District of Maine

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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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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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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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, 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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BANGOR, Maine:  A former Arizona man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today after pleading guilty to six counts of wire fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced, James McAuliffe, 55, to 60 months followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $203,616 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on August 29, 2023.

According to court records, from January to November 2020 McAuliffe filed false claims for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. He filed fraudulent applications for UI payments with the Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation using others’ personal identifying information without their knowledge and consent. As a part of the scheme, he caused fraudulent applications for replacement drivers licenses to be filed with the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles and changed the drivers’ mailing addresses, using the falsified licenses as proof of identification in support of the fraudulent UI claims. McAuliffe had the UI benefits loaded onto debit cards and wired into an account he opened in another person’s name and withdrew the funds at ATMs in Arizona. At the time of his arrest, McAuliffe was living in Kansas.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

“The prosecution of Mr. McAuliffe is one of numerous cases brought by the Department of Justice nationwide to bring to justice those who sought to exploit COVID-19 relief fund programs,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “To those who defrauded and stole from American taxpayers in the middle of a global crisis, you should expect that our Office and the Department of Justice will do everything possible to hold you accountable.”

“James McAuliffe engaged in a scheme to obtain unemployment insurance benefits by submitting fraudulent claims using the stolen identities of Maine residents and others. McAuliffe stole federal benefits intended to assist unemployed American workers struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard Department of Labor programs from those who seek to exploit them,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

Coordinated, nationwide enforcement action to combat COVID-19 fraud: On August 23, 2023 the Justice Department announced the results of a coordinated, nationwide enforcement action to combat COVID-19 fraud, which included 718 enforcement actions – including federal criminal charges against 371 defendants – for offenses related to over $836 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud. The Justice Department has now seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that criminals had stolen and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country. Many of the cases in the enforcement action involve charges related to pandemic unemployment insurance benefit fraud and fraud against the two largest pandemic Small Business Administration programs: the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Additional matters involved pandemic healthcare billing fraud, fraud against the Emergency Rental Assistance program, and fraud committed against the IRS Employee Retention Credit program (ERC), a refundable tax credit for businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees and were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A St. Albans man was found guilty this week of conspiring to distribute and possess controlled substances. The verdict came after a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor with Judge Lance E. Walker presiding.

According to evidence presented at trial, between June 2017 and February 2018, Adam Johnson, 32, participated in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl in central Maine. Johnson would travel out of state to meet the source and pick up fentanyl that he would then bring back to Maine to package and sell to dealers. The amount of fentanyl exceeded 400 grams. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl is a potentially lethal dose.

Johnson faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison followed by five years to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 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 U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Worcester, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Devon Ashton, 28, to 72 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Ashton pleaded guilty on July 26, 2023.

According to court records, between January and March 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Ashton, for a total of approximately 192 grams. At the end of March 2023, Ashton was stopped for speeding in Lewiston, and $8,000 and approximately 59 grams of cocaine were seized. He was arrested in May 2023.

Ashton has previous convictions for unlawful firearms possession and assault, among other offenses. While awaiting sentencing, he was involved in an altercation at the Strafford (NH) County Department of Corrections and has been indicted in New Hampshire state court for the crime of Assault by Prisoner.

The DEA investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Woodville woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor for Social Security fraud, health care fraud, and theft of public money.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker ordered Rella Austin-Kimball, 51, to pay $103,596.91 in restitution, consisting of $78,858.25 to the Social Security Administration (SSA), and $4,550.66 for the MaineCare program and $20,188 for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administered by the Maine Department of Health & Human Services (ME/DHHS). Austin-Kimball was also sentenced to serve three years of probation. She pleaded guilty on May 26, 2023.

According to court records, from about January 2005 through March 2021, Austin-Kimball lied to the SSA about her husband’s presence in her household and failed to report her receipt of alimony payments following divorce to fraudulently appear eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. Austin-Kimball also concealed her husband’s presence from ME/DHHS from about January 2005 to July 2017, during which time she received MaineCare and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. By lying about her husband’s presence, Austin-Kimball was also able to fraudulently receive SSI, MaineCare, and SNAP benefits for a then-minor child.

In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Austin-Kimball falsely represented to the SSA and ME/DHHS that she and her husband had separated in January 2005 and had lived separately since that time. Following her divorce, she failed to disclose her receipt of alimony payments during eligibility reviews. She failed to disclose these events despite knowing that she was required to and that they would affect her eligibility to receive benefits for herself and on behalf of her child.

SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and ME/DHHS’s Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Castine man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for transferring obscene material to a minor, attempting to possess child sexual abuse material, and obstructing a federal investigation.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nicholas Wood, 26, to 84 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Wood pleaded guilty on April 24, 2023.

According to court records, in late July and early August 2018, Wood used Snapchat to send a series of obscene images of himself to a 12-year-old child. Wood attempted to manipulate the young victim into engaging in sex acts with him and asked her to send him sexually explicit images. After being informed by federal agents that they were investigating the use of his Snapchat account to send obscene images to minors, Wood deleted the application and associated data from his phone to prevent its use in the investigation.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

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 material. 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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PORTLAND, Maine:  A former Portland police officer was sentenced on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Portland for falsifying an application to acquire a machine gun.

Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Levi Thomas Robinson Jr., 69, to two months incarceration followed by two years of supervised release. Robinson pleaded guilty on June 21, 2023.

According to court records, Robinson was the owner of a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), Robinson Arms in North Yarmouth. In October 2022, he provided a falsified letter that included a forged signature of a Portland Police Department official and was written on department stationery in an attempt to transfer a Kriss USA Inc. Vector Cal. .45 ACP machine gun to Robinson Arms from an FFL in Rockwell, Texas. An FFL who pays the special occupational tax may acquire samples of post-1986 machine guns in order to demonstrate them to governmental entities for possible purchase. The qualifying FFL must obtain a letter from the governmental entity stating they are interested in having a demonstration of the machine gun for evaluation and possible purchase.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for theft from a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), possession of a stolen firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Tomas Johnson, 40, to 12 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Johnson pleaded guilty on April 27, 2023.

On October 20, 2021, Johnson spent over an hour inside of J.T. Reid’s Gun Shop in Auburn. While there, he asked store employees about multiple firearms and handled a semi-automatic assault rifle with a large-capacity magazine attached to it. Johnson was prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple prior felony convictions.

On October 24, 2021, Johnson threw a rock through the glass window of J.T. Reid’s front door. Johnson, wearing a hood, mask, and gloves, unlawfully entered the premises through the front door with a backpack and stole 22 firearms from J.T. Reid’s business inventory before fleeing the scene.

On October 28, 2021, as part of the investigation to locate and apprehend Johnson, an undercover officer called a phone number associated with Johnson and arranged to buy a quantity of cocaine base from him. When investigators saw Johnson walking toward the agreed-upon location for the drug deal, they exited their vehicle to approach him and he fled on foot. During the pursuit, Johnson discarded a loaded firearm that was later identified as one of the firearms stolen from J.T. Reid’s. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of a quantity of cocaine base.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Auburn Police Department and Lewiston Police Department investigated this case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A career offender from Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing 400 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute.

Chief Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Eddy Azcona, aka Cucu, 27, to 13 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Azcona pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023.

According to court records, in February 2023, members of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), assisted by members of the Scarborough Police Department, arranged to make a controlled purchase of approximately a kilogram of fentanyl from Azcona. When Azcona arrived to complete the drug deal in a shopping center parking lot in Scarborough, law enforcement approached him and he attempted to flee. Driving his vehicle at high speed, Azcona crashed into an unmarked police vehicle, lost control of his vehicle and hit a light pole in the parking lot. Investigators recovered 975.4 grams of fentanyl from Azcona.

At the time of his federal arrest, Azcona had prior state convictions for drug offenses in both New Hampshire and Maine.

The DEA and Scarborough Police Department investigated this case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Sanford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Joseph Daniel Zoll, 63, to 25 years imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release. 

According to court documents, Zoll shared child sexual abuse material with a child sex trafficker in the Philippines and paid the trafficker to sexually abuse a prepubescent minor over a livestreaming videochat platform. For around two years, Zoll communicated with the trafficker and repeatedly instructed them how to abuse the child, watching over video calls. Zoll engaged in similar conduct with other child sex traffickers over the same platform for years. Zoll frequently recorded the livestreaming video calls, which he would then show to other traffickers when instructing them on how to sexually abuse children during their own calls.

Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff for the District of Maine prosecuted the case.

Homeland Security Investigations in New England investigated the case.

“It is difficult to put into words the horror and pain experienced by the children abused at Zoll’s behest. Not only did he direct the sexual abuse of several children, he used the videos of that abuse to teach others how to do the same, equipping more predators with the tools to hurt children,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Today’s sentence puts Zoll behind bars and away from the means to abuse more children. We will continue to work alongside our partners in Maine and around the world to detect and end this type of sex trafficking.”

“Joseph Zoll paid for and directed the sexual abuse of children overseas from the comfort of his home in Maine, destroying lives half a world away,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “That Zoll caused the abuse of young children to occur and observed and shared it with others, which led to the sexual abuse of additional victims, is beyond sickening and heartbreaking. Today’s sentence ensures that he will no longer be able to victimize another child. I commend the extraordinary work of HSI in this operation.”

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 www.justice.gov/psc.

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A Maine man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting a minor in the Philippines.

According to court documents, Joseph Daniel Zoll, 63, of Sanford, shared CSAM with a child sex trafficker in the Philippines and paid the trafficker to sexually abuse a prepubescent minor over a live-streaming videochat platform. For around two years, Zoll communicated with the trafficker and repeatedly instructed the trafficker to sexually abuse the minor over live-streaming video calls. Zoll engaged in similar conduct with multiple individuals in the Philippines over the same platform. In addition, Zoll frequently recorded the live-streaming video calls, which he would then show to other individuals when instructing them to sexually abuse children during their own calls.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine, and Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England made the announcement.

HSI New England investigated the case.

Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff for the District of Maine prosecuted the case.

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

BANGOR, Maine: A Carroll Plantation man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, in November 2022, a Maine State Police trooper arrested Jason Levasseur, 47, for a state probation revocation after recognizing Levasseur’s pickup truck at a gas station in Danforth. The trooper ordered Levasseur to get on the ground and restrained him. The trooper removed a sheathed knife from Levasseur’s belt and asked whether he was carrying a gun. Levasseur indicated there was a firearm in the truck, and the officer retrieved a .458-caliber rifle wrapped in a blanket from the backseat. The rifle had two rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.

Levasseur is precluded from possessing firearms due to previous convictions in May and July 2022. He has three prior state convictions for illegal possession of a firearm.

Levasseur 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 Maine State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Madison man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for wire fraud and attempted wire fraud.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Aaron Hoster, 51, to 33 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $57,593.19 in restitution. Hoster pleaded guilty on September 11, 2023.

According to court records, from June 2021 to April 2023, Hoster removed UPC labels from low-cost items and applied them to higher-priced items which he then purchased. Hoster defrauded multiple Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Improvement stores in Maine, cheating the retailers out of more than $51,000. In one instance, Hoster purchased a $439 cordless finish nailer kit, paying just $19.98 by scanning a price code for trimmer line. In another example, he scanned a code for an $11.36 chrome-plated plastic tailpiece despite purchasing a powered drain cleaner valued at $429. In all, Hoster, who has 29 prior criminal convictions, committed 160 thefts using his “ticket switching” scam. Most of the thefts occurred in Maine, and additional thefts took place in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

In sentencing Hoster, Judge Woodcock stated, “The defendant had a full-time job of stealing for two years. You are causing the price of all goods to rise because people like you take what they haven’t paid for. There were plenty of times you could have stopped but didn’t because it was easy money.”

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case.

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

According to court records, in November 2020, the Maine Warden Service (MWS) received a complaint about shots being fired at a residence in Exeter, Maine. A warden observed bullets lodged in the walls of the residence, and the homeowners reported hearing gunshots from across the pond and seeing two individuals wearing hunter’s orange. MWS located Scott Lynch Jr., 23, and a 14-year-old minor in a parked truck. Lynch admitted to the warden that he had been target shooting in the woods. He also told the warden that he was a convicted felon. MWS 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 was then retrieved by the mother. Lynch had the key to the 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.

Lynch faces up to 10 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 Maine Warden Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Waterville man was sentenced on Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child sexual abuse material.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Terrence Talbot, 57, to time served followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $38,000. Talbot was in custody for nine months.

According to court records, Talbot used a government computer to search for and obtain child sexual abuse material. He admitted to investigators that had used a government computer to seek out and download child pornography and provided the digital storage device to investigators from his car. Another device was found inside Talbot’s home during the execution of a search warrant.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General and the Waterville Police Department investigated this 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 www.justice.gov/psc. 

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Buxton man was found guilty today of transmitting a threatening interstate communication. The verdict came after a three-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Portland with Chief Judge Jon D. Levy presiding.

According to evidence presented during the trial, on September 8, 2021, Brian Dennison, 27, 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.

Dennison faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Wayne man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to intentionally making false statements to a federal law enforcement agent.

According to court records, in November 2022, Victor Sousa, 24, 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 suspect, Sousa called Suspect A from jail multiple times. Court records further indicated that Sousa had previously lived with Suspect A and that Suspect B had supplied Sousa with narcotics in the past.

Sousa faces up to up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The DEA investigated the case.

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A federal jury in the District of Maine on Friday convicted Ricardo Middleton, aka Red, 32, of Boston, of sex trafficking and obstruction of a sex trafficking prosecution, after a four-day trial. Middleton was found guilty of sex trafficking a young woman through force, fraud and coercion, and, while detained pending trial, of instructing a co-defendant not to incriminate him.

The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Middleton targeted a heroin-addicted 25-year-old woman living in South Portland, Maine. He 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 co-defendants Sherry Jones of Dorchester, Massachusetts, and Mathew Thatcher of Scarborough, Maine, transported the victim to several locations in Maine and Massachusetts. Along the way, Middleton berated the victim, slapping her, punching her and throwing pennies at her when she said she was hungry and asked to buy food. The victim testified to painful details, including how the defendant raped her, and told her that he was “going to make a lot of money off” her.

“This defendant preyed on this vulnerable victim, and used cruel and brutal violence to coerce her into commercial sex acts for his own financial gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We thank this survivor for coming forward and courageously reporting her harrowing experience. The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute human trafficking crimes to hold offenders accountable, to seek justice for survivors and to affirm their rights and dignity.”

“The prosecution of human trafficking in Maine is a top priority for my office, and this verdict ensures that Middleton will be held accountable for this unconscionable crime,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “Human trafficking takes advantage of our most vulnerable citizens and seeks to rob them of their basic human rights. Middleton perpetrated significant violence upon this victim, including sexual assault, all to coerce and exploit her into committing commercial sexual acts for Middleton’s own profit and gain.”

“Middleton and his collaborators treated their victims like property, exploiting their addiction and using horrific violence to ensure compliance. He further attempted to silence those who were prepared to testify against him, but after today’s guilty verdict Middleton is facing a significant sentence in federal prison, far away from those he’s victimized,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England Field Office. “I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the survivor who made her voice heard, reliving what were surely some of the most terrifying moments of her life. HSI will never cease in its mission to investigate human traffickers and help survivors find the support they deserve to begin a new life with dignity.”

Prior to the defendant’s trial, Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and Thatcher pleaded guilty to interstate travel in aid of racketeering. Neither testified at trial. All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on a future date. Middleton faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The HSI New England Field Office, Office of the Portland Resident Agent in Charge investigated the case, with assistance from the 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 are prosecuting 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.

BANGOR, Maine:  A Brewer woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for wire fraud and making false statements to a mortgage lending business. She was also sentenced for making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in a separate case.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Carol Bragdon, 50, to 30 months imprisonment for her fraud counts and 12 months for her gun crimes, served concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release. Bragdon was also ordered to pay $177,000 in restitution. She pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023.

According to court records, between November 2020 and April 2021, Bragdon provided false statements and representations to a residential mortgage lender for the purpose of obtaining a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) backed loan. She used Google email accounts to communicate with the lender and the VA and to transmit documentation as part of the scheme. The emails were transmitted from Maine and through another state.

In August 2021, Bragdon purchased five firearms at Maine Military Supply in Brewer, falsely stating that she was the actual purchaser of the firearms. She was accompanied by an individual who directed her to specific firearms and who was later arrested with one of the firearms, a Walther model PK380 .380 caliber pistol. That individual was prohibited from purchasing a firearm under federal law.

The VA Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the cases.

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

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to distributing, and possessing with intent to distribute, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to court records, in January and February of 2023, Bo Rodden, 33, sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to a confidential source. On February 14, 2023, Rodden was pulled over by a police officer in a traffic stop in Lebanon, Maine. He possessed five bags containing approximately 49 grams of fentanyl in total and two bags containing approximately 150 grams of methamphetamine in total.

Rodden faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine up to $1 million, 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 FBI, Strafford (NH) County Sheriff’s Office and York County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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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 John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Manuel Bonilla Davila, 39, to 15 months imprisonment. Bonilla Davila has been incarcerated since he was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents on April 21, 2023, after he was discovered in Aroostook County, a short distance from the international boundary.

Immigration records showed that Bonilla Davila had been previously removed from the U.S. in March 2011 in Brownsville, Texas and had not obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.

The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Hancock man was found guilty of assaulting a federal officer following a one-day trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

According to evidence presented at trial, on June 22, 2023, FBI special agents were executing a federal search warrant at the residence of Alan Howell Parrot, 68, in Hancock. While the agents were trying to enter the residence, Parrot attempted to close the door and became combative, kicking one agent in the abdomen and pushing her backwards, resulting in injuries to her arm and elbow.

Parrot faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of 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.

“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. FBI Special Agents are no exception, and we courageously accept that danger is part of our job. Thankfully, the agent who was injured by Mr. Parrot is ok, and I’m thankful for her service and dedication,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This conviction should be a warning to others that assaulting law enforcement undermines the rule of law and will not be tolerated. We take our oath seriously, and we won’t back down from ensuring that criminals are held accountable for their actions.”

The FBI investigated the case. 

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BANGOR, Maine: A Cambridge 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 fentanyl, cocaine base, methamphetamine and cocaine in Penobscot County.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jeffrey Frost, 40, to 72 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Frost pleaded guilty on March 28, 2023.

According to court records, between January 2021 and April 2021, Frost conspired with others to distribute the drugs in the Penobscot County area and elsewhere. As part of the conspiracy, Frost regularly obtained drugs and supplied them to a local dealer, Jason Lee Lary, to sell for him. Frost came to investigators’ attention during jail house calls by and with Lary in which it was demonstrated that Frost was supplying drugs to sell, including the drugs recovered at the time of Lary’s arrest. Those drugs included 53 grams of cocaine base, 80 grams of fentanyl mixture, 25 grams of methamphetamine, and 40 grams of cocaine. In a later interview with investigators, Frost admitted that he had met Lary in 2021 through one of Frost’s customers and began supplying him with drugs after that introduction.

In September 2022, Lary was sentenced to two years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in the conspiracy.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Bangor woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for stealing from her employer, a tribal organization.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Angelia Holt, 55, to three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $27,979.78 in restitution. 

According to court records, between June 2017 and April 2021, Holt stole more than $27,000 from her employer by using a credit card issued to another employee for unauthorized personal expenses and then altering the invoices to conceal the theft. Holt was employed as an accounting clerk for the organization. 

The FBI investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in an illegal straw purchasing conspiracy and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Abdullahi Issak, 26, to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Issak pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023.

According to court records, between December 2021 and July 2022, Issak conspired to have 36 firearms straw purchased for him at federal firearms dealers throughout central and southern Maine. Issak directed the purchasers where to buy the firearms, what firearms to buy, and provided them cash or drugs in return for engaging in the illegal transactions. Issak took possession of the firearms from the straw purchasers following each sale. He was also sentenced for knowingly possessing one of the firearms which was purchased for him at a federal firearms dealer in Jay. A 2019 New York felony conviction precluded Issak from possessing firearms. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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

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. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, visit www.justice.gov/psn.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Franklin County woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for using and maintaining a drug premises, possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with intent to distribute, and aiding and abetting.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Brandice Dotolo, 41, to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Dotolo pleaded guilty on August 3, 2023.

According to court records, between March 2020 and July 2020, Dotolo allowed her Avon residence to be used for the use and distribution of heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” in exchange for drugs. During the execution of a search warrant at the residence, law enforcement seized approximately 85 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl and 40 grams of crack along with digital scales, drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash. Dotolo told investigators that the drugs would be transported from out-of-state, an individual would stay at her residence to monitor the drugs and sell them and that she would answer calls from customers. In exchange for allowing them to use and stay at her residence, Dotolo would receive a set amount of heroin each week.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Maine State Police, Farmington Police Department and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Florida man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jared Fogg, 32, to eight years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Fogg pleaded guilty on April 25, 2023.

According to court records, between May 2018 and July 2018, Fogg was obtaining large quantities of methamphetamine from Florida and distributing it in locations around Bangor and Houlton through a group of co-conspirators. On July 12, 2018, a truck driven by a co-conspirator and in which Fogg was a passenger was stopped by law enforcement in Lincoln. A search of the vehicle revealed 30 grams of heroin and 100 grams of methamphetamine. A loaded 9mm handgun and nearly $20,000 in cash was in Fogg’s bag, and multiple grams of methamphetamine were later recovered from Fogg’s home.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case.

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BANGOR, Maine: Two New York men were found guilty today of conspiring to commit Hobbs Act robbery in connection with a violent home invasion in Rangeley in 2016. The verdict came after a three-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Bangor with Judge Nancy Torresen presiding.

According to evidence presented during the trial, in July 2016, Andre Muller (aka “Dre Muller”), 53, and Robert Holland (aka “Kurt Holland”), 43, along with three other men, developed a plan to steal controlled substances from a Rangeley residence. On July 26, 2016, Muller traveled from New York City with two co-conspirators, meeting up with Holland and another co-conspirator at a property just outside of Rangeley. Muller, Holland and the three other co-conspirators discussed how to carry out the robbery. On July 28, 2016, two co-conspirators entered the Rangeley residence armed with knives with the intent to take the controlled substances. During the commission of the robbery, the intended target of the robbery shot and killed one of the co-conspirators.

Muller and Holland had previously been convicted following a five-day jury trial that concluded August 10, 2022. Judge Torresen granted a motion for a new trial, however, based on evidence of juror prejudgment.

Muller and Holland both face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. They will be sentenced after the completion of presentence investigation reports 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.

A third defendant in this case (Hector Munoz, 56, Florida) pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

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

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BANGOR, Maine: A former Bangor 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 Christopher Coty, 43, to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Coty and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Coty knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy.

Coty is the ninth participant involved in the northern Maine conspiracy to be sentenced. Eight of the remaining 12 defendants have pleaded guilty:

BANGOR, Maine: A former Bangor 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 Christopher Coty, 43, to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Coty and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Coty knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy.

Coty is the ninth participant involved in the northern Maine conspiracy to be sentenced. Eight of the remaining 12 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 (40, 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

Pleaded Guilty:

• Sarah McBreairty (35, Dixmont)
• John Miller (22, Caribou)
• Shelby Loring (28, Bangor)
• Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle)
• Joshua Jerrell (29, Orrington)
• Carol Gordon (53, Bangor)
• Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou)
• James King (54, 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, Maine:  A Florida man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for sexually exploiting a child and distributing child sexual abuse material (“child pornography”).

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Wesley Deal (aka “Wesley Troy Harris”), 43, to 20 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Deal pleaded guilty on April 7, 2023.

According to court records, beginning in August 2020, Deal posed as a teenage boy to engage with an 11-year-old from Maine through Instagram. Deal convinced the child to send him sexually explicit images and videos then threatened to post the child sexual abuse material on Snapchat and Instagram if the victim did not send more. During the investigation, law enforcement seized Deal’s cell phone. A forensic examination of the phone uncovered more than 700 child sexual abuse images as well as evidence of Google Hangouts chats similar to those Deal had with the Maine victim.

In sentencing Deal, Judge Walker said, "That type of terrorism would have left the victim in an ocean of despair. The trauma you imposed on this girl is something that she and her family will have to unpack for years.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case with assistance of multiple local law enforcement agencies in Maine and Florida. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the invaluable computer crimes expertise of forensics examiner Holly Huntington and Lieutenant Brent Beaulieu of the Bangor Police Department.

“It is far too easy for predators like Mr. Deal to hide behind fake profiles online to engage with and exploit children like this young victim,” McElwee said. “The internet makes children from across Maine accessible targets. It is so important for parents and guardians of children accessing the internet – whether it’s playing Roblox, Minecraft or simply believed to be engaging with their friends on social media – to talk to them regularly and warn them never to engage with anyone they haven’t met in real life and to never share intimate images, videos, or livestreams with anyone, even someone they know, love and trust.”

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 www.justice.gov/psc.

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The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Fred Wheeler, of Manchester, Maine, for sexually harassing female tenants and housing applicants in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Wheeler has managed residential rental properties in Lewiston, Maine, and other central Maine municipalities since at least 2016.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, alleges that since at least 2016, Wheeler subjected female tenants to unwelcome sexual contact and comments about their physical appearances; entered rental units without consent; conditioned a tenant’s rental agreement on a romantic relationship; and offered to forgive unpaid rent in exchange for sex acts. The lawsuit also names Landscape Center of Maine Inc., the property owner, as a defendant.

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination.

“No one should live in fear in their home because of their landlord’s sexual harassment and predatory conduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No one should be denied access to housing because of their refusal to accept a landlord’s sexual demands. The Justice Department stands ready to hold accountable any landlord who preys upon vulnerable tenants and those seeking housing.” 

“I urge any other tenants alleging discrimination by Mr. Wheeler to contact my office,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “A home should be a sanctuary. No one should be subjected to sexual harassment under any conditions, but particularly not by the person responsible for providing safe and secure housing. The Justice Department and my office will hold accountable any property owners who engage in sexual harassment and will enforce fair housing laws designed to protect against this and other discriminatory conduct.”

The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. It also prohibits sexual harassment, a form of sex discrimination. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental properties owned or managed by Fred Wheeler, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Justice Department by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine at 207-780-3257 or emailing USAME.Fairhousing@usdoj.gov.

The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 37 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $10.8 million for victims of such harassment. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting people from sexual misconduct.

wheeler_complaint_november_16.pdf

BANGOR, Maine:  A Waterville man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Xavier Pelkey, 20, to 15 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release. Pelkey pleaded guilty on April 7, 2023.

According to court records, beginning in November 2021, Pelkey conspired with two minors, one located in Chicago and one in Canada, to conduct a mass shooting at a Shia mosque in the Chicago area. Pelkey and his coconspirators were subscribers to a radical form of Sunni Islam and supporters of the foreign terrorist organization the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Pelkey planned to contribute firearms, ammunition and explosives to be used in the attack.

In February 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Pelkey’s Waterville residence and discovered three handmade explosive devices. Investigators observed a hand-painted version of the flag used by ISIS on the wall of Pelkey’s bedroom and recovered written statements intended to be released just prior to the planned attack claiming the attack in the name of ISIS. The FBI investigated the case.

“The threat of a mass casualty shooting is all too real and fresh for the people of Maine today, as is the case for far too many communities across our nation,” said Darcie N. McElwee, U.S. Attorney, District of Maine. “Mr. Pelkey bought into hate and rhetoric he found online, and it cost him his future. I commend the quick work of the FBI to stop this conspiracy before it was able to cause any death, fear or destruction.”

"Xavier Pelkey self-radicalized, pledged loyalty to ISIS, and plotted with two others to commit a mass shooting at a mosque in Illinois. Thankfully, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was able to thwart these plans,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This case highlights the very real threat posed by homegrown violent extremists who self-radicalize and are prone to attack with little to no warning. Rest assured, the FBI will use every investigative tool available to us to identify and disrupt terrorists like Mr. Pelkey in order to keep our communities safe.”

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A Maine man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

According to court documents, Xavier Pelkey, 20, of Waterville, pleaded guilty on April 7. Beginning in November 2021, Pelkey conspired with two minors, one located in Chicago and one in Canada, to conduct a mass shooting at a Shia mosque in the Chicago area. Pelkey and his co-conspirators were subscribers to a radical form of Sunni Islam and supporters of the foreign terrorist organization the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Pelkey planned to contribute firearms, ammunition and explosives to be used in the attack.

In February 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Pelkey’s Waterville residence and discovered three handmade explosive devices. Investigators observed a hand-painted version of the flag used by ISIS on the wall of Pelkey’s bedroom and recovered written statements intended to be released just prior to the planned attack claiming the attack in the name of ISIS.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine and Executive Assistant Director Larissa Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.

The FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff for the District of Maine and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.