District of Maine

Portland, Maine: A Kittery man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Portland to transporting images of child exploitation, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

According to court records, in September 2018, Thomas Stewart, 31, uploaded numerous images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to a Dropbox cloud storage account he controlled. After Dropbox reported the uploading of child exploitation images using its service, investigators determined that the IP address used to log into the Dropbox account was assigned to Stewart’s residence in Kittery.

In December of last year, investigators executed a search warrant at Stewart’s residence and seized several electronic devices, including a Samsung tablet. In an interview with investigators, Stewart admitted using the tablet to access child pornography. He also admitted storing hundreds of child pornography files in his Dropbox account.

Stewart faces a sentence of no less than five years and up to 20 years in prison. He also faces a $250,000 fine and from five years to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the U.S. Secret Service and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service 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.

Bangor, Maine:  A Mattawamkeag man was convicted yesterday of mail fraud and two counts of copyright infringement following a seven-day jury trial, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

According to evidence presented at trial, Douglas Gordon, 52, the former owner of a chain of video rental stores in eastern Maine, operated three websites from which he made more than $640,000 in sales of over 48,000 counterfeit copies of copyright-protected motion pictures. Representatives of MGM, CBS, Disney, Mercury Pictures and other copyright owners testified that Gordon did not have permission to reproduce and distribute the movies. A senior investigator employed by the Motion Picture Association identified the DVDs as counterfeit. 

Based on undercover purchases made from the three websites, execution of search warrants and forensic analysis of computers, investigators from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) identified Gordon as the operator of the online businesses.  A series of customers testified at trial that they expected based on website advertisements to receive authorized DVD movies with cover art and a plastic case, but instead received a paper envelope with nothing more than a burned disc with a laser-etched movie title. Several of Gordon’s former video store employees also provided evidence of his unlawful reproduction.

Gordon faces up to 20 years in prison for the mail fraud offense, an additional three years for each of the copyright infringement offenses, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

HSI investigated the case, with assistance from the Maine Attorney General’s Office, the Brewer Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Better Business Bureau.

Portland, Maine:  A South Portland man was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for holding for sale a counterfeit drug and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Colin Harle, 23, to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. Harle pleaded guilty on July 15, 2019.

According to court records, on August 27, 2018, law enforcement officers arrested Harle in South Portland following his attempted sale of counterfeit alprazolam (commonly sold under the brand name Xanax) pills. After Harle’s arrest, officers learned that he had a safe under his control. Officers located the safe in Westbrook and found about 20,000 counterfeit pills, $5,480 in U.S. currency, and a 9 mm pistol with two full magazines.

The Food and Drug Administration’s Forensic Chemistry Center confirmed that alprazolam was present in the pills and that the pills were counterfeit.

FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. 

Bangor, Maine:  An Augusta man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Bangor to four counts of interfering with commerce by robbery, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

According to court records, on February 25, 2019, and on July 17, 20 and 23, 2019, Barry Grant, Jr., 38, robbed four different Augusta businesses at knife point. On each occasion he fled the scene with cash from the register. Grant was arrested by Augusta Police while fleeing the July 23 robbery.

Grant faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release for each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. 

The Augusta Police Department and the FBI investigated the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about PSN please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

Portland, Maine:  A Lewiston accounting firm was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Portland for failing to file cash transaction forms, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Leonardo & Co., P.A. to one year of probation. The company was also fined $15,000 and ordered to forfeit $12,500. The company pleaded guilty on June 12, 2019.

According to court records, in 2017, Leonardo & Co. wrote four checks, each in the amount of $12,500, to a member of a marijuana trafficking organization. The checks were drawn on accounts associated with the firm. The payments did not involve a tax refund or payment for any services rendered to the firm. Instead, on each occasion, the company exchanged the checks for $12,500 in cash.
Because the checks involved the receipt of more than $10,000 in U.S. currency, federal law required Leonardo & Co. to file a report commonly known as a Form 8300. The company failed to file reports as required by federal law and as a result intentionally evaded the mandated reporting requirements. 

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.

The prosecution is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program, a partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Bangor, Maine:  A New York man was sentenced on Tuesday in federal court in Bangor for bank fraud, using other people’s Social Security numbers, and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Mark Pignatello, 55, of Yonkers, New York, to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release.  Pignatello pled guilty on April 24, 2019. Pignatello was also ordered to pay $20,893 in restitution.

According to court records, over three days in October 2018, Pignatello traveled across Maine and New Hampshire, visiting branches of People’s United Bank, at which he would pass or attempt to pass counterfeit checks. These checks were made out to individuals other than Pignatello. In order to facilitate his scheme, Pignatello used the Social Security numbers and other personal information of these individuals to impersonate them, as well as counterfeit driver’s licenses bearing his image, but with their personal information.  Pignatello was ultimately apprehended by the Newport, Maine police outside of the Newport branch of People’s United Bank, where his activity had been identified as fraudulent.

The U.S. Secret Service and the Bangor, Newport, and Orono Police Departments investigated the case.

Bangor, Maine:  A Presque Isle man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Bangor to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

According to court records, Samual Mathers, 33, was pulled over while riding as a passenger in a vehicle on April 3, 2018. Officers searched him and found a loaded firearm, methamphetamine and a methamphetamine pipe on his person. He admitted to being an addict who had been using daily for over a year. He also admitted to possessing multiple firearms. A subsequent search of his home revealed over a dozen firearms and ammunition. 

Mathers faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.

Portland, Maine:  U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank joined the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in announcing that DEA will once again conduct one of its most popular community programs: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. On Saturday, October 26, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the public can dispose of their expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications at 594 collection sites throughout New England, operated by local law enforcement agencies and other community partners. The service is free of charge, no questions asked and most of these collection sites can be found in the lobby of your local Police Department. To find a collection site near you go to: www.DEATakeBack.com.

For the first time, DEA will now accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop-off locations during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. It is important to note that DEA cannot accept devices containing lithium ion batteries. If batteries cannot be removed prior to drop-off, DEA encourages individuals to consult with stores that recycle lithium ion batteries.

Concerns have been raised across the United States over illnesses and death caused by vaping and the high youth vaping initiation rates. In an effort to support a healthy lifestyle and energetic population, especially among America’s youth, DEA is committed to doing all it can to help safely dispose of vaping devices and substances.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. DEA launched its prescription drug take back program when both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration advised the public that flushing these drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash posed potential safety and health hazards.

“Our take-back events highlight the problems associated to prescription drug abuse and gives our citizens an opportunity to contribute to the solution,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “These efforts help remove unwanted, expired and unused prescription pills that can be abused, stolen or resold which helps our continued dedication to combat the prescription pill, fentanyl and heroin epidemic of substance abuse and addiction.”

“I encourage all Mainers to take advantage of Drug Take Back Day,” said U.S. Attorney Frank. “The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are deeply committed to combatting the opioid epidemic. Misuse of prescription drugs is a significant contributor to this crisis, and proper disposal of these drugs will ensure that they cannot be abused.”

Last April, during its 17th Take Back Day, DEA’s New England Field Division participated in the drug take back day and, over the course of four hours, 89,366.3 pounds—over 44 tons—of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs were collected at 583 collection sites throughout New England.

The following was the breakdown of collected weights for the six New England states:

 

CT                   8,361.8

 

MA                  28,117.5

 

ME                  27,680

 

NH                  14,180

 

RI                    4,465

 

VT                   6,562  

 

TOTAL          89,366.3 pounds

 For more information about the harms of youth vaping, please visit: https://www.justthinktwice.gov/facts/vaping-what-you-should-know.

Bangor, Maine:  A Carthage, Maine man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Michael Ringer, 55, to 3 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Ringer pleaded guilty on March 7, 2019.

According to court records, on August 17, 2018, the Wilton Police Department responded to the scene of a 911 call regarding alleged threats with a firearm and shots fired. Officers learned that Ringer was intoxicated and had gotten into an argument at a social gathering. Several individuals at the gathering had seen him with a handgun. By the time officers arrived, he had left.

The following day, officers found Ringer at his home. A search of his residence resulted in the seizure of a .380 caliber pistol belonging to him. He was prohibited from possessing firearms because of multiple prior felony convictions, including one for possession of a firearm by a felon.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Wilton Police Department.

Portland, Maine:  Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.

“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”

The grants award more than $1.25 million in funding to prevent violence in Maine schools. The following school administrative units received funding under the School Violence Prevention Program of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office):

           

Awardee                                                                    

Amount of Award

School Administrative District 15

(Gray, New Gloucester)

           

            $494,850

Regional School Unit No. 52

(Greene, Leeds, Turner)

 

                        $324,108

Sanford School Department

                                   

$216,221

School Administrative District 30

(Lee, Springfield, Webster, Winn)

           

            $181,767

Regional School Unit No. 38

(Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield, Wayne)

 

$40,500

 

“These grants to Maine schools will assist local districts in preventing violence in schools and enhancing the safety of Maine schoolchildren, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank said. “The Department of Justice, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are committed to working with our local partners to ensure schools are safe places in which to learn.  In particular, we believe that current best practice is the use of multi-disciplinary teams to assess and respond to school threats.”

President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the COPS Office.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the COPS Office manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:

• Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
• Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
• Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
• Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
• Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
• Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
• Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.
   

For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV

About the Office of Justice Programs:

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

 About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office 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 approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded over $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”

In Maine, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians was awarded $899,863 in funding as part of the Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program.

Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.

The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.

In Maine, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township was awarded over $197,000 for the coordination and expansion of an existing victim service program.

“I congratulate our tribal partners on their successful grant applications,” said U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank. “The grants will assist the tribes in addressing violence in their communities and providing much-needed services to victims.”

“The Passamaquoddy Tribe – Indian Township is excited to receive nearly $200,000 in funding to expand our services, said Governor William J. Nicholas Sr. “Our community is thankful for the grant award, and continued support for victims in Indian Country.”

CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.

The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.

Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards is available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Turner man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Portland to manufacturing 100 or more marijuana plants, possessing with intent to distribute marijuana, possessing an unregistered silencer and transferring property subject to forfeiture, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

According to court records, on February 27, 2018, law enforcement officers searched the residence of Andrew Waite, 31, and two warehouses under his control. In the warehouses, agents seized more than 500 pounds of marijuana, 104 sheets of marijuana concentrate and more than 350 marijuana plants. In Waite’s residence, agents seized approximately 100 pounds of marijuana, approximately $216,000 in U.S. currency, a 2010 Ferrari, firearms, ammunition and a silencer with no markings or serial number. 

On April 18, 2018, Waite transferred title of his residence to his brother in order to prevent or impair seizure of the property for criminal forfeiture.

Waite faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison and a fine of $5,000,000 on the marijuana manufacturing charge; up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the silencer possession charge; and up to five years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the marijuana possession and property transfer charges. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.

The prosecution is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.

Bangor, Maine:  A Levant, Maine man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony crime, United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Court Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Damian A. Ouellette, 27, to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. Ouellette pleaded guilty on January 30, 2019.

According to court records, on November 2, 2018, deputies responded to a report of domestic violence at Ouellette’s Levant residence, where they recovered a 9 mm pistol that he hid in a bin of clothes in his bedroom. Ouellette was prohibited from possessing the firearm because he had three prior felony convictions for robbery and theft. 

The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about PSN please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

Bangor, Maine: A former Brewer resident pleaded guilty today in federal court in Bangor to possessing images of child exploitation, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

According to court records, Joseph L. Messier, 55, possessed videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which he had purposefully sought out and received through the internet sometime between January 2018 and March 2018. These videos depicted the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children under the age of 12.

Messier faces an enhanced sentence of 10–20 years in prison as a result of a prior sex offense conviction. He also faces a $250,000 fine and from five years to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations 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.

Bangor, Maine:  A Newport man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Bangor to stealing a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

According to court records, Adam Shawley, 33, entered the shop of a licensed dealer in Newport, went behind the counter, and stole at least one firearm. The dealer later received both text messages and phone calls from Shawley acknowledging that he had stolen firearms from the shop.

Shawley faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

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

Bangor, Maine:  A Rochester, New York man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute cocaine base, heroin and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jamie Betances, a/k/a “Booger,” 33, to 126 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Betances pleaded guilty on October 16, 2018.

According to court records, between June 2015 and March 2017, Betances conspired with others to acquire crack, heroin and fentanyl in Rochester and transport it to central Maine for distribution. Betances traveled from Rochester to manage the Maine operation, overseeing distribution of drugs from 12 to 15 area “trap houses.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Augusta Police Department. This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Portland, Maine:  A Lewiston woman was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for conspiring to manufacture marijuana, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Stephanie Beck, 41, to 60 days in prison and three years of supervised release. Beck pleaded guilty on April 8, 2019.

According to court records, Beck was licensed by the State of Maine Department of Professional & Financial Regulation as a Certified Clinical Supervisor and an Alcohol and Drug Counselor.  Between December 1, 2017, and February 27, 2018, she provided patient names (including the names of MaineCare recipients) to a nurse practitioner, who in turn created fraudulent medical marijuana certifications. These certifications allowed a marijuana trafficking conspiracy to illegally cultivate marijuana plants under the cover of the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Program.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Healthcare Crimes Unit of the Maine Office of Attorney General; and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.

Portland, Maine:  A Lyman man was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced David Alexandre, 26, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. Alexandre pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019.

According to court records, on February 28, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Lyman. Alexandre was staying in one of the bedrooms. During the search, agents seized distributable quantities of methamphetamine, approximately $2,100 in U.S. currency and a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol. Alexandre admitted possessing the firearm to protect himself, his drugs and the proceeds from his drug trafficking.

The FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Maine State Police and the York County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Bangor, Maine:  A Trenton, Maine man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Timothy Levesque, 53, to one year and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. Levesque pleaded guilty on December 18, 2018.

According to court records, on the evening of May 12, 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded Levesque’s boat off the coast of Lamoine, Maine, while conducting a routine maritime safety and law enforcement patrol. The boat was registered solely to Levesque and he was the only person on board. While searching the boat, Coast Guard personnel found four firearms within four feet of where Levesque had been sitting in the pilot house. Levesque has two prior felony drug convictions and was aware that the firearms were on his boat.

The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; the Maine Marine Patrol; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

The Department of Justice today filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, explaining that a Maine law that bans religious schools from the state’s school tuition program violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. 

The majority of Maine’s school districts do not operate their own high schools.  Instead, those school districts may either contract with another school to educate their resident high school students, or they may pay tuition to the private high school of the parent’s choice—but only if the high school is not religious in nature.  The plaintiffs in this case, Carson v. Makin, all live in school districts that do not operate their own high schools and either send their children to a religious high school at their own expense, or would like to send their children to a religious high school but cannot afford to do so.  They sued the Commissioner of Maine’s Department of Education, claiming that Maine law violates the United States Constitution.

“Our Constitution guarantees that all people in our nation may exercise their religion free from discrimination by the government,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division.  “The First Amendment’s religious freedom protections are especially important for families and children, and the Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that all children may participate equally in educational programs without discrimination because of their religion.”

On June 26, 2019, the United States District Court for the District of Maine held that it was bound by First Circuit precedent from 2004 to uphold Maine’s religious-school ban, but it noted that the Supreme Court’s 2017 decision in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer might cause the First Circuit to reassess its prior precedent.

In Trinity Lutheran, the Supreme Court held that “denying a generally available benefit solely on account of religious identity imposes a penalty on the free exercise of religion,” and may only be justified by the most compelling governmental interests.  In its friend-of-the-court brief, the United States explains that Trinity Lutheran obligates the Court of Appeals to reassess the constitutionality of Maine’s religious-school ban.  Because Maine “prohibits religious schools, simply because of their religious character, from receiving funds available to the rest of the community,” the United States’ brief explains, the state’s tuition program imposes “special disabilities on religious adherents on the basis of their religious status,” and thus violates the Constitution’s Free Exercise Clause.  The United States raised similar arguments in a brief it filed with the United States Supreme Court last month in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerns a similar religious-school ban in a Montana scholarship program.

In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced the formation of the Religious Liberty Task Force.  The Task Force brings together Department components to coordinate their work on religious liberty

Bangor, Maine:  An Eastport man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Daniel B. Boone, Sr., 49, to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. Boone pleaded guilty on May 8, 2019.

According to court records, on November 26, 2018, Boone possessed a 12-gauge shotgun in his home and then transferred the shotgun to another individual. Boone was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2012 felony conviction for unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs.

The Eastport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about PSN, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psn.

Bangor, Maine:  A Hudson, Maine man was convicted today in federal court in Bangor of illegally possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

Following a one-day bench trial, U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker found Charles Werenko, 51, guilty of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

The evidence at trial revealed that in 2015, Werenko was convicted of domestic violence assault in the Penobscot County Superior Court. Following his conviction, Werenko knowingly possessed a .357 Magnum revolver from an unknown date until January 31, 2019.

Werenko faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

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

Bangor, Maine: A former Fort Fairfield resident pleaded guilty today in federal court in Bangor to sexually exploiting a child and possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

According to court records, Kyle Sirois, 28, produced video files depicting child pornography sometime between March 2015 and October 2017. Sirois also possessed other images and videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which he had purposefully sought out and received through the internet. These images and videos depicted the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children under the age of 12.

Sirois faces 15–30 years in prison for sexually exploiting a child, and up to 20 years in prison for possessing child pornography. He also faces a $250,000 fine and from five years to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Fairfield Police Department investigated the 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.

Bangor, Maine:  A Rochester, New York man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine base and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Darrell Newton, a/k/a “Coast,” a/k/a “D-Coast,” 39, to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Newton pleaded guilty in October 2018.

According to court records, between June 2015 and March 2017, Newton ran a drug distribution operation based out of Rochester, New York that operated in central Maine. Individuals from Rochester were sent to central Maine to sell the drugs. They stayed with various local residents who allowed the drugs to be sold from their homes and assisted the Rochester dealers in distributing, storing and transporting the narcotics throughout the region. There were approximately 12–15 such area residences during the height of the conspiracy’s activities. The local residents were paid in cocaine base or heroin for allowing the Rochester dealers to stay in the residences and sell the drugs. Periodically, drug proceeds were collected from the various distribution points in central Maine and transported back to Newton. 

Newton organized and operated the drug trafficking operation from Rochester. He recruited and sent drug dealers from Rochester to central Maine. He also obtained large quantities of heroin, cocaine base and fentanyl that he arranged to be transported to the area by couriers whom he recruited. Once in the area, the Rochester dealers distributed the drugs in cooperation with local dealers. 

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Augusta Police Department. This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Bangor, Maine:  A Portland man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute cocaine and oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Ross Thompson, 33, formerly of Rangeley, Maine, to time served (one day) and three years of supervised release. Thompson pleaded guilty in March 2019.

According to court records, between January 2016 and July 2016, Thompson and others conspired to distribute cocaine and oxycodone in Franklin County. Thompson distributed drugs supplied by Jordan Richard, who was sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison in January 2019.

Following an incident on July 28, 2016, when Richard shot and killed one of two men who came to his Rangeley residence to rob him, Thompson spirited a large quantity of drugs out of the residence before law enforcement arrived on the scene. Thompson subsequently distributed the drugs to another dealer Richard was supplying.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine State Police; and the Rangeley Police Department investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General. The case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Bangor, Maine:  A Rochester, New York man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for distributing heroin and conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine base, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Sharoz Haywood, a/k/a “Baby Dreads,” a/k/a “Rah Rah,” 22, to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Haywood pleaded guilty in March 2019.

According to court records, between November 2016 and September 2017, Haywood and others conspired to distribute cocaine base and heroin in central Maine. Haywood and other individuals sold the drugs, which were being transported from Rochester, New York. In July 2017, Haywood sold heroin to an informant for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA).

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the MDEA investigated the case. The case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s program to combat the opioid epidemic.

Bangor, Maine:  An Eastport, Maine man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Ryan Mumme, 48, to eight years in prison and supervised release for life. Mumme was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution. He pled guilty in June 2018 after being charged in December 2017.

According to court records, Mumme admitted to agents during an interview at his home that he had child pornography on his laptop computer. A subsequent forensic examination of the laptop revealed images and videos of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the Eastport Police Department investigated the 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.

PORTLAND, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank today announced that a Bangor ambulance company has agreed to pay $138,285.30 to settle allegations that it violated the federal False Claims Act (“FCA”).

The civil settlement agreement resolves allegations that Meridian Mobile Health, L.L.C., doing business as Capital Ambulance (“Capital”), improperly billed Medicare for nonemergency ambulance transportation of patients discharged from Eastern Maine Medical Center (“EMMC”) from October 2016 through February 2018. The government contended that such patients were not “bed-confined,” and did not otherwise medically require transportation by ambulance. The government also contended that EMMC personnel provided Capital with certification statements containing incomplete or incorrect information about the medical necessity of transporting the patients via ambulance, information Capital later used to bill Medicare.

Prior to the government’s lawsuit, Capital identified instances where it had billed and received payment from Medicare for nonemergency ambulance transports originating at EMMC that were not medically necessary. Capital voluntarily disclosed these results to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Capital also cooperated throughout the investigation, and implemented enhanced internal compliance and remedial measures. Federal authorities encourage health care providers to cooperate with investigations involving the possible submission of false claims to federal programs. Entities or individuals that make proactive, timely and voluntary self-disclosures to the U.S. Attorney’s Office may receive credit during the resolution of a later FCA case.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The civil action is docketed United States v. Meridian Mobile Health, L.L.C. d/b/a Capital Ambulance, 19-cv-00440-JDL (D. Me.)

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Lourdes Suero, 46, of Biddeford, Maine, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torresen to five months in prison and three years of supervised release for using a facility of interstate commerce to promote prostitution. After completing her prison sentence, Suero must serve up to five months of home confinement as a condition of supervised release. She pleaded guilty on March 18, 2019.

Court records reveal that on April 22, 2017, Suero went to a motel in Scarborough, Maine, where she met up with her adult son, Isaac Suero, and the female victim, who was 15 years old.  The defendant booked a room at the motel for the evening of April 22, exchanged telephone numbers with the victim, and left the victim in the rented motel room. The defendant and the victim later texted about the victim’s prostitution activities, with the defendant agreeing to drive the victim to meet with a client. The victim engaged in multiple commercial sex acts while she was staying in the room the defendant rented, and ultimately left the motel on her own the following day. The defendant’s son, Isaac Suero, was sentenced in a related case in June to nine years in prison for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Records in that case show that in the days before Isaac Suero and the female victim met with the defendant in Scarborough, Isaac Suero was trafficking the victim in the Bangor area.

The District of Maine is one of six districts designated through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam), through the interagency ACTeam Initiative of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor. ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.

The Southern Maine Gang Task Force—comprised of investigators from the FBI; the Portland, South Portland and Lewiston Police Departments; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration—investigated the case. The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Donald Morang, a/k/a “DW,” 39, formerly of Augusta, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute heroin; cocaine base, commonly known as “crack;” and fentanyl.   Morang pled guilty on October 17, 2018.

According to court records, between June 2015 and March 2017, Morang conspired with others to acquire heroin and crack in Rochester, New York and to distribute it in Central Maine. The defendant assisted the head of the conspiracy, Darrell Newton, and other dealers Newton sent from Rochester to distribute the drugs in Central Maine. He facilitated drug deals, introduced Rochester conspirators to area distributors, and assisted other conspirators in finding residences from which to sell drugs. He also dropped off drugs and picked up proceeds from residences in Central Maine. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance provided by the Augusta Police Department. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Eric Tracy, 30, of Bangor, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”  He pled guilty on July 19, 2018.  

According to court records, between January 2016 and February 2017, Tracy conspired with others to acquire heroin and crack in Waterbury, Connecticut and to distribute it in Penobscot County.  The defendant distributed the drugs in the Bangor area and facilitated the drug dealing activities of other conspirators.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Randolph Bourgoin, III, 32, of Millinocket, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Lance E. Walker to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for theft of a firearm from a federally licensed dealer. He was also ordered to pay $430 in restitution. Bourgoin pleaded guilty on April 3, 2019.

According to court records, on November 27, 2018, Bourgoin stole the firearm from a display case at a gun dealer in Milo. The theft was caught on surveillance video, and Bourgoin later admitted to the theft.

The case was investigated by the Milo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Brian Jordan, 33, of Trenton, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to possessing an unregistered firearm.

According to court records, on more than one occasion between January 2017 and May 2018, Jordan held and shot a short-barreled shotgun with a barrel length of less than 10 inches. Federal law prohibits the possession of a weapon made from a shotgun, if the modified weapon has a barrel less than 18 inches in length or an overall length of less than 26 inches, unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The shotgun Jordan possessed was not registered to him. 

Jordan faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine Marine Patrol.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Hussien Noor Hussien, 56, of Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal to two months in prison and three years of supervised release for impersonating another in a naturalization proceeding, procuring naturalization contrary to law and making a false statement on a passport application. In addition, the Court entered an order revoking Hussien’s citizenship, which the law requires when a person is convicted for procuring naturalization contrary to law. Hussien was convicted in April, following a three-day jury trial.

Court records and trial evidence revealed that in 2004, Hussien entered the United States as a refugee under the name Abukar Hassan Abdule. He entered with the wife and children of the true Abukar Hassan Abdule. In 2011, he applied for U.S. citizenship under the same name. He affirmed on his citizenship application and during an in-person citizenship interview in South Portland, Maine, that his name was Abukar Hassan Abdule. He ultimately was naturalized under the same name. After becoming a U.S. citizen, he applied for a U.S. passport under the name Abukar Hassan Abdule. In 2013, he filed in Vermont state court to legally change his name in the U.S. from Abukar Hassan Abdule to Hussien Noor Hussien, the name he was given at birth.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced today that up to $100,000 in grant funding is available for allocation to support Maine’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 

PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Maine’s PSN program is coordinated by the United States Attorney’s Office.

The Maine Department of Public Safety, acting as the fiscal agent for Maine’s PSN program, is seeking proposals from eligible applicants for grant projects designed to create and foster safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in violent crime. Up to approximately $100,000 is available to fund programs focused on reducing violence associated with opioid trafficking, human trafficking, domestic violence, gun trafficking and firearm possession by prohibited persons throughout Maine. The state’s PSN Task Force is comprised of a variety of federal, state and local partners and stakeholders who want to spread the word about this funding to Maine communities, such as private citizens, civic leaders, law enforcement, prosecutors, state and local government, anti-violence advocates, organizations (both for-profit and nonprofit), school administrators, educators, students of all ages and members of the juvenile justice community who might wish to submit proposals.

A copy of the RFP, as well as the Question & Answer Summary and all amendments related to this RFP, may be obtained at the following website:

https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/rfps

Proposals must be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services, via email, at Proposals@maine.gov. Proposal submissions must be received no later than 4:00 pm, local time, on October 3, 2019, when they will be opened. Proposals will be opened at the Burton M. Cross Office Building, 4th Floor, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta, Maine. Proposals not submitted to the Division of Procurement Services at the above email address by the October 3 deadline will not be considered for contract award.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Derek Mendoza, 24, of Presque Isle, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of passing counterfeit currency and one count of attempting to pass counterfeit currency.

According to court records, in December 2018, an individual from Presque Isle listed a futon for sale on Facebook Messenger. The seller was contacted by the defendant’s girlfriend and agreed to sell the futon for $75. On December 4, 2018, the defendant and his girlfriend arrived at the seller’s residence, purchased the futon with a $100 bill, loaded the futon into a car, and drove away. The seller noticed that the $100 appeared to be irregular and later confirmed with law enforcement that it was counterfeit.

On December 10, 2018, the defendant was shopping for merchandise at the Cigaret Shopper in Presque Isle. The defendant subsequently attempted to pay for the merchandise with four $50 bills. The cashier checked the bills with a marker and determined them to be counterfeit. The cashier gave the bills back to the defendant and advised him that the store would not accept them. The defendant then walked out of the store with the four bills. The entire transaction was captured on store video.

Mendoza faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The case was investigated by the Presque Isle Police Department and the United States Secret Service.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Diana Davis, 32, of Rochester, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” Davis pleaded guilty on October 24, 2018.

According to court records, between June 2015 and March 2017, Davis conspired with others to acquire heroin, fentanyl and crack in Rochester and to distribute it from at least 12 residences in Central Maine. Davis came to Central Maine and distributed the drugs while residing with several Central Maine residents who were paid in heroin and crack for their participation. 

On June 26, 2016, Davis was involved in an incident during which her brother and co‑defendant Frankie Dejesus exchanged gunfire with Reginald McBride in the parking lot of the Walmart in Augusta, Maine. In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock recounted the drug-related backdrop leading up to the incident.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance provided by the Augusta, Maine Police Department. This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Keon Baptiste‑Harris, 37, of Lewiston, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release for distribution of cocaine base (a/k/a crack cocaine) and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Baptiste‑Harris pleaded guilty on March 20, 2019.

According to court records, on May 1, 2018, Baptiste-Harris distributed cocaine base to a person working with law enforcement. On June 26, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Baptiste-Harris’s residence in Lewiston. During the search, agents seized distributable quantities of narcotics, more than $8,000 in U.S. currency, ammunition, cell phones and a loaded 9 mm pistol. Baptiste-Harris admitted possessing the firearm to protect himself, his narcotics and the proceeds from his narcotics trafficking

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force; the Lewiston Police Department; and the Maine State Police.

The prosecution is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.  

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Gary Boshoff, 52, formerly of Topsham, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to possessing child pornography.

According to court records, in August 2016, agents investigating the sharing of child pornography over the internet downloaded files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from a computer using an Internet Protocol address assigned to Boshoff’s residence in Topsham. A search warrant was obtained for the residence, and agents executed the warrant in October 2016. Boshoff admitted to agents that he had used the internet to search for and download child pornography images. A review of a laptop seized under the warrant revealed images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Boshoff faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces a term of supervised release following his release from prison of no less than five years and up to life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Topsham Police Department. The 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. 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:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Michael Crockett, Jr., 35, of Buxton, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon. Crockett pleaded guilty on March 11, 2019.

According to court documents, on April 1, 2018, Crockett possessed and discharged a nine millimeter pistol in the direction of an occupied vehicle parked in his driveway in Buxton. Standing outside the vehicle at the time was a 15-year-old minor female, who reported that she had been in an abusive and sexual relationship with Crockett since she was 14 years old.

Because Crockett was convicted of a felony crime of drug trafficking in the York County Superior Court in Alfred in May 2006, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law. Several witnesses reported having regularly seen Crockett with a firearm, including one who said he used it to threaten her.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Singal varied upward from the applicable guideline range of 46–57 months, noting that the defendant had engaged in numerous examples of uncontrollable behavior and was unable to abide by the law.

This case was investigated by the Buxton and Kittery Police Departments, the York County District Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Timothy Moroney, 55, of York, Maine and formerly of Massachusetts, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to failing to register as a sex offender in Maine and New Hampshire.

According to court records, in 1985, Moroney was convicted of aggravated rape in Massachusetts.  The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act requires convicted sex offenders to register in every jurisdiction in which they reside, work and go to school, and to keep their registration information current at all times.  Between 2005 and 2007, Moroney registered as a sex offender in Massachusetts.  In January of 2007, Moroney moved to Maine, but failed to register until February of 2019.  In late 2018 and early 2019, Moroney commuted from Maine to New Hampshire to work, but failed to register in New Hampshire. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the York Police Department.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Timothy Ortiz, a/k/a “Tyson,” 25, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to 92 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon.  Ortiz pleaded guilty on January 4, 2019.

According to court documents, on September 26, 2016, Ortiz was involved in an argument over a drug debt that led to his fatal shooting of Jonathan Methot using a Ruger, Blackhawk, .357 revolver at a duplex apartment building in Biddeford.  Ortiz was prohibited from possessing the firearm as the result of 2016 Maine felony convictions for aggravated sex trafficking and heroin distribution.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock varied upward from the applicable guideline range of 37-46 months, noting that the defendant’s criminal history was “disturbing” and the need to protect the public was “obvious.”

This case was investigated by the Biddeford Police Department; the Maine State Police; the Maine Attorney General’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the FBI; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Michael E. Algiere, 33, of Oakland, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Lance E. Walker to 85 months in prison and three years of supervised release for interfering with commerce by robbery.  Algiere pleaded guilty on April 24, 2019.

Court records reveal that on October 31, 2007, the defendant entered the Oakland Pharmacy in Oakland wearing a black ski mask, a hooded sweatshirt, and camouflage gloves.  He went to the pharmacy counter holding a knife and demanded oxycodone from the pharmacist.  The defendant absconded with several bottles of Roxicodone, Oxycontin, and Percocet.  

The Maine State Police Crime Laboratory (MSPCL) found DNA on a ski mask and knife recovered by police at and near the robbery scene, loaded the DNA profile into the Combined DNA Index System (“CODIS”), but could not match it to a known offender profile in 2007.  CODIS is a criminal justice database that contains DNA profiles of convicted offenders and arrestees.  Because participating forensic laboratories regularly add DNA profiles to CODIS, the MSPCL routinely compares unknown profiles from unsolved cases against the known profiles in CODIS.  In February 2017, a CODIS comparison revealed that the DNA obtained from the ski mask and knife matched DNA collected from the defendant.  The DNA match was confirmed after federal investigators collected a sample of the defendant’s DNA.

The case was investigated by the Oakland Police Department, the FBI, and the MSPCL. 

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Daniel Easler, 43, of Mapleton, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on the evening of December 4, 2018, the Caribou Police Department received a call from a citizen stating that there was a vehicle off the road in a snow bank. Law enforcement responded to the scene. There was no one in the vehicle but there were footprints in the snow leading away from the vehicle. Officers followed the footprints and found Easler, a convicted felon, lying in the snow. A search of the defendant revealed multiple firearms and ammunition. One of the firearms had previously been reported as stolen.

The defendant faces up to 10 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.

The case was investigated by the Caribou Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine State Police.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Ryan D. Merrill, 40, of Augusta, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Lance E. Walker to time served (six days) in jail and three years of supervised release for possessing an unregistered silencer. Merrill pleaded guilty on April 23, 2019.

According to court records, on July 17, 2018, officers with the Augusta Police Department responded to a complaint of gunshots in a residential area. Merrill had been firing a .22 caliber rifle at a fox and at small propane tanks behind his home. Officers discovered that Merrill had modified an automotive oil filter and attached it to the muzzle of the rifle using a special adapter in order to suppress the sound of the shots he fired. Merrill had not registered the silencer in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record and he knew that the possession of the silencer was prohibited by federal law.

The case was investigated by the Augusta Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Akeem Cruz, a/k/a “Vybe” and “Mello”, 29, and Lamale Lawson, a/k/a “Bishop” and “King Bishop”, 28, both of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”  Lawson also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. Christopher Rickett, 32, of Portland, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and to distributing heroin.

According to court records, from 2015 until September 2017, Cruz and Lawson conspired to acquire heroin and crack in New York and to distribute it in the Portland and Lewiston areas.  On about July 31, 2016, agents searched an apartment in Portland and recovered a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol, 9mm ammunition and a .22 revolver belonging to Lawson.  Rickett conspired to acquire heroin in Massachusetts and to distribute it in the Portland area. On December 11, 2018, conspirator Sierrha Frisbie, a/k/a “Cici”, 27, of Portland, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin in the Portland and Lewiston areas. 

Cruz and Lawson face between five and 40 years in prison, a $5,000,000 fine and between four years and life on supervised release.  Lawson also faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the firearms offense.  Rickett and Frisbie face up to 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine and between three years and life on supervised release. The defendants will be sentenced following the completion of presentence investigation reports by the U.S. Probation Office. 

The investigation was conducted by the Portland and South Portland Police Departments; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the FBI and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that James Cox, 55, of Edmond Township, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 1½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for distributing furanyl fentanyl and counterfeit drugs.  Cox pleaded guilty on February 26, 2019.

According to court records, on October 12, 2017, Cox offered to sell Percocet to a person working with law enforcement, but instead sold the person pills containing furanyl fentanyl, but not Percocet.  On February 3, 2018, Cox offered to sell oxycodone to the person, but instead sold the person counterfeit pills that contained carfentanil, but not oxycodone.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Maine State Police, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and Ellsworth Police Department and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Angela A. Curtis, 33, of Hudson, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to four months and a day in prison and three years of supervised release for mail theft.  She was also sentenced to a consecutive term of eight months in prison for violating the terms of supervised release imposed on her in 2012 following convictions for mail theft, bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  She pleaded guilty to mail theft and admitted violating the terms of her supervised release on March 22, 2019.

Court records reveal that in June and July, 2018, Curtis stole mail from mail boxes in Glenburn, Hudson, Hampden, and Charleston, Maine.  The mail that she stole included checks.  She altered several of those checks to add her name but her theft was discovered before any of the checks were negotiated. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.

Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Santiago Velazquez-Cordova, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Lance E. Walker to time served for entering the United States after being removed or deported. He has been in custody since March 28, 2019, and pleaded guilty on June 21, 2019.

According to court records, Velazquez-Cordova was ordered removed from the United States in 2003, and physically left the country in March 2010. He was found again in the United States a few days later, and was again removed on April 9, 2010. He was subsequently found in the United States at Waterville, Maine on March 28, 2019, and arrested. He had not applied for reentry to the United States, and was not legally authorized to reenter. 

The investigation was conducted by the Border Patrol of the United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Vincent Graham, a/k/a “Shawn” and “Mac,” 35, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock to 320 months in prison and six years of supervised release for sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; distributing heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack;” and transporting a victim in interstate commerce with the intent that she engage in prostitution.  Graham pleaded guilty on January 4, 2019.

According to court records, in 2015, Graham, using force and threats, recruited an adult female to engage in commercial sex acts in Biddeford, Maine.  Graham verbally abused and assaulted the victim, threatened her with violence, and exploited her heroin and crack addictions. Graham distributed crack to the victim.  He also supplied her with just enough heroin to avoid withdrawal and threatened to cut off her supply and cause her to suffer withdrawal if she refused to engage in commercial sex acts.  Graham also caused the victim, and a second woman, to travel from Maine to New Hampshire and Massachusetts to engage in prostitution.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock said: “I don't know how to express how deplorable I think your conduct was.  As a man, it's just unimaginable to me that you would treat a woman this way.”  Judge Woodcock added: “The need to provide just punishment requires no further explanation.  The need to protect the public is also self-explanatory.”

“The District of Maine’s human trafficking prosecutions are recognized nationally,” said U.S. Attorney Frank.  “Our office brings many of these prosecutions and defendants receive lengthy sentences that should make it crystal clear that human trafficking is a despicable crime that will not be tolerated in Maine.”

The investigation was conducted by the Biddeford Police Department; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; and Maine’s Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam). ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.