District of Maine

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

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Michael Deveau, 36, to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. Deveau pleaded guilty in January 2021.

According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states that originated from suppliers in Mexico. Conspirators distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine. On one occasion, Deveau and other conspirators traveled to Georgia to obtain methamphetamine intended for distribution in 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. 

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: The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. In the District of Maine, the Maine Department of Public Safety was awarded funding totaling $85,499.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”

“I am enormously proud of the collaborative work of our PSN partnerships in Maine over the past two decades,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee. “We look forward to supporting Maine’s PSN Team in their selection of grantees for this critical funding.”

Grant funds will support a variety of collaborative enforcement efforts and programs that prevent and deter violence across Maine.

“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”

In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.

This fall, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.

PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.

A list of all grantees is available at: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/FY21-Project-Safe-Neighborhoods-Awards.pdf

 

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The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at  www.ojp.gov.

PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and five other federal law enforcement agencies announced the completion of the fourth annual Money Mule Initiative, which targeted networks of individuals through which international fraudsters obtain proceeds of fraud schemes. These individuals, sometimes referred to as money mules, receive money from fraud victims and forward the illicit funds, often to overseas perpetrators. 

By receiving and transferring illicit funds, money mules facilitate a wide range of fraud schemes, including those that often predominately impact older Americans — like romance scams and lottery fraud — and those that target companies through business e-mail compromise schemes. Money mules also assist the theft of funds earmarked for pandemic relief, including unemployment insurance and small business loan funds. Some money mules are aware that their actions facilitate international fraud schemes. Others, however, first interact with fraud schemes as victims and may be unaware that their actions are furthering criminal activity.         

U.S. law enforcement took action to address 4,750 money mules over the last 10 weeks; enforcement actions occurred in every state in the country. These actions more than doubled the number of actions taken during last year’s effort. Agencies are also conducting outreach to educate the public about how fraudsters use money mules and how to avoid unknowingly assisting fraud by receiving and transferring money.

Two defendants face charges in the District of Maine as a result of this initiative.  Cheryl White, 58, of Westbrook, and David Clukey, 58, of Auburn, are each charged with multiple counts of money laundering.  Each faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000.  An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Agencies also turned their attention to educating the public about how fraudsters recruit individuals to serve as money mules, signs of money mule activity and steps that should be taken if someone has unknowingly facilitated fraud by moving money.

These efforts included:

• U.S. Postal Inspection Service created fliers that were displayed in post offices across the country during the Money Mule Initiative.
• FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released a money mule public service announcement.
• The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General provided information about money mule activity to state work force agencies.
• The Department’s Elder Justice Coordinators educated their communities about money mule’s activity.
• Members of the Attorney General’s Coronavirus Fraud Enforcement Task Force used outreach materials created by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to educate the public about the use of money mules to steal pandemic relief funds.

 

Additional information about the national initiative is available here.  For more information on money mules, please visit https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/money-mule-initiative.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Deer Isle man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.         

U.S. District Court Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nicholas Pettis, 38, to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Pettis was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to victims depicted in the videos he possessed. Pettis pleaded guilty on April 13, 2021.

According to court records, Pettis possessed electronic devices containing short videos of children, including infants and toddlers, being sexually abused by adult men. Pettis traded these videos online to obtain similar materials. The electronic devices, including cell phones and a computer, were seized from his home on June 25, 2020, during execution of a search warrant. 

In imposing the sentence, Judge Walker noted that the materials in this case depicted “the most vulnerable, youngest members of society, who are completely helpless, subject to the most profound terror imaginable.” The judge further commented that the horrors of the materials Mr. Pettis traded in “could not be adequately captured by Dante or his seven circles of Hell, and I don’t think any of us do ourselves any favors by ignoring that truth.”

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated this case. 

The 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.  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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PORTLAND, Maine: A Sanford man was sentenced today in federal court for tampering with a consumer product, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Nicholas Mitchell, 39, to four years and nine months in prison and three years of supervised release. Mitchell was also ordered to pay $229,611.92 in restitution to the victim of the offense. Mitchell pleaded guilty on June 24, 2021.

According to court records, Mitchell was an employee of a Scarborough company that manufactured pizza doughs that were supplied to Hannaford for resale to consumers. In approximately June 2020, Mitchell was fired.

On October 5, 2020, Mitchell entered the Hannaford store in Saco and placed razor blades in several of the doughs that were for sale in the display case. Customers later purchased the tainted pizza doughs. When the customers opened the pizza doughs, they discovered the razor blades inside the doughs. When Hannaford learned of the tainted product, store personnel removed the remaining pizza doughs from the refrigerator case. During this process, a store employee discovered another dough with a razor blade in it.

“Eliminating threats to the U.S. food supply is one of FDA’s key missions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey J. Ebersole, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public health for personal or other motives.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Saco Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the North Berwick and Dover, New Hampshire police departments. 

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BANGOR, Maine: An Orono man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, on March 2, 2021, Louis J. Dettling, 27, of Orono, Maine, was stopped by the Holden Police Department and arrested on outstanding state charges. 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 of less than 16 inches in length unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the NFRTR.   

Dettling faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lewiston and Holden police departments.

The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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 New Jersey woman agreed to pay an $800 civil fine to resolve an allegation that she interfered with the safe operation of a commercial sightseeing vessel, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to the civil complaint, on July 15, 2021, Marybeth C. Greer, of Ridgewood, New Jersey,  jumped off the M/V Acadian, as it was docking in Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor. As a result, the vessel’s crew had to deploy a ladder to retrieve Greer and disengaged the vessel’s propeller to prevent injury to her.

Greer faced a fine of up to $25,000.

The Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case. Greer cooperated throughout the investigation.

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BANGOR, Maine: A Hartland, Maine, man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nicholas Culver, 41, to 14 years in prison and  five years of supervised release. Culver pleaded guilty on December 10, 2018.

According to court records, between January 1, 2018 and July 17, 2018, Culver, on a weekly basis, obtained fentanyl from an out-of-state source of supply that he would then bring back to a residence in central Maine for distribution. On the day of his arrest, Culver was in possession of a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, approximately 30 grams of fentanyl and proceeds of drug trafficking. Culver admitted to carrying the gun to deter people from robbing him during drug deals.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Walker found that Culver was responsible for “a staggering amount of some of the most lethal poison in the illicit drug market.”

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

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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BANGOR, Maine: An East Machias woman was sentenced today in federal court for possessing fentanyl and crack cocaine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kayla Thistlewood, 28, to eight years and one month in prison and three years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty on April 28, 2021.

According to court records, on July 14, 2020, Thistlewood sold cocaine to a confidential informant in Washington County. On August 3, 2020, Special Agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency stopped Thistlewood’s vehicle and arrested her for the July 14 sale. At the time of her arrest, Thistlewood was in the vehicle with her two young children. During a search of the vehicle, agents recovered 244 grams of fentanyl, 83 grams of crack cocaine, and $7,820 in United States currency.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Eric Donovan Ashe, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland to 85 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Judge Hollander also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Ashe must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, from 2017 to September 2019, Ashe posed as multiple minor girls and sold purported self-made pornography to various men in exchange for over $24,000 in gift cards. In addition to searching for child pornography for at least five years, Ashe also distributed and received child pornography.

As detailed in his plea agreement, in 2016 Ashe pretended to be a female minor while communicating with a 13-year-old female victim (Minor Victim 1) on a social media platform.  Ashe later communicated with Minor Victim 1 as himself, including engaging in sexually explicit conversations with Minor Victim 1. Ashe also created a fictious social media account in Minor Victim 1’s likeness, using pictures he uploaded from Minor Victim 1’s genuine social media account and a fictitious name. The Minor Victim 1 did not give permission for Ashe to use her likeness in any capacity.

While posing as a minor in the likeness of the Minor Victim 1, Ashe communicated with dozens of men, and arranged to sell sexually explicit pictures and videos of Minor Victim 1 (who he claimed to be to the men). Ashe offered various poses and sex acts in exchange for gift cards in various amounts. For example, on September 27, 2017, while posing as Victim 1, Ashe sent a “menu” to dozens of social media users for the price of certain images and sex acts to online users.  In one instance, Ashe sent a messaging stating “100 would get u 2 nude 2 masturbation video and a full body nude”.

Once Ashe completed the negotiations on social media, he instructed buyers to send gift cards to him and then directed the buyers to communicate with him on another messaging application. Once on the messaging application, Ashe received payment and sent the explicit images to the buyers.

From July 7, 2017 to December 17, 2018, Ashe loaded over $24,000 in gift cards and spent at least $17,000 on electronics, restaurant gift cards, and clothing. All orders were shipped to Ashe’s Baltimore address. 

As stated in his plea agreement, Ashe used two other fictitious social media profiles where he purported to be minor females. Specifically, on September 5, 2017, Ashe used a messaging application to send a 1 minute and 41 second video that depicts a prepubescent minor female engaged in sexual acts.

Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Ashe’s Baltimore residence on September 11, 2019. During the search, investigators seized three of Ashe’s devices which contained over 500 videos and 250 images of child pornography. The files included images of prepubescent minors engaging in sexual acts. A subsequent forensic analysis of Ashe’s devices revealed that Ashe had been searching for child pornography since 2014 and as recently as 2019. For example, on one of Ashe’s cell phones, Ashe searched phrases including: “movies about kids getting raped”, “are all men pedophile” and “necrophilia.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.         

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Eric Waldron, 54, to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in June 2021.

According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Waldron and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Waldron, acting as a source of supply for the conspiracy, coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from Arizona to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to Waldron in connection with this drug trafficking enterprise.

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

“I am so pleased to see this collaboration between DEA and MDEA in Aroostook County, where our local law enforcement partners have seen a dramatic increase in the use of methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “I am hopeful such collaboration will serve to disrupt the supply of this destructive substance to this region of Maine.”

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 Falmouth resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for accessing child pornography with intent to view, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Aaron Cassidy, 49, to two years in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 assessment applicable to non-indigent defendants in child sexual exploitation cases. He pleaded guilty on July 20, 2021.

According to court records, in March 2015, agents with Homeland Security Investigations were investigating the sharing of child pornography using Ares, a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. They downloaded a child pornography video from an internet protocol address that was determined to be assigned to a residence in Falmouth. Agents obtained a search warrant for the residence and executed it in May 2015. They found a laptop computer in Cassidy’s bedroom that was later found to contain evidence of the Ares file-sharing program, as well as images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

In imposing sentence, Judge Singal noted that the children depicted in child pornography images often suffer emotional and physical effects for the rest of their lives, as a record of their sexual abuse is permanently available online.

Homeland Security Investigations 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.

 

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Bangor-based nonprofit organization will receive more than $700,000 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.  The Penquis Opioid Affected Youth Initiative will provide enhanced services to youth in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.

“The opioid crisis and current pandemic have significantly impacted Maine’s children and youth,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “I am thrilled that the Department of Justice is able to assist Penquis in doing the crucial work of providing services to communities affected by the opioid epidemic.”

Kara Hay, Penquis’s CEO, stated, “Funding from the OJJDP will provide crucial programming for affected youth, supporting the efforts of Penquis and 15 community partners representing health, law enforcement, local government, social service, and victim service agencies. Together, we will deliver trauma-informed and trauma-responsive services, including community resource navigation for children, youth, and adults; engage youth through activity groups and evidence-based programming to increase prosocial skills and resilience; and develop comprehensive community approaches to supporting youth health, safety, and wellbeing.”

Since 1967, Penquis has worked to alleviate and eliminate the causes and conditions of poverty in Maine.  As one of 10 community action agencies in Maine, Penquis offers a comprehensive array of youth services including restorative justice, youth engagement, support services for homeless youth and youth at risk of homelessness, and support for youth victims of the opioid crisis. More information is available by visiting www.penquis.org. 

OJJDP funding programs support state and community efforts to develop effective prevention and intervention programs and to improve the juvenile justice system. The Opioid Affected Youth Initiative supports the efforts of states, communities, tribal jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and institutions of higher education to implement programs and strategies that identify, respond to, treat, and support children, youth, and families impacted by the opioid epidemic to ensure public safety.  Learn more at www.ojjdp.ojp.gov. 

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PORTLAND, Maine: The Department of Justice today announced more than $139 million in grant funding through the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The awards provide direct funding to 183 law enforcement agencies across the nation, allowing those agencies to hire 1,066 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. In the District of Maine, three towns and one county were awarded funding totaling $750,000.

“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.  “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”

“Given the many challenges Maine communities are facing during pandemic times, community policing is more important than ever,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee.  “I am so pleased to see four Maine agencies will receive these resources, and I commend them for pursuing this wise law enforcement strategy.”

The following towns and county in Maine received awards:

• Aroostook County – $375,000
• Town of Ashland – $125,000
• Town of North Berwick – $125,000
• Town of Sanford – $125,000

CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers, thereby increasing their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants today, approximately half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities; 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based response to persons in crisis.  The complete list of awards can be found here.

Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY21, COPS received 590 applications requesting nearly 3,000 law enforcement positions. For FY22, President Biden has requested $537.0 million for CHP, an increase of $300 million.

To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp-award. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/.  

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served.

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PORTLAND, Maine: A Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for distributing heroin and cocaine base, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Henry Jean-Lord, aka “Doughboy” and “Doe Boi,” 34, to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Jean-Lord pleaded guilty in April 2021.

According to court records, Jean-Lord sold heroin to a confidential informant in March 2015 and heroin and cocaine base to another confidential informant in October 2018. Evidence presented at the sentencing revealed that Jean-Lord had been trafficking cocaine base in Maine since as early as 2005, and heroin since at least 2015.

The Portland and South Portland police departments, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated the case. 

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 Sanford man was sentenced today in federal court for providing false information to firearms dealers while purchasing firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Allen Sinclair Bowman, 26, to 18 months in prison and 18 months of supervised release. Bowman pleaded guilty in August 2021.

According to court records, in October and November 2018, Bowman purchased 10 firearms from three different federal firearm licensees in Cumberland and York counties. While purchasing the firearms, Bowman responded “Yes” to a question on an ATF form which asked if he was purchasing the firearms for himself. Bowman was actually purchasing the firearms for a drug dealer in Massachusetts to settle a drug debt. It is against federal law to provide false information to federal firearm licensees when purchasing firearms.

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

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 Houlton man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Dylan Begin, 27, to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Begin pleaded guilty in January 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.  Begin 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. 

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, pleaded guilty today in federal court to transferring obscene matter to a minor and obstructing justice, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, in July 2018, Shawn Cook, 42, 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 of this year, 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.”

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

The Bath Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. 

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PORTLAND, Maine—A Sanford man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Scott Adams, 45, to 20 years in prison and four years of supervised release. Adams was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims of the offense in the amount of $5,511.33 and a fine of $4,388.67. Adams pleaded guilty on June 6, 2020.

According to court records, between August 2017 and April 2018, Adams and others acquired fentanyl in Massachusetts for distribution in York County. Two people who received fentanyl from members of the conspiracy died and another person suffered serious bodily injury. 

On April 11, 2018, law enforcement officers seized approximately 150 grams of fentanyl from members of the conspiracy. A later search of Adams’ residence resulted in the seizure of fentanyl, a digital scale, approximately $2,500 in cash and a “finger press” designed to compress fentanyl for further distribution.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Biddeford and Sanford police departments.

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 Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Emmanuel Diaz, 31, to six years and three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Diaz pleaded guilty on July 6, 2021.

According to court records, Diaz absconded from parole in Massachusetts in October 2020. He subsequently traveled to Maine, where he was observed on video engaged in target shooting. On November 11, 2020, law enforcement officers arrested Diaz and recovered the gun. Diaz was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of two prior felony convictions.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Maine State Police and the Holyoke (Massachusetts) and Springfield  (Massachusetts) police departments.

The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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 Brighton, Massachusetts, woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Kimberly Tompkins, 52, and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Tompkins coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from a source in Arizona to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to those sources in order to supply its drug trafficking enterprise.

Tompkins faces up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“Aroostook County has seen a troubling increase in methamphetamine use, which law enforcement officials are taking seriously,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “If you, or someone you love, is struggling with such an addiction, please visit  www.powerofprevention.org for the Aroostook County Substance Abuse Directory.”

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

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

 

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

According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Connor Clark, 24, and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Clark, at the direction of a co-conspirator, coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from sources in Arizona and Colorado to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to those sources in order to supply its drug trafficking enterprise.

Clark faces up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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 Greenville man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, beginning in January 2019, Eugene Murray, 27, began communicating with an FBI undercover agent on Kik Messenger – a free instant messaging application. These communications took place in a Kik Messenger chat group that appeared to have an interest in children and child pornography. Murray subsequently posted a link to the chat group that contained images of child pornography. Based on this and other information, a search warrant was obtained for Murray’s home. During the execution of the search warrant, Murray was interviewed and admitted to viewing child pornography. A forensic examination of Murray’s phone revealed several links containing images of child pornography. 

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

The FBI 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.

PORTLAND, Maine: As Domestic Violence Awareness Month ends, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced today that Caring Unlimited, York County’s domestic violence resource center, was recently awarded a $497,000 three-year grant from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Consolidated Youth Program. Caring Unlimited’s program was one of only 16 projects selected nationally to receive such a grant.

The “Safe Communities for Youth” project will expand youth-focused prevention and intervention efforts in York County by conducting a community needs assessment, followed by the creation and implementation of a strategic plan designed to reduce victimization and perpetration of youth dating violence and sexual assaults. Partner agencies on the grant are Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine, Maine Boys to Men and Saltwater Vineyard Church. 

“We are thrilled to be a recipient of this highly competitive program. We look forward to partnering with our community to create much needed capacity for youth violence prevention programming,” said Caring Unlimited Executive Director Susan Giambalvo. “The project will take a holistic approach to creating healthy communities for youth by creating leadership opportunities for youth and engaging supportive adults to prevent and respond to youth dating violence and sexual assault. As a community, we all have a responsibility and a role to play in changing the conditions that allow domestic violence to persist." 

“Maine continues to experience a significant problem with incidents of domestic violence,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “We are proud of Caring Unlimited’s achievement and look forward to the work ahead as domestic violence prevention will be a priority for my office.”

Since 1977, Caring Unlimited has worked to end domestic violence in York County through service to an average of 2000 individuals annually. They offer a comprehensive array of programs including 24-hour Helpline, emergency shelter, transitional housing, individual and group advocacy and support, and legal assistance. The agency relies on volunteers to ensure that support and safety planning services are available to anyone affected by domestic abuse. More information is available by visiting www.caring-unlimited.org or by calling the Helpline at 1-800-239-7298.

OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.

PORTLAND, Maine: A former resident of Olympia, Washington was sentenced today in federal court for transmitting threatening interstate communications, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. 

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jesus W. Kong, 28, to a sentence of time served and one year of supervised release. Kong has been custody since his arrest on these charges in Olympia, Washington, on December 4, 2018. He pleaded guilty on May 26, 2021.

According to court records, Kong made several threatening and harassing posts on Facebook between about November 24, 2018, and January 22, 2019. In some of those posts, he threatened to harm employees of a Maine organization that provides services to individuals with disabilities. In other posts, he threatened a shooting at a Maine high school.

The FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the Augusta Police Department, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office and the Skowhegan Police Department investigated the case.

BANGOR, Maine: A Houlton man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Hayden Fogg, 35, to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Fogg pleaded guilty on June 28, 2021.

According to court records, between approximately May 2018 and July 2018, Fogg was part of a drug distribution operation based out of Florida and operating in northern Maine. A co-conspirator obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from Florida and had it transported to Maine. Fogg sold the drug in the Houlton area while other members of the conspiracy sold it in Bangor and Howland.

“The community of Houlton and the surrounding area have seen a troubling increase in methamphetamine use, which law enforcement officials are taking seriously,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “If you, or someone you love, is struggling with such an addiction, please visit  www.powerofprevention.org for the Aroostook County Substance Abuse Directory.”

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

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Scarborough man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for filing a false document in relation to a workers’ compensation claim, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Michael Collins, 63, to three years of probation.  In addition, Judge Hornby ordered Collins to pay $12,682.74 in restitution to Bath Iron Works (BIW). Collins pleaded guilty on June 21, 2021.

According to court records, Collins was employed as an electrician at BIW. He filed a claim under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act in approximately May 2018, claiming he suffered a work-related injury that left him totally disabled. BIW did not contest the claim and Collins began receiving benefit payments and medical treatment payments. In September 2018, the adjuster handling the claim became suspicious that Collins may have been working while continuing to claim he was totally disabled. The adjuster hired a private investigator, who conducted surveillance on numerous dates throughout the next several months. The surveillance revealed that Collins was working as a self-employed electrician.

On January 7, 2019, Collins falsely claimed on a required form that he did not have any earnings from employment or self-employment. His conduct caused BIW to suffer a loss of $12,682.74.

The U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

BANGOR, Maine: A Farmington man pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiring to possess and distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and 1,000 marijuana plants, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court documents, from about 2016 through July 2020, Randal Cousineau, 69, participated in a conspiracy to illegally cultivate and sell marijuana. Cousineau was the primary financier and 50% partner with a co-conspirator in an illegal marijuana cultivation facility in Farmington. He also held an interest in an illegal marijuana distribution company. Members of the conspiracy cultivated and sold marijuana in violation of Maine’s medical marijuana laws, selling bulk marijuana illicitly to individuals who were not registered as caregivers, and for distribution outside of the state of Maine. Cousineau realized hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit from these illegal sales.

Cousineau faces up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

A related 14-count criminal complaint was also filed today in U.S. District Court in Bangor, charging 12 defendants with a variety of offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, bank fraud, tampering with proceedings, tampering with documents, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to impede and impair the IRS, tax evasion, and tax fraud.

According to the criminal complaint, Lucas Sirois, 41, of Farmington, was the leader of the criminal organization. He and his coconspirators realized in excess of $13 million over a six-year period through the illicit sale of marijuana. Sirois structured his operations to appear as though they complied with Maine’s medical marijuana regime while he regularly sold bulk marijuana on the illicit market, including more than $1 million worth of marijuana for out-of-state distribution between 2018 and 2019 through codefendant Brandon Dagnese, 27, of Scarborough, a convicted felon who was ineligible to hold a caregiver card in Maine.

Also as alleged in the criminal complaint:

• In order to conceal his activities and maximize his profits from illegal drug trafficking, in which he engaged with Alisa Sirois, 43, of Kingfield, Robert Sirois, 68, of Farmington, and Ryan Nezol, 38, of Farmington, among others, Sirois laundered drug proceeds through a complex corporate structure. He lied to his financial institution about the nature of his business and the source of funds that flowed through his accounts. Sirois and his tax preparer Kenneth Allen, 48, of Farmington, filed false income tax returns to hide hundreds of thousands of dollars in income, resulting in tax loss to the United States in excess of $400,000.
• Sirois defrauded the taxpayers of the state of Maine by using his drug money to corrupt members of local law enforcement and town government. Then-Franklin County Deputy Sheriffs Bradley Scovil, 33, of Rangeley, and Derrick Doucette, 29, of Jay, obtained confidential law enforcement information for Sirois that he used to benefit his illegal business; in exchange, Sirois rewarded Scovil and Doucette with ownership interests in his business and brand new “company” cars. Later, Sirois used Scovil and Doucette’s network of active law enforcement officials to obtain information about the ongoing federal investigation into his criminal activity.
• Franklin County Assistant District Attorney Kayla Alves, 36, of Farmington, tipped off Scovil to the existence of the Sirois probe, after Wilton police officer Kevin Lemay, 33, of Farmington, and then-Oxford County deputy sheriff James McLamb, 29, of Auburn, used government databases to confirm for Scovil and Doucette that they were being surveilled by law enforcement; all three officials later destroyed electronic evidence of their wrongdoing with Scovil and Doucette in order to conceal it from investigators.
• Rangeley Selectman David Burgess, 53, accepted tens of thousands of dollars in cash payments from Sirois, including investment in his internet start-up company, in exchange for advocating for Sirois’s preferred agenda in town government, including voting to advance a marijuana ordinance that Sirois himself had drafted to a town referendum. All the while, Sirois paid Burgess thousands of dollars a week to manage his marijuana businesses, a conflict Burgess never publicly disclosed.

In addition to the criminal complaint, a civil complaint was unsealed today in federal court, seeking the forfeiture of 12 real properties involved in the facilitation of illegal marijuana trafficking and/or purchased with illegal drug proceeds.

A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants charged in the criminal complaint is set forth below. The maximum potential sentences described therein are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the sentencing judge.

U.S. Attorney McElwee praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, Portland Resident Office; the FBI’s Boston Division; and the Boston Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation. Ms. McElwee thanked local and state Maine law enforcement partners for their participation in, and support of, the investigation.

The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Copies of the criminal and civil complaints are available here: criminal  civil

 

COUNT

 

DEFENDANT(S)

 

MAX TERM OF IMPRISONMENT

 

Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (21 U.S.C. § 846)

Lucas Sirois

David Burgess

Bradley Scovil

Derrick Doucette

Alisa Sirois

Robert Sirois

Brandon Dagnese

Ryan Nezol

 

Dependent on quantity of marijuana reasonably foreseeable to each individual defendant

Count Two: Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956(h))

Lucas Sirois

David Burgess

Alisa Sirois

 

20 years

Count Three: Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1349)

 

Lucas Sirois

David Burgess

20 years

Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1349)

Lucas Sirois

Bradley Scovil

Derrick Doucette

James McLamb

 

20 years

Count Five: Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344)

Lucas Sirois

Alisa Sirois

 

30 years

Count Six: Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344)

Lucas Sirois

Bradley Scovil

Derrick Doucette

 

30 years

Count Seven: Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344)

 

David Burgess

30 years

Count Eight: Tampering with Proceedings (18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2))

 

Kayla Alves

20 years

Count Nine: Tampering with Documents (18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1))

 

Kayla Alves

20 years

Count Ten: Tampering with Documents (18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1))

 

Kevin Lemay

20 years

Count Eleven: Tampering with Documents (18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1))

 

James McLamb

20 years

Count Twelve: Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Impede and Impair I.R.S. (18 U.S.C. § 371)

 

Lucas Sirois

David Burgess

Kenneth Allen

 

5 years

Count Thirteen: Tax Evasion (26 U.S.C. § 7201)

 

Lucas Sirois

5 years

Count Fourteen: Tax Fraud (26 U.S.C. § 7206(2))

 

Kenneth Allen

3 years

           

           

BANGOR, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to 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.

According to court records, in April 2021, Sergio Figueroa aka “Kash,” 29, conspired with others 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 on 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 (ATF) 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.

On the drug conspiracy charge, Figueroa faces a minimum of five years in prison and up to 40 years, a $5 million fine, and four years of supervised release. On the firearms charges, he faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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.

BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for robbing a credit union, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Ronald Tilley, 61, to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $8,726 in restitution. Tilley pleaded guilty on June 24, 2019.

According to court records, on March 27, 2019, Tilley entered the back door of the Down East Credit Union in Bangor. He was wearing a dark mask covering his mouth, a hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses and dark gloves. He demanded money from the tellers, and stated that he had a gun and would shoot if they did not comply. He obtained more than $8,700.

A search warrant executed at Tilley’s residence in Hampden revealed cash stolen from the credit union. He was subsequently apprehended by law enforcement in Connecticut and confessed to the robbery. 

The Bangor Police Department, the Hampden Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.

BANGOR, Maine—A Lubec man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Rubin Perry, 34, to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim whose images he possessed. Perry pleaded guilty on June 18, 2021. He had a 2013 Maine state conviction for possessing child pornography, which subjected him to a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.

According to court records, in 2018, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit received information that a Twitter user was uploading and storing child pornography images and videos. Investigators determined that the Twitter account was associated with Perry’s address in Lubec. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the address and interviewed Perry while executing the warrant. He admitted that he had a problem with child pornography and he did not know how to stop. He also admitted to having child pornography on his cell phone, which was later found to contain multiple child pornography images.

In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock stated, “When people like the defendant seek out these images, it encourages their production.”

Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the Bangor Police Department 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.

PORTLAND, Maine—An Old Orchard Beach man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Michael Gamash, 65, to one year of probation. He was also ordered to pay over $62,000 in restitution to the U.S. Navy. Gamash pleaded guilty on June 2, 2021.

According to court records, from about April 2014 to June 2016, Gamash took scrap metal belonging to the Navy from dumpsters located on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) and sold the metal to two area metal dealers. Gamash was an employee of PNSY at the time. When investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) interviewed him, he admitted routinely taking scrap metal items from several dumpsters at PNSY and selling the metal. He acknowledged that he knew it was illegal to take the metal and sell it for his personal profit. 

NCIS investigated the case.

PORTLAND, Maine: A Durham woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court for Social Security fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Carol Bourgoin, 65, to three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $80,430.00 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (“SSA”). Bourgoin pleaded guilty on June 17, 2021.

According to court records, from about July 2009 through November 2018, Bourgoin, 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. Bourgoin’s husband had sufficient income to render her ineligible for the benefits she received during that period. In multiple reviews of her eligibility for benefits, Bourgoin falsely represented to the SSA that she was living alone and not receiving help or money from any other person during this time. During an interview with investigators, Bourgoin admitted to concealing her living situation from SSA because she knew it would make her ineligible to receive SSI.

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

BANGOR, Maine—A Hamlin man was sentenced today in federal court for importing methamphetamine into the United States from Canada, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Lance Labreck, 25, to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Labreck pleaded guilty on January 12, 2021.

According to court records, on November 19, 2019, Labreck drove a snowmobile from the U.S. across the international border into Canada. Later that evening, he returned to the U.S. via snowmobile, carrying with him approximately 55 grams of pure methamphetamine he had obtained in Canada. When stopped by Border Patrol Agents, he admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and bringing it back over the international border into the U.S.    

Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.

PORTLAND, Maine—A Russian man was convicted Thursday of conspiring to commit visa fraud, making false statements to a federal law enforcement agency and visa fraud following a two-day jury trial, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced. This was the first jury trial held in the Portland federal court since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to court records, Alexander Gormatov, 33, 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 in 2010. In 2011, he met a 17-year-old female U.S. citizen through a Craigslist employment advertisement. Just a few months later, when she reached age 18, he paid her to marry him in his pursuit of a permanent immigration benefit. He then quit school. By November 2012, when he failed to re-enroll at the college, he became unlawfully present in the U.S.

In January 2013, per their agreement, the sham couple made a series of materially 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 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 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 status in the U.S.

In January 2014, Gormatov’s wife 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 in order 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, to return to the U.S., he 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.”

Gormatov faces up to five years in prison for the conspiracy and false statement charges, and up to 10 years in prison for the visa fraud charge. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 per count and a supervised release term of up to three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

PORTLAND, Maine—The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Darcie N. McElwee has taken the oath of office to become the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine. U.S. Attorney McElwee was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on August 10, 2021, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 5, 2021. President Biden signed her commission on October 8, 2021. She took the oath of office today from Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy.

U.S. Attorney McElwee said, “I am thrilled and honored to lead a district of federal law enforcement professionals, in partnership with our state and local counterparts, who work hard in the pursuit of justice. It is important to me that every person in Maine feels safe—and lives free from fear, violence, and hate in any form. I look forward to getting out in the communities of every corner of the state to do a great deal of listening and learning, while focused on the priorities of the Department of the Justice and the President.”

U.S. Attorney McElwee is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Maine. She oversees a staff of 54 employees and contractors located in Portland and Bangor, including 27 attorneys, 24 non-attorney support personnel and three contractors. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

U.S. Attorney McElwee grew up in Caribou. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Maine beginning in 2002. She primarily prosecuted violent crimes such as sex trafficking, interstate domestic violence and child sexual exploitation, as well as firearms and arson offenses. She also served as the district Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator for approximately 16 years. She began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for Penobscot and Piscataquis counties from 1998 to 2002.

U.S. Attorney McElwee is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She is also a member of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association and a past president of the Cumberland Bar Association. She has served on the adjunct faculty of the University of Maine School of Law and at the Maine Trial Lawyers College of Advocacy. She is a 1995 graduate of Bowdoin College and a 1998 graduate of the University of Maine School of Law.

BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national with an immigration history of prior removals and felony convictions was sentenced today in federal court for illegally reentering the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Galdino Velasco-Santiago, aka Galdino Chavez-Santiago, 40, to 27 months in prison. Velasco-Santiago pleaded guilty on May 15, 2021.

According to court records, on October 2, 2020, Velasco-Santiago was arrested on state criminal charges after a car he was operating went off the road in Augusta and was damaged. He had been removed from the U.S. to Mexico four times previously. He had also been convicted in federal courts in Arizona, Florida and California for prior illegal reentry felony offenses.

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement and the Augusta Police Department investigated the case.

BANGOR, Maine: A Seal Cove man pleaded guilty today in federal court to three counts of producing child pornography, one count of transporting child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

According to court records, on July 6, 2020, Keegan T. Richardson, 28, entered a private chat group on the internet and began communicating with an FBI undercover agent. This chat group was known to the agent as a place where people met, discussed and traded original images of underage children and links containing child pornography. Richardson confirmed that he had access to a female minor and shared multiple sexually explicit images of the minor with the agent.  Shortly afterwards, a search warrant was obtained for Richardson’s residence and phone, and he was arrested. Investigators later learned that he had access to two other minors. On his phone, a forensic examiner found multiple sexually explicit images of all three minors. Richardson had taken the images with his phone. The forensic examiner also found multiple additional images of sexually explicit conduct involving different minors on the phone.

Richardson faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for each production count, a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for the transportation count, and up to 20 years in prison for the possession count. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 for each count, and a term of supervised release of between five years and life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

PORTLAND, Maine—A Yarmouth man pleaded guilty today in federal court to aggravated identity theft, and in a separate case waived indictment and pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the Small Business Administration in a loan application, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

According to court records, in November 2016, John J. Cavanaugh, Jr., 52, applied to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for disability insurance benefits on behalf of his minor son. During the application process, Cavanaugh falsely claimed that his son had resided with him since birth, and that he and his son lived together. In fact, neither his son nor his son’s mother had ever lived with Cavanaugh.

In December 2016, Cavanaugh submitted a typewritten letter to the SSA that was purportedly authored and signed by his son’s mother. The letter falsely stated that she and her son were living with Cavanaugh. The letter was provided in support of Cavanaugh’s application for disability insurance benefits on his son’s behalf. His son’s mother did not write the letter, and the signature on the letter was not hers. Cavanaugh did not have her permission to write the letter on her behalf. The SSA approved his application for benefits and he received them until June 2018, when his son’s mother learned that he was receiving them and notified the SSA.

Also according to court records, in April 2020, Cavanaugh applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration. The loans were designed to support business owners negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The online application that Cavanaugh completed asked if he was currently subject to an indictment or other formal criminal charge. Cavanaugh falsely answered “No” to this question. In fact, he was under indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, and was subject to an order setting conditions of release that informed him that if he committed a new federal felony while on release, he was subject to additional penalties.

Cavanaugh faces a mandatory two years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the aggravated identity theft charge. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release on the false statement charge. He faces an additional sentence of up to 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, because he committed the false statement offense while on pretrial release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the SSA Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

 

PORTLAND, Maine—A Sanford man and a South Portland woman were sentenced today in federal court for distributing fentanyl resulting in the death of another individual, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Earl Cormier, 42, to 125 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Judge Levy sentenced Suzanne Cormier, 40, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Earl Cormier pleaded guilty on January 3, 2019, and Suzanne Cormier pleaded guilty on January 9, 2019.

According to court records, on July 8, 2017, Earl Cormier arranged a drug transaction with another male. Suzanne Cormier acquired the drugs from a supplier and the two traveled together to the Walmart in Biddeford to complete the transaction. Earl Cormier delivered a substance containing fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl along with needles to the male. The male used the substance in the Walmart bathroom and was later discovered unconscious in the bathroom. He never regained consciousness and died on July 19, 2017.

The Biddeford Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case. 

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 Presque Isle man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Justin Michaud, 35, to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Michaud pleaded guilty in December 2020.

According to court records, between January 2017 and August 2018, Michaud and other members of the conspiracy distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Michaud coordinated multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine from sources in Arizona and Colorado to conspirators who distributed it in Aroostook County. Members of the conspiracy sent thousands of dollars in cash to those sources in order to supply their drug trafficking enterprise.

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

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 Dedham man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Brian Saunders, 39, to 155 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Saunders pleaded guilty in December 2020.

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. Saunders 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.

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.

PORTLAND, Maine: A Rockland man was sentenced today in federal court for making a hoax distress call, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Nathan Libby, 32, to time served (four days) and three years of supervised release. Libby was also ordered to pay $17,500 in restitution to the U.S. Coast Guard. He pleaded guilty on June 3, 2021.

According to court records, on December 3, 2020, while at the Spruce Head Fisherman’s Co-op, Libby communicated a false distress call for a vessel and crew reportedly taking on water in the vicinity of Spruce Head. In response, the Coast Guard initiated a search spanning more than five hours, which included the use of a local Coast Guard vessel, a Maine Marine Patrol vessel, and a helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. Further investigation identified Libby as the caller and the search was suspended as a hoax call.

The Coast Guard pursues all distress calls, and when dealing with hoax cases, crews will search until the nature and legitimacy of the calls are resolved.

“I applaud the collaborative efforts of the Department of Justice, Maine Marine Patrol, Rockland Police Department, and the United States Coast Guard in bringing this case to a close and ensuring accountability for Mr. Libby’s actions,” said Capt. Brian LeFebvre, Sector Commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. “Hoax calls like the call Mr. Libby placed unnecessarily put our rescue crews at risk, waste resources, and may limit our ability to respond to actual emergencies.”

The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Maine Marine Patrol and Coast Guard Sector Northern New England investigated the case.

PORTLAND, Maine: A Lawrence, Massachusetts man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Julio Mejia, 40, to 162 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a $2,000 fine. Mejia pleaded guilty on November 21, 2019.

According to court records, between April 2016 and March 2018, Mejia conspired with others from Lawrence, Massachusetts; New Hampshire; and Maine to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Mejia acquired the drugs in Lawrence, and they were then sold to others for distribution throughout New England.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Portsmouth Tactical Diversion Squad, the Sanford Police Department, the Maine State Police, the New Hampshire State Police, the Hampton (New Hampshire) Police Department and the North Andover (Massachusetts) Police Department investigated the case.

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.

PORTLAND, Maine: A Woburn, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court for being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Sauma Brata Deb, 27, to 12 months and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. Deb pleaded guilty on August 5, 2021.

According to court records, between March 6, 2020, and November 16, 2020, Deb was arrested on five separate occasions in either New Hampshire or Massachusetts. During each of these arrests, drugs or drug-use paraphernalia (or both) were recovered from him. On January 29, 2021, he attempted to sell a firearm to the Kittery Trading Post. When he was arrested, two firearms were recovered from him and additional items of drug-use paraphernalia were recovered from his car. It is against federal law for unlawful users of drugs to possess firearms.

The Maine and New Hampshire offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kittery Police Department investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.

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.

BANGOR, Maine: A Rochester, New York man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine base, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Quinton Spinks, aka “Q,” aka “Travis,” 37, to 115 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Spinks pleaded guilty in August 2019.

According to court records, between November 2016 and September 2017, Spinks conspired with others from Rochester and central Maine to distribute heroin and crack. The drugs were acquired in Rochester and Spinks and others distributed the drugs in Augusta and surrounding communities. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case, with significant assistance provided by the Maine State Police. The case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s program to combat the opioid epidemic.

PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man pleaded guilty today in federal court to sexually exploiting a minor and transporting child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

According to court records, in 2016 or 2017, Jason Proulx, 43, 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 recorded sexually explicit videos of the girl in a room in the residence.

Proulx faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for sexually exploiting a minor. He faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for transporting child pornography. He also faces a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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.

BANGOR, Maine : A Belgrade man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

According to court records, on September 30, 2016, Clinton Damboise, 45, entered the Camden National Bank in Manchester, Maine. He approached a female teller and told her, “this is a robbery, not a joke.” He gestured to the waistband of his jacket and said he had a gun. The teller gave him $3,179 and he fled. He was subsequently identified by the teller and by the bank’s security camera footage.

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

The FBI, the Maine State Police, the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office and the Southington (Connecticut) Police Department investigated the case.

BANGOR, Maine:  A Presque Isle man was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Reece Humphrey, 28, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Humphrey pleaded guilty in April 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. Humphrey and his co-conspirators distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine. Humphrey traveled with co-conspirators on at least one trip to Mexico and Arizona to obtain methamphetamine and transport it back to 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. 

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.

PORTLAND, Maine: A Maryland man was sentenced today in federal court for using counterfeit credit cards, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Charles Harris, 38, to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,008.15 in restitution.  He pleaded guilty in December 2020.

According to court records, in December 2018, Harris and his co-defendant, Bryan Boley, used counterfeit credit cards at Maine retail outlets. The credit card numbers were bought online.

Harris’s co-defendant Boley was sentenced to 22 months in prison and three years of supervised release on November 15, 2019.

The U.S. Secret Service; the Maine State Police; and the Auburn, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth and Yarmouth police departments investigated the case.