District of Maine

BANGOR, Maine:  A Saint Albans man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base, fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jason Lee Lary, 40, to two years in prison and five years of supervised release. Lary pleaded guilty on February 3, 2022.

According to court records, in April 2021, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop during which Lary was found in possession of more than 50 grams of cocaine base, approximately 80 grams of a fentanyl mixture, approximately 40 grams of cocaine, almost 26 grams of methamphetamine and $4,250 in cash.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with the investigation.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A Honduran national living in Auburn was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for entering the United States after a prior removal, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Santos Roman Pena Matute, 28, to thirteen months and a day in prison. Pena Matute pleaded guilty April 21, 2022.

According to court records, in January 2022, Pena Matute was arrested on domestic violence charges and detained at the Androscoggin Jail. After an investigation confirmed Pena Matute was illegally present in the U.S. and further revealed that he had previously been removed from the U.S. on four occasions, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer with the jail, and Pena Matute was charged with illegally entering the county after a prior removal. Pena Matute had been previously convicted in federal court in Texas for illegal re-entry into the United States and in California for attempted illegal entry.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine: An Auburn man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Vincent Steed, 42, to ten years in prison and three years of supervised release. Steed pleaded guilty in December 2021.

According to court records, on two separate occasions in June 2021, Steed sold fentanyl and cocaine from his apartment in Auburn to a confidential informant working with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. At the time, Steed was on supervised release in connection with a 2016 federal drug trafficking conviction. Judge Torresen imposed an additional two years of imprisonment on Steed for violating his conditions of supervised release, to run concurrently.

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  On International Overdose Awareness Day, an annual commemoration to raise awareness of overdose prevention and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee warned of the serious fentanyl crisis and advocated for a coordinated effort to help those experiencing substance dependence while stopping the flow of drugs into Maine.

“Too many lives are being lost to fentanyl. Many, if not most, don’t even know they are taking it until it is too late,” McElwee said. “Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine – so potent that even an amount as small as two grains of salt can be deadly – yet dealers are mixing it into counterfeit pills to sell to unsuspecting buyers. We’ve even seen reports of a dangerous new trend of candy-colored or ‘rainbow fentanyl’ which could be a sign that traffickers are targeting even younger users.”

According to Mainedrugdata.org, through June 2022, there were nearly 5,000 overdoses in Maine, an increase of 18% over the same period last year. 329 Mainers died, and fentanyl – alone or used in combination with other drugs – is suspected to have a played a role in 77% of those deaths.

“Through the first half of this year, every single Maine county, from the largest to the smallest, had seen at least four overdose deaths,” McElwee said, citing data from the Maine Drug Data Hub. “One county, Franklin, had already surpassed the total number of deaths in 2021, and several other counties and the state overall are on pace to do the same. This is not just an issue for the state’s more urban areas. This is an issue from Aroostook County to York County.”

Stemming the tide of drugs flowing into the state by out-of-state traffickers is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Much of the work my office does is prosecuting those responsible for bringing illicit drugs, including fentanyl, into Maine from other states,” she said. “These prosecutions seek to accomplish three goals: stem the illegal distribution of drugs in Maine, send a message to traffickers that they will face serious repercussions, and provide some justice to Maine families impacted by drug dependence or the loss of a loved one to an overdose.”

But McElwee emphasized that law enforcement is just one part of the solution. 

“We all play a role in raising awareness that substance use disorder is a disease that requires treatment, resources and coordinated attention,” McElwee said. “While punishing those who push these drugs is important, so is reducing stigma, making treatment accessible and implementing harm reduction strategies for those impacted by them.”

McElwee urged those struggling with a substance use disorder and their family members to talk to a doctor or pharmacist about naloxone (“Narcan”) which can reverse an opioid overdose when administered to someone experiencing an overdose. Signs of an overdose include unconsciousness, very small pupils, slow or shallow breathing, vomiting, an inability to speak, faint heartbeat, limp arms and legs, pale skin, and/or purple lips and fingernails.

“Naloxone is easy to administer and may reverse an opioid overdose until medical personnel can arrive,” McElwee said. “If you have a loved one who uses opioids, you should have naloxone handy. Ask your loved one to carry it as well and to let friends know where it is since someone experiencing an overdose is incapable of administering it themselves.”

• Find substance use disorder resources in Maine: https://knowyouroptions.me/

• Find naloxone in Maine: https://mainedrugdata.org/find-naloxone-in-maine/

• To report suspected drug trafficking in Maine: If you have knowledge of drug trafficking in Maine, contact your local police department or sheriff’s office by dialing 911 or submit a tip to the New England Division of the DEA online at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip. To report criminals posing as DEA Special Agents, illegal sales/distribution of drugs, suspicious online pharmacies and other drug-distribution-related crimes call 877-RxAbuse (877-792-2873)

 

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Calais man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, on September 10, 2021, Samuel Staples, 27, began a chat session with the administrator of a social networking group dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse material and sent the administrator a sexually explicit image of a prepubescent female child. Based on this information, a search warrant was executed at Staples’ residence, and during the search, Staples admitted sending the image. Multiple images and videos of child pornography were also found on his cell phone.

Staples faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to a lifetime 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.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and the Calais Police Department investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: "Child pornography" captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.

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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Conner Clark, 25, to four years in prison and five years of supervised release. Clark pleaded guilty in November 2021.

According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Clark and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Clark coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from Arizona to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Clark also sent thousands of dollars in cash to the out-of-state supply source.

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

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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Corrected 08/16/22 with correct sentence (48 months) and age of defendant at time of sentencing (25)

BANGOR, Maine: A Levant man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to wire fraud and money laundering charges stemming from his fraudulent receipt of Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) funds, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, Craig C. Franck, 40, formerly owned CCF Acoustics LLC and CCF Acoustical Systems. Neither company was in business, generated income, or had employees in 2020 or 2021. In the summer of 2020, Franck received $177,400 in EIDL funds after submitting two fraudulent loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration. In the applications, he made false representations regarding the companies, misrepresented that the funds would be used to alleviate economic injury caused by the pandemic, and claimed that he was not subject to criminal charges. Franck, who had been arrested on felony fraud charges in Florida in July 2020, illegally used the EIDL funds to retain a criminal defense attorney and post bail in that criminal case. He also used the funds to purchase a pickup truck and pay for other personal expenses.

In March 2021, Franck received a $145,060 PPP loan after submitting a fraudulent loan application to a private lender, providing false IRS documents and checking account statements in support of the application. He spent the PPP funds on a second pickup truck, online retail purchases, living expenses, and other prohibited uses.

Franck faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

“My office and our federal law enforcement partners will continue the important work of bringing to justice those who defrauded the economic relief programs made available under the CARES Act,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “These funds were meant to keep small businesses running during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will hold accountable those who sought to take advantage of a national emergency simply to line their own pockets.”

 

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A Hampden man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to possessing child sexual abuse materials, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, between about February 2015 and February 2021, Kevin MacVicar, 31, possessed child pornography on his cell phone and electronic storage devices. MacVicar had obtained the images and videos from the internet, including by participating in online forums dedicated to child sexual abuse material. Some of the images depicted children under 12.

MacVicar faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to a lifetime 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.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: "Child pornography" captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.

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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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BANGOR, Maine: Two New York men were convicted yesterday of Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery after a six-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in July 2016, Andre Muller, 51, and Robert Holland, 42, both of New York, N.Y., 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 and a baseball bat with the intent to take the controlled substances.

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.

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

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11/20/23: 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. The new trial concluded 11/20/23.

 

PORTLAND, Maine: An Arizona man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Arthur Merson, 68, of Scottsdale, Arizona to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Merson was also ordered to pay over $3.4 million in restitution to victims. He pleaded guilty on January 24, 2022.

According to court records, in 2017 and 2018, Merson participated in a scheme to defraud involving investments in Standby Letters of Credit (SBLCs). Investors were promised that they could receive a portion of the value of an SBLC, worth millions of dollars, for a much smaller initial investment. Investors were promised returns equal to many times the amounts of their initial investments in a matter of weeks. They were also promised that their money would remain in the attorney trust account of a co-conspirator—who at the time was a licensed attorney in Florida—until confirmation was received that the SBLC had been issued.

In his role as an intermediary between investors and the principal members of the conspiracy, Merson falsely represented to investors that the investment was not risky and that he had been involved in similar successful deals in the past. He also falsely represented that he was an independent consultant who was only going to receive a small finder’s fee, and claimed not to know the details of the transaction or the payouts the clients could expect. In fact, he had a significant independent financial interest in the investment transaction that he affirmatively misled investors about as he responded to investor inquiries.

Two co-defendants, Russell Hearld and Christopher Ochoa, were both sentenced to 29 months in prison on January 24, 2022, and February 11, 2022, respectively.

The FBI investigated the case.  

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty in federal court today to entering the United States after a prior removal, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, in June 2022, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office detained seven individuals following a traffic stop in Dedham. Records revealed that none of the subjects had legal status in the U.S., and all seven admitted crossing from Mexico on foot. Upon arrival at the Calais Border Patrol Station, an immigration database search confirmed that the seven individuals were illegally present in the U.S. and further revealed that Cruz Isabel Mayen-Dubon, 35, a citizen and national of Guatemala, had previously been removed from the U.S. in June 2007, May 2010, August 2012, October 2012 and January 2016.

Mayen-Dubon faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces not more than one year of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Border Patrol and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

 

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BANGOR, Maine: A Jonesport man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for a wire fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Donald McMahon, 34, to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. McMahon pleaded guilty on January 13, 2022.

According to court records, from April 2020 through October 2020, McMahon embezzled approximately $100,000 from a bank account belonging to an estate being probated in Washington County. McMahon obtained unauthorized access to the estate account and utilized PayPal to transfer funds for his own use.

The FBI and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:   A Dover-Foxcroft man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to possessing with intent to distribute a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, Malcolm Peirce, 45, was a passenger in a vehicle stopped on I-95 by a Maine State Police trooper in December 2019. The trooper arrested Peirce after determining that there was an active state warrant. The trooper then located 32 individually wrapped 10-gram sticks of suspected heroin inside Peirce’s jacket as well as an additional stick of heroin and small bags of suspected cocaine and methamphetamine in the vehicle. In total, police seized approximately 326 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, 2.94 grams of a mixture containing cocaine, and 2 grams of pure methamphetamine.

Peirce faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. He also faces between three years and a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Maine State Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Woolwich man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for possessing child sexual abuse materials, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Clifton Given, 33, to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $100 as well as $11,000 in restitution. Given pleaded guilty on September 9, 2021.

According to court records, on June 18, 2020, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Given’s residence. In an interview with investigators, Given admitted using his cell phone to view images of children engaged in sex. Investigators later found several images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his cell phone. 

Homeland Security Investigations and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: “Child pornography” captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.

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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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BANGOR, Maine: An Indian national man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for three counts of manslaughter, two counts of operating under the influence (OUI), and one count of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Praneeth Manubolu, 30, to 41 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Manubolu pleaded guilty on January 31, 2022.

According to court records, in the early morning hours of August 31, 2019, Manubolu, then living in New Jersey on a student visa, was the driver in a motor vehicle crash on the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park that injured him and killed his three passengers. Subsequent investigation revealed that Manubolu had been drinking earlier in the evening. His blood alcohol content was determined to be .095% approximately 90 minutes after the crash with the legal limit being .08%. The investigation also revealed that Manubolu’s car was traveling 76 mph approximately three seconds before impact. The speed limit on the section of Park Loop Road where the crash occurred was 25 mph. 

The National Park Service and the Bar Harbor Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of the Maine State Police and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Skowhegan man pleaded guilty today in federal court to a bank fraud scheme arising from his applications for Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records Nathan Reardon, 44, formerly of Brewer, Maine, owned and controlled Global Disruptive Technologies Inc., a Bangor-based business. In April 2020, Reardon obtained a $59,145 PPP loan for Global Disruptive Technologies Inc. using false employee wage information and false supporting payroll documentation. Reardon then improperly spent the PPP funds on items and expenses he knew were not covered by the program. After receiving the first loan, Reardon submitted additional fraudulent PPP applications to the same bank in April and May 2020. Two of the applications were for companies that had no active business operations, employees or payroll.   

The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law, enacted in March 2020, was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.

Businesses were required to use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a set period and used at least a certain percentage of the funds for payroll expenses.

Reardon was indicted by a federal grand jury in Bangor on May 13, 2021. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. He also faces up to five years of supervised release. Reardon 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 case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Palmyra man was sentenced in federal court today for one count of access with intent to view child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jason Colcord, 44, to 145 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution. Colcord pleaded guilty on November 19, 2021.

According to court records, between December 2019 and February 2020, Colcord knowingly accessed with intent to view a phone that contained images of child pornography. Many of the images involved prepubescent minors who had not attained the age of 12. He downloaded multiple images using an online peer-to-peer file sharing network and viewed the images on his phone.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: "Child pornography" captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.

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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT 

 

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced the formation of the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances. The NEPO Strike Force will primarily target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case.

“This NEPO Strike Force expands and sharpens the Justice Department’s response to the nation’s opioid epidemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the last year, more than 75,000 people in the United States lost their lives due to overdose. Since 2018, some of the greatest spikes in the drug overdose death rate have occurred in New England. The NEPO Strike Force will help to address one of the root causes of the epidemic: unlawful prescription and diversion of opioids. Together with our partners, we will fulfill the department’s solemn promise to deploy critical resources to address the opioid crisis.”

Assistant Attorney General Polite was joined in the announcement in Concord, New Hampshire, by U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG; Assistant Administrator Kristi N. O’Malley of the DEA Diversion Control Division; and Acting Deputy Assistant Director Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.

“The formation of NEPO presents a tremendous opportunity for our three Northern New England states to disrupt the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire. “As a state, we are grateful to the Department of Justice to be part of this initiative and excited that it will be based here in New Hampshire.”

“Maine’s opioid overdose death rate has skyrocketed, and law enforcement has identified the opioid epidemic as the number one issue officers face,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “While the trafficking of illegal drugs, in particular fentanyl, is well publicized, 23% of overdose deaths in Maine are the result of pharmaceutical opioids, and many of those who died from illicit substances very likely first tried pharmaceuticals, either their own or those of a friend or family member. This Strike Force will provide vital resources to help fight a growing epidemic, and along with our partners, we will pursue any medical personnel who misuse their position to endanger lives through the overprescribing of opioids for their own financial gain.”

“The announcement of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners in Vermont and elsewhere to hold accountable health care providers who exploit the opioid epidemic for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Health care providers who issue illegal opioid prescriptions undermine important efforts to address the epidemic while putting patients at risk of overdose and physical harm.”

“HHS-OIG is unwavering in our commitment to hold accountable providers who illegally prescribe opioids for personal profit while neglecting the safety and wellbeing of their patients,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Along with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is proud to support the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force in a collaborative effort to assist communities plagued by the opioid epidemic.”

“At a time when the United States is losing tens of thousands of Americans to opioid overdoses every year, it has never been more critical to ensure doctors and health care practitioners are prioritizing the safety and health of their patients,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The creation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force further strengthens our important cooperation with partners in the region to hold accountable any practitioner who recklessly distributes opioid medications.”

“The formation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force provides the FBI and our law enforcement partners with important collective resources to combat health care fraud and drug diversion schemes within the region,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will not tolerate those medical professionals willing to sacrifice patients’ health for their personal profit and will work tirelessly to root out and bring to justice those individuals who illegally distribute prescription opioids and other controlled substances.” 

The NEPO Strike Force will operate as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts with the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and special agents with HHS-OIG, DEA, and the FBI. It will operate out of the Concord, New Hampshire, area, supporting the three districts that make up the NEPO Strike Force region. In addition, the NEPO Strike Force will work closely with other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.

Today’s NEPO Strike Force announcement builds on the demonstrated success of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past three years, ARPO has charged 111 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills. To date, more than 60 ARPO defendants have been convicted.

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Information about available treatment programs is available as follows:

New Hampshire: For a referral to addiction treatment services, please call 211. If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis please call/text the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. New Hampshire residents can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers using substances through harm reduction strategies, helping them on the road to recovery, and dramatically reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiate addiction, please contact 211 to receive help and find information about local treatment programs.

Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resources to help. Vermont 211 (https://vermont211.org/) is available. To speak to someone about substance use resources including treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) or visit online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs (802-651-1550). All information and referral services are free and confidential.

For individuals seeking help in other states, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced the formation of the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances. The NEPO Strike Force will primarily target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case.

“This NEPO Strike Force expands and sharpens the Justice Department’s response to the nation’s opioid epidemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the last year, more than 75,000 people in the United States lost their lives due to overdose. Since 2018, some of the greatest spikes in the drug overdose death rate have occurred in New England. The NEPO Strike Force will help to address one of the root causes of the epidemic: unlawful prescription and diversion of opioids. Together with our partners, we will fulfill the department’s solemn promise to deploy critical resources to address the opioid crisis.”

Assistant Attorney General Polite was joined in the announcement in Concord, New Hampshire, by U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG; Assistant Administrator Kristi N. O’Malley of the DEA Diversion Control Division; and Acting Deputy Assistant Director Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.

“The formation of NEPO presents a tremendous opportunity for our three Northern New England states to disrupt the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire. “As a state, we are grateful to the Department of Justice to be part of this initiative and excited that it will be based here in New Hampshire.”

“Maine’s opioid overdose death rate has skyrocketed, and law enforcement has identified the opioid epidemic as the number one issue officers face,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “While the trafficking of illegal drugs, in particular fentanyl, is well publicized, 23% of overdose deaths in Maine are the result of pharmaceutical opioids, and many of those who died from illicit substances very likely first tried pharmaceuticals, either their own or those of a friend or family member. This Strike Force will provide vital resources to help fight a growing epidemic, and along with our partners, we will pursue any medical personnel who misuse their position to endanger lives through the overprescribing of opioids for their own financial gain.”

“The announcement of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners in Vermont and elsewhere to hold accountable health care providers who exploit the opioid epidemic for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Health care providers who issue illegal opioid prescriptions undermine important efforts to address the epidemic while putting patients at risk of overdose and physical harm.”

“HHS-OIG is unwavering in our commitment to hold accountable providers who illegally prescribe opioids for personal profit while neglecting the safety and wellbeing of their patients,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Along with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is proud to support the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force in a collaborative effort to assist communities plagued by the opioid epidemic.”

“At a time when the United States is losing tens of thousands of Americans to opioid overdoses every year, it has never been more critical to ensure doctors and health care practitioners are prioritizing the safety and health of their patients,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The creation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force further strengthens our important cooperation with partners in the region to hold accountable any practitioner who recklessly distributes opioid medications.”

“The formation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force provides the FBI and our law enforcement partners with important collective resources to combat health care fraud and drug diversion schemes within the region,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will not tolerate those medical professionals willing to sacrifice patients’ health for their personal profit and will work tirelessly to root out and bring to justice those individuals who illegally distribute prescription opioids and other controlled substances.” 

The NEPO Strike Force will operate as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts with the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and special agents with HHS-OIG, DEA, and the FBI. It will operate out of the Concord, New Hampshire, area, supporting the three districts that make up the NEPO Strike Force region. In addition, the NEPO Strike Force will work closely with other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.

Today’s NEPO Strike Force announcement builds on the demonstrated success of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past three years, ARPO has charged 111 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills. To date, more than 60 ARPO defendants have been convicted.

*********

Information about available treatment programs is available as follows:

New Hampshire: For a referral to addiction treatment services, please call 211. If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis please call/text the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. New Hampshire residents can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers using substances through harm reduction strategies, helping them on the road to recovery, and dramatically reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiate addiction, please contact 211 to receive help and find information about local treatment programs.

Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resources to help. Vermont 211 (https://vermont211.org/) is available. To speak to someone about substance use resources including treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) or visit online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs (802-651-1550). All information and referral services are free and confidential.

For individuals seeking help in other states, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

BANGOR, Maine:  A Bangor man was sentenced today in federal court for drug trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nikolas Raines 30, to 111 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Raines pleaded guilty on June 30, 2021.

According to court records, in November 2020, agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant at a Bangor motel room where Raines was staying. Agents found 310 grams of fentanyl, along with a digital scale, blender and other drug paraphernalia. They also found a loaded .22 caliber revolver close to the fentanyl. Raines was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior Maine felony convictions.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Lincoln man was sentenced today in federal court for providing false information to a firearms dealer while purchasing firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Dwight Gary, 51, of Lincoln to time served and two years of supervised release. Gary pleaded guilty in November 2021.

According to court records, in February 2021, Gary knowingly made two false and fictitious written statements to Maine Military Supply in Holden, a licensed firearms dealer. When asked on an ATF form, “Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this form and any continuation sheets,” he checked the box for “yes.” However, at the time of the purchases, Gary knew that he was not the actual buyer of the firearms, but rather was buying them for and at the direction of another person. It is against federal law to provide false information to federal firearm licensees when purchasing firearms. His false statements were discovered after the Orono Police Department seized a Sig Sauer P365 9mm pistol on February 14, 2021.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orono Police Department investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. Project Safe Neighborhoods is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories, and the program is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, Project Safe Neighborhoods follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A father and son were sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Court Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Shane Seavey, 40, of Baileyville, to 92 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Craig Seavey, 67, of Baileyville, was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Court records reveal that between August 2018 and August 26, 2019, the Seaveys conspired with others to distribute fentanyl. Agents seized approximately three kilograms of fentanyl when the Seaveys were arrested on August 26, 2019. The drugs were acquired by Shane Seavey and Craig Seavey in Lawrence, Mass. and were sold to others for distribution throughout New England.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration - Portsmouth Tactical Diversion Squad and the Maine State Police

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

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PORTLAND, Maine: Today marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee is concerned for Maine’s senior generation. Elder abuse can take many forms, including financial exploitation, caregiver neglect, and physical, sexual or psychological abuse. Annually, 15-20 million older Americans face some form of elder abuse.

“The impact on victims of elder abuse can be devastating,” U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee said. “At the federal level, the cases we most often see involve senior scams, and instances are becoming far too prevalent. Last year alone, 475 senior Maine residents were scammed out of more than $2.5 million while nationally the losses were a staggering $1.7 billion.”

Across the country, Department of Justice personnel and its law enforcement partners are pursuing fraudsters who swindle money from older adults. For example:

• Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force is a federal-state collaborative body that investigates and prosecutes individuals and organizations engaged in foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect older Americans.
• Money Mule Initiative  involves federal, state and local law enforcement agencies specifically identifying and addressing money mule activity to disrupt these fraud schemes that impact older Americans.
• The National Nursing Home Initiative coordinates and enhances civil and criminal pursuit of nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to their residents.
• Elder Fraud Initiative within the Consumer Protection Branch is the Department’s leader in prosecuting elder fraud crimes.
• Elder Justice Coordinators serving in each of the U.S. Attorney’s Offices actively pursue elder fraud in their respective jurisdictions.

“The Department has a strong elder justice history that I continue to fully support,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “We all know an older family member or friend who has been the victim of financial fraud, either domestically or internationally, and we’ve witnessed first-hand how financial loss impacts older adults. The Department has devoted significant personnel and resources specifically to combat financial fraud committed against older Americans.”  

Report Elder Abuse: Victims of elder abuse are often hesitant to report it. While the Department of Justice remains committed to prosecuting cases of elder abuse, raising public awareness of scams and encouraging the reporting cases of abuse are vital to combatting the epidemic.

• To report financial fraud: contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 or 833-372-8311.
• To report elder abuse in Maine: call 1-800-624-8404 (24-hour, toll free) or Maine Relay 711 to report abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

“Maine seniors deserve to feel safe and secure without the concern of predators lurking, whether online or in person,” McElwee said. “We all must play a role in protecting our elder generation by being aware, vigilant and reporting suspected or attempted abuse.”

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for sexually exploiting a minor and transporting child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jason Proulx, 44, to 40 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Proulx pleaded guilty on September 27, 2021.

According to court records, in 2016 or 2017, Proulx recorded sexually explicit videos of a girl who was seven or eight years old at the time. In July 2019, Proulx uploaded the videos to a French website. Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at a residence in Biddeford in June 2020. Proulx was present and agreed to speak with investigators. After initially denying any involvement with pornography, he eventually admitted that he had sexually abused the girl and recorded videos of the abuse in a room in the residence.

In discussing the reasons for her sentence, Judge Torresen noted that the videos Proulx created and shared would remain on the internet forever. As a result, she said, the victim and her family would have a “cloud over their heads to the end of their days.” Judge Torresen also noted that Proulx’s crimes were committed against the most vulnerable victims in society.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Biddeford Police Department.

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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Machias woman was sentenced today in federal court for being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Suzanne Wilcox, 48, to time served (five months) and two years of supervised release. Wilcox pleaded guilty on February 16, 2022.

According to court records, in December 2021, Wilcox visited a Federal Firearms Licensee located in Calais and purchased a 9mm pistol. The following day, Wilcox was a passenger in a vehicle subjected to a lawful traffic stop in East Machias by Washington County Sheriff s Office personnel. While stopped roadside, Wilcox stated that she had the handgun in her purse and admitted to drug use. Wilcox was later found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. Project Safe Neighborhoods is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories, and the program is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, Project Safe Neighborhoods follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A Massachusetts man was sentenced in federal court for conspiring to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and for committing criminal contempt while on pretrial release, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. 

Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Bernard Gadson, 31, of Weymouth, Massachusetts to 110 months in prison and four years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $243,341 in restitution. Gadson pleaded guilty on October 25, 2021. 

According to court records, beginning in about December 2018, Gadson oversaw a scheme to defraud banks and credit unions throughout New England. Gadson would obtain the names and personal identifying information of real individuals with good credit scores. Other members of the conspiracy would apply for unsecured personal loans in those names. Gadson obtained fake identification documents (e.g., driver’s licenses) bearing the names of the stolen identities with a photograph of a co-conspirator as well as bogus pay stubs and lease agreements to support the fraudulent loan applications. In January 2019, individuals working for Gadson attempted to obtain a $20,000 loan from KeyBank in Kittery. A loan officer at KeyBank became suspicious and alerted local law enforcement. 

While on bail pending trial, Gadson engaged in new criminal conduct and orchestrated the submission of fraudulent loan applications to financial institutions in Minnesota. He also traveled extensively outside of the state without the prior approval of his supervising probation officer in violation of his conditions of release.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Kittery Police Department investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Bangor man was sentenced in federal court today for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Blaine Footman, 35, to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. Footman pleaded guilty on June 22, 2021.

According to court records, in May 2021, members of the Bangor Police Department responded to a gas station to find Footman passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle. He possessed with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and an amount of fentanyl. Footman was also in possession of a Glock Model 19 9mm handgun.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from the Bangor Police Department.

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BANGOR, Maine:  An Aroostook County man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Greg Libby, 44, to ten years in prison and five years of supervised release. Libby pleaded guilty on July 1, 2021.

According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico.  Libby and his co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies including the Presque Isle Police Department.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Westbrook woman pleaded guilty in federal court today for serving as a “money mule” for someone she met online, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else.

According to court records, Cheryl White, 58, met an unknown person on the internet. At their request, White purchased prepaid debit cards at retail stores and provided the account numbers associated with those cards to him online. She was later contacted by the person and informed that the cards had been loaded with money. In October 2017, White withdrew the money from the cards and used them to purchase money orders which she deposited in her bank account. She withdrew the money days later and mailed most of the money to an address provided by the person she met online.

The money loaded onto the prepaid cards came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”). FEMA issued the money based on false and fraudulent claims for disaster relief filed with the agency. Although White did not file the false claims, she admitted that she knew the money came from some type of crime. Two banks had previously closed her accounts due to similar conduct; one of those banks informed White that her deposits and withdrawals were part of a fraud scheme. White opened a third bank account and continued the same conduct.

White faces up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. She also faces up to three years of supervised release. White 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 Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) investigated the case, with assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fraud Prevention and Investigations Branch; and the Westbrook Police Department.

“DHS OIG will continue to aggressively investigate criminal actors and networks associated with FEMA disaster relief programs. We all suffer when federal programs are undermined by fraud. This guilty plea should send a clear message that DHS OIG and our law enforcement partners are resolute in our efforts to ferret out these criminal fraud schemes” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, DHS OIG.  

Money Mule Scams: Acting as a money mule is illegal and punishable even if you aren’t aware that you are committing a crime. If you are a money mule, you could be prosecuted and incarcerated as part of a criminal money laundering conspiracy. Some money mules know they are supporting criminal enterprises; others are unaware that they are helping criminals profit. Criminals often target students, those looking for work, or those on dating websites, but anyone can be approached to be a money mule. Learn more about money mule scams at https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/money-mules.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A man previously from Togliatti, Russia, now of Portland, was sentenced in federal court today for conspiracy to commit visa fraud, false statements to a federal law enforcement agency, and visa fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Alexander Gormatov, 34, to time served (333 days), a $2,000 fine, and one year of supervised release. Gormatov was found guilty following a jury trial in October 2021.

According to court records, Gormatov, a Russian national, entered the U.S. on a student/work visa in 2009, and later successfully adjusted his status to that of an academic student visa by attending Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) in 2010.

In 2011, Gormatov met a 17-year-old female U.S. citizen through a Craigslist employment advertisement. A few months later when she reached age 18, Gormatov paid her to marry him in pursuit of a permanent immigration benefit. Gormatov then quit school. By November 2012, when he failed to re-enroll at SMCC, Gormatov became unlawfully present in the U.S.

In January 2013, per their agreement, the sham couple made a series of material false statements on immigration documents that Gormatov later filed seeking a formal adjustment to his immigration status. In April 2013, the couple was interviewed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in South Portland during which, per Gormatov’s instruction, the couple falsely claimed to be living as husband and wife. Following the interviews, based on the fraud, Gormatov obtained conditional lawful permanent resident (LPR) status in the U.S.

In January 2014, Gormatov’s bride gave birth to a child she conceived with her actual live-in boyfriend, but Gormatov’s name was placed on the birth certificate. In March 2015, Gormatov filed a petition to remove the conditions of his permanent residence, accompanied by a copy of the child’s falsified birth certificate.

In January 2017, after learning he was under investigation, Gormatov departed the U.S. for Russia and failed to return within one year. In May 2019, in order to return to the U.S., Gormatov falsely represented the paternity of his sham wife’s child on a form filed in Riga, Latvia.

During the trial, the young sham wife testified that Gormatov had told her to “just trust him” because such sham marriages happen all the time and “nobody cares.”

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service investigated this case.  

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Houlton man pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced today.

According to court records, in September 2020, the Maine Warden Service and Houlton Police Department executed a search warrant at the Houlton home of Daniel Tyce, 40. Tyce admitted to being a felon and that he was in possession of firearms. Law enforcement seized a shotgun and ammunition from inside the residence. They also seized a shotgun, a receiver completed into a pistol with stabilizing brace, and various rounds of ammunition and magazines from a truck Tyce used. Tyce is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions in New Jersey.

Tyce faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He also faces 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, Houlton Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Brighton, Massachusetts woman was sentenced in federal court today for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kimberly Tompkins, 52, to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Tompkins pleaded guilty in November 2021.

According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Tompkins and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Tompkins coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from Arizona to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Tompkins also sent thousands of dollars in cash to the out-of-state source to supply the drug trafficking enterprise.

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

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.

BANGOR, Maine:  A Holden woman was sentenced in federal court today for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nicole Footman, 38, to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to forfeit $1,229. Footman pleaded guilty on December 3, 2021.

According to court records, from approximately September 2019 through July 2021, Footman conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. As part of the conspiracy, Footman obtained quantities of these drugs for distribution from a Bangor supplier, communicating with the supplier by telephone, text messaging and social media. In July 2021, police executed a search warrant at Footman’s residence and found methamphetamine and fentanyl along with scales, packaging materials, cell phones and $1,229 in cash.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency with the assistance of the Holden Police Department and Bangor Police Department.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in federal court to access device fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, in January 2020, Mohammad K. Mohmand, 43, formerly of Orono, operated the Orono Thriftway Food Center convenience store. Mohmand used a payment terminal at the store to process over $100,000 in false credit and debit card returns to the accounts of family and friends. The false returns caused illegitimate payments to be received by the account holders and the bank account linked to the store’s card settlements to be overdrawn, resulting in losses to a financial institution. 

Mohmand faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces 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 case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Orono Police Department.

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PORTLAND, Maine – Today marks the start of National Police Week, a time to recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state and local law enforcement. This year, the week will be observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”

“I was honored to join with law enforcement from around the state earlier this week for the annual observance at the Maine Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, dedicated to Maine law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “It was an opportunity to pay tribute to officers who lost their lives protecting Maine, though this year was made particularly somber with the addition of a new name.”

The Maine Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Augusta includes the names of 88 law enforcement officers. The name of Hancock County Sheriff’s Deputy Luke Gross was added this year after he lost his life while giving assistance to a motorist in Trenton, Maine in 2021.

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices.  Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021.  Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19.

Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents.  Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year.  In 2021, unprovoked attacks were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting.  Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program. 

The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Dorchester, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and aiding and abetting the straw purchase of firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Sergio Figueroa aka “Kash,” 26, to seven years in prison and four years of supervised release. Figueroa pleaded guilty on October 19, 2021.

According to court records, in April 2021, Figueroa conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. As part of the conspiracy, he used a residence in Bangor to store and distribute drugs. On April 21, 2021, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant at the Bangor residence. Upon searching Figueroa’s bedroom, agents found 80 grams of fentanyl and $1,680 in cash along with a loaded .380 caliber pistol. Figueroa was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a prior Maine felony conviction.

Earlier, in a separate January 2020 incident, court records show that Figueroa arranged for a straw purchaser to buy two pistols for him from a federal firearm licensee in Androscoggin County. While purchasing the firearms, the straw purchaser responded “Yes” to a question on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives form that asked whether the purchaser was the actual buyer of the firearms. In truth, the straw purchaser bought the firearms at Figueroa’s instruction, using money provided by Figueroa, and gave the firearms to Figueroa minutes after the sale. It is against federal law to aid and abet the provision of false information to federal firearm licensees when purchasing firearms from them.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Lewiston Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. Project Safe Neighborhoods is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories, and the program is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, Project Safe Neighborhoods follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Bronx, New York man was sentenced in federal court today for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Troy Roberts, 27, to two years in prison and three years of supervised release.

According to court records, on November 21, 2019, investigators received a tip that Roberts was coming to Bangor by bus from New York City with drugs that he intended to sell in the area. Law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of the bus station and observed Roberts exit a bus carrying a backpack. Officers followed the waiting vehicle that Roberts entered and conducted a traffic stop. During the roadside investigation, officers discovered approximately one ounce of cocaine base (crack) and one ounce of heroin in the backpack Roberts had been carrying. Further investigation revealed that Roberts was a member of a group who had made multiple trips to Bangor from New York City for the purpose of selling drugs.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Maine State Police investigated the case.

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Presque Isle man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Robert Poliero, a/k/a “Charlie,” 58, to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release.

According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, Poliero and others conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Poliero personally traveled to Georgia on at least two occasions to obtain methamphetamine. Once he transported the drugs back to Maine, he and his co-conspirators distributed them in Aroostook County.

On May 19, 2019, Poliero was returning from one such trip to Georgia with another person. Poliero intended to bring a large quantity of methamphetamine back to northern Maine for distribution. The Maine State Police stopped the vehicle in which Poliero was traveling. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 6,100 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine. While on federal bail for this offense, Poliero was arrested on a new aggravated drug trafficking charge prosecuted by the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Maine State Police investigated these cases with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciates the assistance of the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office with these cases.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

 

BANGOR, Maine:  A Houlton man was sentenced in federal court today on two counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Derek Fitzpatrick, 31, to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release.

According to court records, Fitzpatrick sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on two occasions in August 2018. In September 2018, Fitzpatrick sold more than 50 grams of methamphetamine to the informant. On September 28, 2018, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Fitzpatrick’s residence in Houlton and his garage in Littleton. Agents seized almost 2,000 grams of methamphetamine from the residence. 

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case, with the assistance of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, the Houlton Police Department and the Maine State Police.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A former Brunswick resident, most recently living in Pennsylvania, was sentenced today in federal court for transferring obscene matter to a minor and obstructing justice, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Shawn Cook, 42, to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Cook pleaded guilty on November 10, 2021.

According to court records, in July 2018, Cook sent an obscene image to a 15-year-old boy. Cook also offered to send the boy a video of himself having sexual intercourse with his girlfriend. Cook knew at the time he sent the image that the boy was under the age of 16. The boy’s mother found the image on her son’s phone and contacted law enforcement.

Also according to court records, in March 2021, Cook learned that his girlfriend had been contacted by an FBI agent about testifying before a federal grand jury regarding Cook’s actions. Cook contacted the mother of the boy to whom he had sent the obscene image and asked her to “just tell them you lied.” He also told her to tell the boy to “keep his mouth shut.”

The Bath Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. 

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BANGOR, Maine:  A Seal Cove man was sentenced today in federal court for three counts of production of child pornography, one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Keegan Richardson, 28, to 70 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution. Richardson pleaded guilty on October 4, 2021.

“These cases shock the conscience,” Judge Walker said in handing down the sentence. “It is impossible to overstate the harm the defendant has inflicted on [these children] and, by extension, to an unknown degree, on the community at large. What is just punishment for terrorizing [these children] and marketing that terrorism to strangers over the internet?”

According to court records, on July 6, 2020, Richardson entered a private internet chat group and began communicating with an undercover FBI agent. This chat group was known to the agent as a place where people met, discussed and traded original child sexual abuse material of underage children and links to child pornography. Richardson confirmed that he had access to a female minor and shared multiple sexually explicit images of the minor with the agent. A search warrant was obtained for Richardson’s residence and phone, and he was arrested. Investigators later learned that he had access to two additional minors. On his phone, a forensic examiner found multiple sexually explicit images of the three minors that Richardson had taken with his phone. Additional child sexual abuse material involving different minors was also discovered.

The FBI, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the Maine State Police, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.

“Holding those who engage in child exploitation enterprises and create child sexual abuse material accountable is and will remain a top priority for the Justice Department, the FBI and our office,” McElwee said. “Keegan Richardson not only preyed on children, he callously violated three children who trusted him, causing lasting and profound damage. I can think of no greater violation, and I commend the FBI for their quick action to protect those children from further harm.”

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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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*Corrected 04/29/22: U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker was incorrectly listed as “U.S. District Judge Lawrence E. Walker” in the original press release dated 04/28/22. The press release has been updated with the correct information.  

BANGOR, Maine:  An Old Town man pleaded guilty in federal court today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, in October 2021, a concerned citizen saw William Abney, 57, in possession of an AK-47 style rifle in the living room of Abney’s Old Town residence and notified the police. Based on this and other information, a search warrant was executed at Abney’s residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Abney admitted that he possessed an AK‑47. In Abney’s room, law enforcement found an AK-47 under the mattress and an AK-47 magazine full of ammunition. Abney has a 1999 conviction in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Old Town Police Department and the Brewer Police Department investigated the case. The Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the case.

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PORTLAND, Maine:  U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced today that Derik Broox Wight, 41, of Augusta has been charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer.

According to the criminal complaint, on April 20, 2022, Wight entered the Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building in Augusta with a knife and attacked a security officer contracted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service, at one point holding the knife near the officer’s throat. A second officer shot Wight who was then arrested and transported to the hospital for treatment of his wound.

If convicted of the charge, Wight faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, or both, followed by up to three years supervised release.

A charge in a criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

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BANGOR, Maine: An Orono man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Louis J. Dettling, 27, to time served (nine months) and two years of supervised release. Dettling pleaded guilty on December 2, 2021.

According to court records, on March 2, 2021, Dettling was pulled over by the Holden Police Department and arrested on state charges of terrorizing and criminal trespass. A subsequent inventory search of Dettling’s vehicle revealed a short-barreled rifle that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Federal law prohibits the possession of a rifle having a barrel length of less than 16 inches unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the NFRTR.  

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office; and the Holden Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.

 

PORTLAND, Maine: In response to the announcement of the “Frame or Receiver” Final Rule this week, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee issued the following statement:

“One year ago, the Department of Justice committed to addressing the growing concern of ghost guns and their increasing role in violent crime. These weapons, often assembled from kits, generally do not contain serial numbers and are sold without background checks, making them difficult to trace and easy to acquire by criminals. 

This week, following an extensive public comment period, the Department announced the “Frame or Receiver” Final Rule, which modernizes the definition of a firearm. Including privately made firearms in the definition of what constitutes a federal firearm expands our ability to enforce federal law and assist our state and local law enforcement partners in keeping Maine streets safe.

Those who sell and use these weapons to commit crimes in Maine should know ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are prepared to take action. Prosecuting gun crimes - including those involving ghost guns - in order to reduce violent crime is a top priority of my office.”

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PORTLAND, Maine:  A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court for transporting child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Daniel Stasiak, 44, to six years in prison to be followed by seven years of supervised release. Stasiak pleaded guilty on September 23, 2021.

According to court records, while present in Maine, Stasiak sent a video of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct over the Kik messaging app. Among the recipients of the video was an undercover law enforcement officer in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. The video depicted a child appearing to be four to six years old.

The FBI and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, file a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, please call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Greenbush man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Lawrence Shirland, 52, to time served and two years of supervised release. Shirland pleaded guilty on September 15, 2021.

According to court records, on November 10, 2019, Shirland was involved in an altercation at his home in Greenbush during which he fired a warning shot from a sawed-off shotgun. The shot hit a truck windshield. When police arrived, Shirland admitted that he had fired the shotgun and provided it to officers. He explained that he had modified the shotgun himself. Specifically, he cut the barrel with a hack saw, cut and sanded the stock, and wrapped it in tape.

Shirland’s shotgun was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Federal law prohibits the possession of a weapon made from a shotgun if the modified weapon has a barrel less than 18 inches in length or an overall length of less than 26 inches unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the NFRTR.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.

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PORTLAND, Maine: Following the retirement of U.S. Magistrate Judge John H. Rich III on Friday, April 1, 2022, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee issued the following statement:

“During the fourteen years he served the federal court in Maine, Magistrate Judge Rich worked tirelessly to provide every party due process with great care. Judge Rich was most often the first face of the Court seen by criminal defendants, jurors, agents, litigants, and attorneys. He always treated every person in the courtroom with fairness and civility and considered every issue thoroughly. His extraordinary work ethic allowed justice to be dispensed swiftly. My colleagues and I at the U.S. Attorney’s Office are grateful for his remarkable service and wish him well in retirement.”

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PORTLAND Maine: A Waldoboro woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to Social Security fraud and Theft of Public Money, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, from about July 2005 through April 2019, Deborah Moore, 68, a recipient of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), concealed the presence of her husband in her household to maintain her eligibility to receive benefit payments. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly. Moore’s husband had sufficient income to render her ineligible for the benefits she received.

In multiple reviews of her eligibility for benefits, Moore falsely represented to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she and her husband had separated in July 2005 and had lived separately since that time. At an interview with law enforcement agents, Moore admitted to concealing her living situation from SSA because she knew it would make her ineligible to receive SSI.

Moore faces up to five years in prison on the Social Security fraud charge, up to ten years in prison on the Theft of Public Money charge, a fine of up to $250,000 on both charges, and 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.

The investigation was conducted by SSA’s Office of the Inspector General.

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U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee today released the following statement in recognition of International Transgender Day of Visibility:

“As I have had the opportunity to meet transgender Mainers throughout the state, I have been impressed by their sincerity, creativity, and desire to enjoy all that Maine offers, but I have been shocked and saddened by the horrific accounts of discrimination, harassment and violence they have experienced.

Today, on a day when we should be celebrating the contributions of transgender Mainers, we instead face an epidemic of violence and discrimination directed towards their community. Here in Maine, fear or hatred of the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identification is the motivation behind nearly half of all hate crimes reported according to FBI statistics.

We are committed to engaging in a meaningful dialogue with the transgender community in Maine, both to show support and increase public safety. We strive to build trust in our office and in law enforcement to foster an environment where the reporting of hate crimes feels safe. We will work to build new and lasting partnerships. We recognize that we can all do better in seeing, hearing, and respecting people for who they are.

Ensuring that all Mainers are treated fairly and with respect, and in accordance with federal law, is among the highest priorities of my office.”

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