed that between January 1, 2021, and November 30, 2022, White conspired with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. During this time, White regularly obtained the drugs from his out-of-state source of supply and would distribute the drugs through a network of dealers in Aroostook County.
The DEA and MDEA investigated the case.
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Firearm Discharge in Residential Neighborhood Leads to Federal Charge for Bangor ManRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court records, in September 2023, officers with the Bangor Police Department responded to a report that a male had fired a handgun in a residential area. A bystander directed officers to Toman Caudill, 31, and he was taken into custody when officers found a box of 9mm ammunition in his backpack. Further investigation revealed that Caudill had discharged a Ruger 9mm pistol and then handed the firearm to his fiancée as officers approached. Caudill stated that he had fired the gun due to an altercation with another male. The Ruger 9mm pistol was recovered and seized, as was the ammunition from Caudill’s backpack.
Caudill is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions.
Caudill faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bangor Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
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