District of Maine

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Newell Mowry, 66, of Paterson, New Jersey, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.  He was also ordered to pay $32,500 in restitution to four victims and a $5,000 special assessment to the Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund.  Mowry pleaded guilty on March 21, 2018.

According to court records, in October 2017, as he reentered the United States from Canada, Mowry possessed a laptop computer containing numerous child pornography files that he downloaded from the internet including files that depicted children under the age of 12.

Mowry faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years because of a 1999 conviction in New York for possessing child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Keith Phillips, 57, of Lewiston, Maine, was charged by indictment in U.S. District Court with bank robbery.

According to court records, on June 6, 2018, Phillips entered Androscoggin Bank in Lewiston, approached a teller, passed a note that contained a demand for money and a threat of a gun, and absconded with $2,000.

If convicted, Phillips faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Lewiston Police Department; the FBI; the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Portland, South Portland, and Lewiston Police Departments; and the Central Maine Violent Crime Task Force. 

An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Sherri Chen, 55, of Hampden, Maine, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to maintaining a drug-involved premises for use and distribution of heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” 

According to court records, between January 2016 and February 2017, Chen, in exchange for drugs, allowed her Hampden residence to be used for the use and distribution of crack and heroin. 

Chen faces up to 20 years in prison term, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. 

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.

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Aaron Dodd, 35, of Baldwin, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to five years in prison for possession of stolen firearms. Dodd pled guilty on April 4, 2018.

According to court records, in March 2016, Maine State Police troopers seized four stolen firearms hidden by Dodd in Baldwin residences owned by family members. 

In imposing the sentence, Judge Singal noted that the sentence was appropriate in light of Dodd’s extensive criminal history, which included seven prior burglary convictions.   

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in conjunction with the Maine State Police and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Cuwan Merritt, 29, of Boston, Massachusetts, was convicted today following a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”

On May 12, 2017, the defendant and Michael Artis travelled from Boston intending to sell crack in Lewiston.  Law enforcement agents intercepted the vehicle in which they were traveling when they reached Auburn.  A police dog alerted to the presence of narcotics on both men.  Agents seized 57 pre-packaged .5g bags of crack from Artis and later seized crack that Merritt had secreted in his body.

Merritt faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.  He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.  Artis pled guilty to the same charge on June 28, 2018 and awaits sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration in conjunction with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Auburn and Lewiston Police Departments and the Maine State Police.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Harli Wells, 29, of Hermon, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” 

According to court records, between January 2016 and February 2017, Wells conspired with others to acquire heroin, fentanyl and crack in Waterbury, Connecticut and distribute the drugs in Penobscot County. Wells sold the drugs to customers and also delivered drugs to customers for other members of the conspiracy.  

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, between three years and life on supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.  She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

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.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Dejuan Rabb, also known as “Slim,” 36, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 140 months in prison and six years of supervised release for distribution of furanyl fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, and possession with intent to distribute, furanyl fentanyl and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”  Rabb pled guilty on March 12, 2018. 

Court records reveal that on August 30, 2017, Rabb distributed furanyl fentanyl to an individual working with police. The next day, after conducting a second purchase of furanyl fentanyl from Rabb’s co-conspirator, Donttey Collazo, agents searched two apartments used by Rabb and Collazo to distribute drugs and seized furanyl fentanyl, crack and $2,000. 

In sentencing Rabb, Judge Singal noted: “fentanyl has eclipsed all other illicit substances in terms of its tragic impact on the population in this District.”  On April 3, 2018, Judge Singal sentenced Collazo to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Lewiston and Auburn police departments; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Central Maine Violent Crimes Task Force, and 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 Donald Cain, 49, of Henderson, Nevada, and formerly of Conroe, Texas, and Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by John A. Woodcock Jr. to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for interstate stalking. He pled guilty on January 11, 2018.

According to the indictment and evidence introduced at the plea hearing, Cain was married in August 2014 to a resident of Aroostook County. When they met, he worked in Calais, Maine, but soon relocated to San Antonio, Texas.  His wife remained in Maine. Between November 2014 and December 2015, the defendant used a telephone to call and send threatening text messages which caused substantial emotional distress to his wife.

In imposing the statutory maximum sentence, Judge Woodcock noted that Cain’s conduct was “utterly reprehensible” and constituted a “psychological assault” and that he had “never before seen a stalking crime of such length, intensity, vulgarity, scope, sophistication and impact.”

The investigation was conducted by the Houlton Police Department, the San Antonio, Texas Police Department, the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force and the FBI in Maine and South Carolina.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Eric Tracy, 46, of Bangor, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” 

According to court records, between January 2016 and February 2017, Tracy conspired with others to acquire heroin and crack in Waterbury, Connecticut and distribute the drugs in Penobscot County. Tracy sold the drugs to customers and also delivered drugs to customers for other members of the conspiracy.  

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, between three years and life on supervised release, and a $1,000,000 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 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 Idabeel Rios-Zendejas, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torreson to time served (81 days) for entering the United States after being removed or deported.  Rios-Zendejas pled guilty on May 22, 2018.

According to court records, Rios-Zendejas unlawfully entered the United States, was ordered removed to Mexico in 2015, and left. She did not apply for permission to reenter the United States.  On April 27, 2018, she was arrested in Clinton, Maine, after a Clinton Police officer stopped a vehicle in which he was a passenger.  She admitted to U.S. Border Patrol that she reentered the United States without being inspected and without legal authority. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Clinton Police Department.  

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Fausto Rivera-Rivera, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torreson to time served (81 days) for entering the United States after being removed or deported. Rivera-Rivera pled guilty on June 21, 2018.

According to court records, Rivera-Rivera unlawfully entered the United States, was ordered removed to Mexico in 2013, and left. He did not apply for permission to reenter the United States.  On April 27, 2018, he was arrested in Clinton, Maine, after a Clinton Police officer stopped a vehicle in which he was a passenger.  He admitted to U.S. Border Patrol that he reentered the United States in Arizona in 2015 without being inspected and without legal authority. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Clinton Police Department.  

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank today announced that County Ambulance, Inc. (“County Ambulance”), of Ellsworth, has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the United States and the State of Maine in which it will pay $16,776.74 to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims to Medicare and MaineCare (Maine’s Medicaid program) from January 2015 through April 2016.  MaineCare is primarily funded by the United States, which pays about two-thirds of all claims submitted to MaineCare. 

According to a civil complaint filed today, County Ambulance used money paid to it by Medicare and MaineCare to pay the salary and benefits of a County Ambulance employee who previously had been excluded from Federal health care and the MaineCare programs.  Federal health care programs may not pay for items or services furnished, ordered, or prescribed by excluded individuals or entities, including administrative and management services or salary.  Prior to joining County Ambulance, the employee had been excluded after surrendering her license to practice as a pharmacy technician due to the diversion of controlled substances, but County Ambulance failed to check publicly available exclusion databases to determine if she was excluded.  County Ambulance cooperated throughout the investigation.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Maine.  The civil action is docketed United States and the State of Maine v. County Ambulance Service, Inc., d/b/a County Ambulance, Inc., 1:18-cv-00280-JAW (D. Me.).

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Juan Santana, 42, of Lowell, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release for making a false statement in a passport application and aggravated identity theft.

According to court records, in October 2016, Santana, who was a citizen of the Dominican Republic and therefore ineligible to receive a U.S. passport, submitted a U.S. passport application falsely identifying himself as another individual. He presented a birth certificate and Maine driver’s license in the other individual’s name. When he was arrested in October 2017, he was in possession of several documents in the other individual’s name, including a Maine driver’s license, social security card and debit card.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Portland, Maine:  Attorney General Jeff Sessions and United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank today announced Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a new program that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.

As part of Operation S.O.S., the Department will launch an enforcement surge in ten districts with some of the highest drug overdose death rates, including the District of Maine. In Maine, in 2016, there were 376 drug-induced deaths; in 2017, there were 418 drug-induced deaths.   In Cumberland County, a county with a population of about 280,000, in 2016, there were 78 drug-induced overdose deaths, including 68 opioid-related deaths; in 2017, there were 109 drug-induced overdose deaths, including 94 opioid-related deaths.

Each participating United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) will choose a specific county and prosecute every readily provable case involving the distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids, regardless of drug quantity. The surge will involve a coordinated DEA Special Operations Division operation to insure that leads from street-level cases are used to identify larger scale distributors. Operation S.O.S. was inspired by a promising initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida involving Manatee County, Florida.

"When it comes to synthetic opioids, there is no such thing as a small case," Attorney General Sessions said. "In 2016, synthetic opioids killed more Americans than any other kind of drug. Three milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal--that's not even enough to cover up Lincoln's face on a penny. Our prosecutors in Manatee County, Florida have shown that prosecuting seemingly small synthetic opioids cases can have a big impact and save lives, and we want to replicate their success in the districts that need it most. This new strategy—and the new prosecutors who will help carry it out—will help us put more traffickers behind bars and keep the American people safe from the threat of these deadly drugs."

“As is much of the rest of the country, Maine is in the midst of a crisis in which people are dying from opioid overdoses at an alarming rate in large part due to the increasing availability and potency of synthetic opioids like fentanyl,” U.S. Attorney Frank said. “In addition, Maine is seeing more of the violence that too often attends drug use and property crimes, such as shoplifting, committed to fund drug habits.  Addressing this crisis requires all segments of society to engage, and my office will continue to work with representatives of the prevention, treatment, and recovery communities.  As the chief federal law enforcement officer in Maine, however, my primary responsibility is to enforce the law.  I am grateful that the Department is giving us additional resources to do so in the area of synthetic drug enforcement.  I am hopeful that we will be able to use those resources to reduce the supply of opioids that are coming from communities outside of Maine, killing Mainers, and causing untold collateral consequences.  We are starting the effort in Cumberland County because it has the highest absolute number of overdose deaths of any county in Maine.”

In addition, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Executive Office will send an additional two-year term Assistant United States Attorney to each participating district to assist with drug-related prosecutions.

The ten participating districts are:

Northern District of Ohio

Southern District of Ohio

Eastern District of Tennessee

Eastern District of Kentucky

Southern District of West Virginia

Northern District of West Virginia

District of Maine

Eastern District of California

Western District of Pennsylvania

District of New Hampshire

In Manatee County, a county just south of Tampa with a population of about 320,000, overdoses and deaths skyrocketed in 2015 (780 overdoses/84 opioid related deaths) and 2016 (1,287 overdoses/123 opioid related deaths). In summer of 2016, local law enforcement reported frequent, street-level distribution of fentanyl and carfentanil for the first time.

To combat this crisis, the Middle District of Florida committed to prosecuting every readily provable drug distribution case involving synthetic opioids in Manatee County regardless of drug quantity. The effort resulted in the indictments of forty five traffickers of synthetic opioids. Further, from the last six months of 2016 to the last six months of 2017, overdoses dropped by 77.1% and deaths dropped by 74.2%. Overall, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office went from responding to 11 overdoses a day to an average now of less than one per day. 

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Joshua Knight, 35, of Brunswick, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon. Knight pleaded guilty to the charge on January 5, 2018.

According to court records and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, in August 2016, Knight possessed a Remington 12 gauge semi-automatic sawed-off shotgun at his Brunswick residence that he once held to the head of a girlfriend and threatened: “This is what it feels like right before you die.”  Knight was prohibited from possession the firearm because he had prior Maine felony convictions for aggravated marijuana furnishing and operating under the influence with priors.

In imposing the statutory maximum sentence, Chief Judge Torresen said: “Your criminal history shows trends that are very disturbing… the things you have done are, frankly, heinous.”

The investigation was conducted by the Brunswick Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in a America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Steven Butler, 25, of Rangeley, Maine, was sentenced today by U.S. District by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for distribution of fentanyl.

According to court records, between March and June 2017, the defendant distributed fentanyl three times to a confidential informant in Rangeley.

The case was investigated by 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 Maine Police Department, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General. This case was investigated 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 Jordan Richard, 24, of New Vineyard, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and oxycodone and discharging a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime.  

According to court records, between January 2016 and September 2017, the defendant and others conspired to distribute cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and oxycodone from the defendant’s residences in Rangeley and New Sharon, Maine. On July 28, 2016, the defendant shot and killed one of two men who came to his Rangeley residence to rob him. The second man fled the scene and was subsequently captured. Officers investigating the shooting discovered cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, cash, drug paraphernalia and the semiautomatic handgun used in the shooting in the residence. 

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine on the drug charge. He faces a mandatory consecutive term of between 10 years and life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the gun charge.

The case was investigated by 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 Maine Police Department; with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General. This case was investigated 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 Ryan Mumme, 46, of Eastport, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to possession of child pornography.

According to court records, the defendant was interviewed by agents at his home and admitted that he had child pornography on his laptop computer.  A subsequent forensic examination of the laptop revealed multiple images and videos of children under the age of twelve engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The defendant 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.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and the Eastport Police Department.  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. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Syriane Baldwin, a/k/a “Del”, 31, of Bangor was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” and oxycodone. He pled guilty to the charge on October 25, 2017.

According to court records, between January 2013 and September 2015, Baldwin conspired with others to obtain heroin, crack and oxycodone in New York City and to distribute it in the Bangor area and elsewhere.  This case was related to the prosecution of Mario Lee, a/k/a “Moe,” who was sentenced on May 5, 2017 to 218 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. 

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 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 Mark Elkhorn, 58, of York, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to one month in prison and three years of supervised release for making false statements to a federal agent.  Elkhorn pleaded guilty to the offense on January 18, 2018. 

According to court records, in October 2015, a witness provided a tip to law enforcement that Elkhorn was illegally trapping animals in Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge.  An investigation confirmed the tip and uncovered additional wrongdoing.  As a result, Elkhorn was convicted of state and federal charges.  In December 2016, Elkhorn sent a threatening text message from his cellular telephone to the witness.  In January 2017, Elkhorn lied to a federal agent when he denied sending the threatening text message to the witness.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the FBI, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Everton Jones, 22, currently residing in Lewiston, was arrested in New York and charged today by criminal complaint in U.S. District Court with distribution of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” 

According to the complaint, the charge arose from an investigation into crack trafficking in Lewiston. 

If convicted, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Maine State Police; and the Lewiston Police Department.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Jose Castillo Febles, 31, of Doral, Florida, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 32 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was also ordered to pay over $25,000 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on August 25, 2017.

Court records show that between about November 2015 and June 2016, the defendant and others used stolen credit and debit card numbers to purchase merchandise. In May 2016, as part of the conspiracy, the defendant and others traveled to Maine. On May 29, 2016, the defendant purchased over $500 worth of merchandise at a Portland Walgreens using a stolen card number belonging to a victim from Auburn.

On June 15, 2016, after two co-conspirators, Yaisder Herrera Gargallo and Meylisi Rueda, purchased merchandise at a Portland Walgreens using a stolen card number, store personnel notified the police and provided a license plate number. On June 18, 2016, a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped a vehicle matching the description provided by Walgreens personnel. The defendant and two of his co-conspirators were in the vehicle. The stop led to their arrest and the discovery of merchandise, numerous fraudulent credit cards and a laptop computer. The laptop computer was later found to contain credit card numbers and related data.

Yaisder Herrera Gargallo was sentenced to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release on November 14, 2017. Another co-defendant, Juan Carlos Febles, was sentenced to 34 months in prison and three years of supervised release on January 3, 2018. Meylisi Rueda has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Portland Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that James Mansfield, 33, of Etna, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to one year and a day in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana.  Mansfield pleaded guilty on February 15, 2018.

According to court records, during a period between October 2010 and August 2016, the defendant conspired with others to illegally manufacture and distribute marijuana. The defendant grew marijuana at a large, sophisticated indoor growing facility in Frankfort, Maine which he was told was an illegal medical marijuana grow. In May 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the facility and seized about 400 marijuana plants, 295 marijuana root balls, and paraphernalia used to manufacture and process marijuana.  According to the search warrant affidavit, the defendant and his co-conspirators were not registered as medical marijuana caregivers with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the location of the facility was not reported to DHHS. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Terrence Sawtelle, a/k/a “Terry,” 49, of Dexter, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. 

According to court records, during a period of time between October 2010 and August 2016, the defendant conspired with others to illegally manufacture and distribute marijuana at a facility in Frankfort, Maine and to distribute it at the Owl’s Club, in Bangor in violation of federal law, and under the cover of, but in violation of, Maine’s Medical Marijuana program. 

In May 2016, agents searched the Frankfort facility and seized marijuana in various stages of harvest and cultivation, together with paraphernalia and items used to manufacture and process marijuana.  In August 2016, agents searched property in downtown Bangor, including the Owl’s Club, and seized processed marijuana.  At the time of the searches, the location of the Frankfort facility was not reported to DHHS as required.     

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, between three years and life of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.  The defendant will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.   

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Michael A. Morrison, 41, of Rockland, Maine, was charged by criminal complaint in U.S. District Court with health care fraud and embezzlement from a health care benefit program arising out of  his employment at the Trade Winds Health, Swim and Tan Club (“Trade Winds”) in Rockland. 

According to court documents, from 2005 until July 2016, Morrison was the Executive Director of the health club at Trade Winds, which included a physical therapy business known as Coastal Physical Therapy.  Between 2014 and 2016, Morrison allegedly submitted over $177,000 worth of fraudulent claims to Medicare, MaineCare, the Veterans Administration Fee Basis health care program, and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield by inflating the length of time procedures lasted, and by submitting claims for services not rendered or for services he rendered even though he was not a licensed Physical Therapist (PT) or a PT Assistant. 

The complaint also alleged that from 2011 to 2016, Morrison embezzled over $70,000 from the health club by making unauthorized purchases for himself and his family using a business credit card and by stealing and cash from the business.

The defendant faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.

This case originated from a referral from the Rockland Police Department and the Maine Attorney General’s Healthcare Crimes Unit (“MeHCU”) and was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the MeHCU, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. 

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Timothy Ortiz, a/k/a “Tyson,” 25, of New York, was charged by criminal complaint in U.S. District Court with possession of a firearm by a felon. 

According to court documents, on September 26, 2016, Ortiz was involved in an argument which led to his fatal shooting of Jonathan Methot using a silver Ruger, new model 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.

Ortiz faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the charge.  His initial appearance is scheduled for 2:30 today in U.S. District Court.

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 and prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Sylas Way, 44, Elijah Blake, 26, Keon Baptiste-Harris, 35, Jamie Perry, 46, and Davontae Perrybrooks, 26, all currently residing in Lewiston, were arrested and charged today by criminal complaint in U.S. District Court with distribution of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” 

According to the complaints, the charges arose from an investigation into crack trafficking in Lewiston. 

If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Baptise-Harris made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court today at 10:30 a.m. The other defendants are expected to make initial appearances in U.S. District Court later today starting at 2:00 p.m. 

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Maine State Police; and the Lewiston Police Department.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Tem Tom, 24, of Portland, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to seven years in prison and eight years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”  He pleaded guilty on November 15, 2017.

Court records reveal that on February 2, 2017, law enforcement agents conducting surveillance in Portland approached a vehicle in which Tom was a passenger following a suspected drug transaction and seized more than an ounce of crack and $3,580 from Tom. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Portland Police Department. 

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Travis Jonathon Card, 38, of Westbrook, Maine, was charged today by criminal complaint in U.S. District Court with interference with commerce by robbery. 

According to the complaint, the charge arises from an investigation into eleven armed robberies in the greater Portland area in March and April, 2018.  One of these robberies occurred at a Gulf Mart, in Westbrook, on April 6, 2018.  On that date, Card entered the store, approached the clerk, brandished what appeared to be a black firearm, and directed the clerk to open the register and give him money.  He absconded with over $500.

If convicted, Card faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The defendant is currently being held in state custody on related charges. His initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland has not yet been scheduled.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI, in conjunction with the Portland, Westbrook, Falmouth, Cumberland, South Portland, and Old Orchard Beach Police Departments.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Rafael Buli, 24, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 80 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl, and aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.  The sentence is to be run consecutively to a three year sentence that Buli is currently serving in Massachusetts for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Buli pled guilty on February 2, 2018. 

Court records reveal that in 2016, Buli conspired with Wender Santos, a/k/a “Carlos,” and others to distribute fentanyl in the Lawrence area.  Maine drug customers contacted Santos who directed Buli to meet with them to consummate the drug transactions.  On September 1, 2016, federal and state agents stopped a Maine customer after Buli sold about 400 grams of fentanyl to the customer.  During the conspiracy, Buli was being electronically monitored (“EM”) by the Massachusetts Department of Probation, and the EM bracelet placed him at several controlled transactions conducted by federal agents.  Santos pled guilty on April 3, 2018 to the same charges and awaits sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine State Police 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 Sean Trim, 33, of Stoughton, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, use of a counterfeit credit card, and possession of fifteen or more counterfeit credit cards.

Court records reveal that between November 2016 and February 2017, Trim conspired with Tishon Singh to commit credit card fraud.  On January 6, 2017, officers from the Windham Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a car occupied by Trim and Singh.  Inside the car, the officers found a black toiletry bag containing over 160 credit cards, many of which were counterfeit.  Subsequent investigation revealed that both men had used counterfeit credit cards to make purchases at a Hannaford Store in North Windham, Maine.  On February 16, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in Stoughton, Massachusetts, that was occupied by Trim and Singh.  The police ultimately seized from the residence over 500 counterfeit credit cards, materials used for manufacturing counterfeit credit cards, nearly $7,000 in cash, and laptop computers and a thumb drive that contained credit card data.

Trim faces up to five years on the conspiracy count, and up to 10 years on each of the remaining counts.  He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.  He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.  Singh pleaded guilty on May 11, 2018 to using of a counterfeit credit card and possession of fifteen or more counterfeit credit cards and awaits sentencing.  

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Windham and Biddeford Police Departments, and the Stoughton, Massachusetts Police Department. 

 

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Fausto Rivera-Rivera, 37, a citizen of Mexico, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to illegally entering the United States after being removed or deported.

According to court records, Rivera-Rivera unlawfully entered the United States, was ordered removed to Mexico in 2013, and left. He did not apply for permission to reenter the United States.  On April 27, 2018, he was arrested in Clinton, Maine, after a Clinton Police officer stopped a vehicle in which he was a passenger.  He admitted to U.S. Border Patrol that he reentered the United States in Arizona in 2015 without being inspected and without legal authority. 

Rivera-Rivera faces up to two 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.  Upon completion of any sentenced imposed, he faces deportation to Mexico.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Clinton Police Department.  

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Ryan T. Card, 22, of Caribou, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to five years in prison and 20 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.  Card pleaded guilty on February 27, 2018.

According to court records, between about November 2016 and April 2017, Card possessed images of child pornography on his cell phone.  At least one of the images, which he had sought out and downloaded from on-line storage accounts on the internet, depicted a child under the age of 12.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Caribou Police Department, and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit. 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. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Hadelyn Richardson, 26, of Portland, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to six years in prison and four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  He was also fined $10,000.  Upon release from prison, he faces deportation to the Dominican Republic.  He pleaded guilty on January 30, 2018.

Court records reveal that on June 21, 2017, law enforcement agents intercepted a package sent from Puerto Rico to the defendant’s residence containing about four kilograms of cocaine.  During the ensuing search of his residence, agents seized 3.5 kilograms of cocaine and a firearm. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Portland Police Department.  The prosecution is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), 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 Jonathan F. Cowles, 47, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and formerly of Rowley, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to six months in prison and three years of supervised release for wire fraud.  Cowles was also ordered to pay $359,784.90 in restitution. He pled guilty on January 22, 2018.

According to court records and evidence, between March and June 2014, the defendant used interstate wires to skim about $25,000 in commissions to which he was not entitled from his employer, Maine Coast Shellfish, LLC (Maine Coast), a lobster wholesaler located in York, Maine.  As part of his fraudulent scheme, he also caused Maine Coast to ship about 50,000 lbs. of lobster worth $359,784.90 to a customer in China whose true identity he concealed and for which Maine Coast was not paid.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the York Police Department.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Ali Ratib Daham, 41, of Westbrook, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to three years in prison and three years of supervised release for SNAP and WIC trafficking conspiracy, money laundering and theft of federal MaineCare funds.  He was also ordered to pay $1,446,338 in restitution.  He pleaded guilty on November 28, 2017.  Abdulkareem Daham, 22, of Westbrook was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to defraud and to commit offenses against the United States. He was also ordered to pay $954,979 in restitution. He was found guilty on January 11, 2018 following a three-day jury trial.  The charges arose out of the defendants’ operation of Ahram Halal Market on Forest Avenue in Portland.  Ali Ratib Daham was the owner and operator of the market; Abdulkareem was an employee. 

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) is a federal government program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, designed to raise the level of nutrition among low-income households.  The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (“WIC”) is a federal program that provides supplemental food, health care referrals and nutrition for certain low-income women, and to infants and children up to age five who were found to be nutritionally at risk.  Ahram became a SNAP retailer in 2011 and a WIC retailer in 2012. 

According to court documents and trial evidence, the defendants conspired with each other to defraud the United States and traffic in SNAP and WIC benefits by allowing customers to exchange SNAP benefits and WIC checks for cash at a discounted rate and allowing SNAP benefits to be used to purchase ineligible goods or services or illegally pay off credit accounts at the market.  Ali Ratib Daham also laundered proceeds of SNAP trafficking through the purchase and improvement of residential and commercial real estate, and stole about $39,000 in SNAP and MaineCare benefits by failing to report or update changes to his income and assets with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (“MDHHS”).

Judge Hornby stated that the sentences in these cases needed to promote respect for the law and have a deterrence effect on others.  He told Ali Daham that his criminal conduct caused distrust of government welfare programs and may lead to prejudice against welfare recipients and immigrants.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and the MDHHS, Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Christopher Ruhlin, 49, of Holden, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and to structuring cash transactions to evade federal cash transaction reporting requirements.   

According to court records, between October 2010 and August 2016, the defendant conspired with others to illegally grow marijuana at a facility in Frankfort, Maine and to distribute it at the Owl’s Club, in Bangor in violation of federal law, and under the cover of, but in violation of, Maine’s Medical Marijuana program.  The defendant and others operated the Frankfort facility until 2013.  Thereafter, others operated it.  In May 2016, agents searched the Frankfort facility and seized marijuana in various stages of harvest and cultivation, together with paraphernalia and items used to manufacture and process marijuana.  In August 2016, agents searched property owned by the defendant in downtown Bangor, including the Owl’s Club, and seized processed marijuana.  At the time of the searches, the defendant was not registered as a medical marijuana caregiver with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the location of the Frankfort facility was not reported to DHHS as required.  

Under federal law, financial institutions that receive more than $10,000 in cash from a customer are required to report the transaction to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  Structuring occurs when a customer breaks up cash transactions into multiple increments of less than $10,000, to avoid these cash transaction reporting requirements.  On May 28, 2013, the defendant structured cash deposits into his bank account in order to cause the bank not to file a currency transaction report.

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, between three years and life of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine for the drug conspiracy.  He faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release for structuring.  In a plea agreement, the defendant agreed to forfeit $115,000.  The defendant will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.   

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Richard Bailey, 67, of Gardiner, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to production and possession of child pornography.

According to court records, law enforcement agents received information that the defendant was uploading images of child pornography to various websites.  Based on this information, they obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s home in Gardiner.  During the execution of the search warrant, the defendant admitted that agents would find multiple images of child pornography involving underage boys on his electronic devices.  The investigation revealed that the defendant produced child pornography by encouraging adults in the Philippines during online chats to engage in sexual activity with children that was videotaped, photographed, and disseminated in real time over the internet. A forensic examination of the defendant’s electronic devices revealed multiple images and videos of child pornography including images obtained from the Philippine sex shows.

The defendant faces between 15 and 30 years in prison on the production count and up to 20 years on the possession count.  He faces supervised release for life 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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit.  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. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

WASHINGTON – Assistant U.S. Attorney (“AUSA”) Joel Casey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Maine was one of 162 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director James Crowell, IV at the 34th Director’s Awards Ceremony today in Washington D.C.  Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (“MDEA”) Special Agent Christopher Gardner was also recognized posthumously.

The District of Maine was one of 35 districts represented at the ceremony which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.

In addressing the award recipients and guests, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said, “Today’s honorees earned the esteem of their colleagues.  But most importantly, they earned the gratitude of our fellow citizens — the people whose communities you made safer, whose lives you improved, and whose trust you rewarded. Today, we pause to honor and recognize a small portion of your work.”

AUSA Casey, Special Agent Gardiner and their counterparts in Connecticut were recognized for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team for their work investigating and prosecuting the Red Side Guerilla Brims (RSGB”). The investigation revealed that members and associates of the RSGB, a sect of the Bloods street gang based in New Haven, were engaged in narcotics trafficking and related acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assaults and armed robberies.  In addition to distributing crack cocaine and other narcotics in and around New Haven, the investigation indicated that members and associates of the RSGB transported the drugs to Bangor, Maine, and sold them in Bangor and its surrounding communities.  The RSGB also traded narcotics for firearms and used drug addicts as straw purchasers of firearms.  Members then brought the firearms back to New Haven and distributed them to gang members.  As a result of this investigation, 21 members and associates of the RSGB were convicted of federal charges in Connecticut and Maine.  The investigation resolved seven murder cases, four attempted murders and four armed robberies that occurred in 2011 and 2012.

EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Maine and representing the federal government in civil litigation.  The Office is composed of about 26 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 25 staff members at offices in Portland and Bangor.  For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that David Forrest Noel, 40 of Bowdoin, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to two years in prison and five years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender.  Noel pleaded guilty on June 22, 2017.

According to court records, Noel was required by law to register as a sex offender because he was convicted in Massachusetts in 2010 of indecent assault and battery on a child.  After that conviction, Noel registered as a sex offender in Massachusetts.  He moved to Maine in 2016 and failed to notify appropriate authorities of the move and failed to register as a sex offender in Maine.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Robert E. DeAngelis, 38, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release for making a false claim for a federal tax refund.  DeAngleis also was ordered to pay $100,574 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). He pled guilty on January 16, 2018.

According to court records, DeAngelis, who was then residing in North Berwick, Maine, falsely reported his income, as well as the amount of federal income tax withheld from him, on his 2014 joint income tax return.  As a result, the IRS issued a refund payment in the amount of $31,615, to which he was not entitled. The restitution order reflected improper refund payments he obtained in connection with the filing of his 2011, 2012 and 2014 tax returns.

The case was investigated by the IRS, Criminal Investigations.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that David Jack, 44, of Bangor, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 10 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.  Jack pleaded guilty on January 26, 2018.

According to court records, in the summer of 2016, the defendant, while living in Bangor, used his cellular telephone to show images of children engaged in sexual activity to a 9-year-old girl.  Shortly thereafter, detectives with the Bangor Police Department obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s home and seized two laptop computers and a cellular telephone.  A forensic examination of those devices revealed over two thousand images of children, many of them prepubescent, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The case was investigated by the Bangor Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  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. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that William Flynn, 76, of Portland, Maine, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to running an illegal gambling business.

According to court records, between 2010 and April 7, 2017, Flynn was a participant in Stephen Mardigan’s illegal sports gambling business operating in Portland.  This business received bets on professional and college sporting events.  Flynn coordinated bets with Mardigan, shared profits and losses with him, and communicated regularly with him about sports lines, bets taken, and other aspects of the business.  Mardigan also served as the “bank” for Flynn’s bets. 

The defendant faces up to five years in jail and twice the gain on the gambling charge.  He agreed to forfeit $74,690.  He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force; the Portland, South Portland, Lewiston, Westbrook, Bangor, and Cape Elizabeth Police Departments; the Maine State Police; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Steven P. Springer II, 25, of Pittsfield, Maine, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to providing false information during the purchase firearms. 

According to court records, on February 22, 2015, Springer purchased a Kel-Tec PF9 semi-automatic pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer.  In connection with the purchase, Lewis completed a Firearms Transaction Record form in which he falsely reported that he was the actual purchaser of the firearm.  Two days later, Springer purchased two Kel-Tec P11 semi-automatic pistols from another federally licensed dealer, again falsely reporting on the form that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms.  On both occasions, Springer was buying the firearms for another individual who was prohibited from purchasing them.

Springer 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. 

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Toni Juliano, 30, of Canaan, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” The defendant pled guilty  on December 11, 2017.

According to court records, on September 6, 2017, officers seized about 173 grams of heroin, 60 grams of crack and 113 grams of cocaine from the defendant’s hotel room.  On September 27, 2017, officers seized about 100 grams of heroin, 91 grams of fentanyl, 88 grams of cocaine, and $38,222 from a second hotel room used by the defendant.  At the time of the two seizures, the defendant was on bail and awaiting sentencing on a state charge of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs. 

In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock described Juliano as “major drug dealer in Central Maine” who was responsible for distributing a “staggering” amount of controlled drugs.

The case was investigated by the Waterville Police Department with assistance provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Attorney General’s Office, 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 Shine, 28, of Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 6½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms.  Shine pled guilty on November 29, 2017.

According to court records, on April 8, 2017, Shine and co-defendant, Dane Mitchell, drove to a shooting range in Gray, Maine, where they rented firearms, purchased ammunition, and fired the weapons.  Boston Police Department officers identified Shine, Mitchell and the shooting range from videos that were uploaded to Snapchat.  Shine was prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of his 2011 Massachusetts felony convictions for receiving a stolen motor vehicle and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

On May 14, 2018, Mitchell, who was also prohibited from possessing firearms, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Boston Police Department’s Youth Violence Strike Force and prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Alialin Doughty, 29, of Old Town, Maine, was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 3½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for maintaining a drug involved premises. Doughty pled guilty on October 25, 2017.

According to court records, between April 2013 and July 2015, Doughty allowed her Bangor apartment to be used by Yanel Greene, Mario Lee and others to store, package and sell over 2.2 kilograms of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” 154 grams of heroin and oxycodone.

In sentencing the defendant, Chief Judge Torresen said that “a lot of poison had been pumped into the community” through the defendant’s apartment and that the defendant’s conduct was aggravated by her 2009 state drug conviction for essentially the same kind of conduct -- making her apartment available as a location for drug dealers to operate. 

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration 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 Steven Nygren, 51, of Salem, Massachusetts, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 95 months in prison and five years of supervised release for bank fraud, unauthorized use of credit card numbers, and tax evasion.  He was also ordered to pay over $815,000 in restitution.

According to court records, from June 2014 through August 2015, Nygren used his position as financial manager of a Brooklin, Maine business to embezzle and forge 63 business checks worth over $732,000 and to charge $62,000 to business credit cards for unauthorized personal purchases.  From 2010 through 2016, Nygren also evaded the payment of over $1,000,000 in previously assessed federal taxes and penalties for tax years dating back to 1996.

In announcing the lengthy sentence, Judge Woodcock noted that “cheating others has been a way of life for [Nygren].”

The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police, the FBI, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Melina Snead, a/k/a “Lady,” 24, of Rochester, New York, Jeffrey Johnson, 57, of Gardiner, Maine, and Nicole Truman, a/k/a “Coley,” 32, of Augusta, Maine pled guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” 

According to court records, between June 2015 and March 2017, the defendants conspired with others to acquire heroin, fentanyl and crack in Rochester and transport it to Central Maine for distribution. Snead sold the drugs in Central Maine. Johnson allowed Rochester conspirators to sell drugs from his residence and assisted in distributing, storing and transporting the drugs. Truman transported drugs from storage to residences for distribution.

The defendants face up to 20 years in prison term, a $1,000,000 fine, and between three years and life on supervised release.  

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 and 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 Ambrose Wan, a/k/a “Ambrose Won,” a/k/a “Bruno,” 33, of New York, New York, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack;” possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, crack and heroin; and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.

According to court records, between July and September 2017 Wan conspired with others to distribute the drugs in Central Maine. The drugs were obtained from sources in New York and distributed throughout Central Maine by a network of dealers.  On September 6 and 28, 2017, police recovered drugs from two hotel rooms in Waterville intended for distribution by Wan and others.

The defendant faces between 10 years and life in prison, a $10,000,000 fine and between eight years and life on supervised release. Wan faces enhanced penalties by virtue of a prior conviction for a felony drug offense. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

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