District of Maine

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Stephen Mardigan, 61, of Portland, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false income tax return.

According to court records, between 2003 and April 7, 2017, Mardigan ran an illegal multi-million dollar sports gambling business in Portland that received bets on professional and college sporting events.  Mardigan used proceeds from the illegal gambling business to buy, maintain, improve, and pay expenses related to numerous real properties located in the greater Portland area.  In 2015, Mardigan received substantial income from the illegal gambling business that he failed to report on his federal income tax return. On April 7, 2017, agents seized betting records; $142,974 from Mardigan’s residence; $500,000 from a safe deposit box; and $104,072.70 from a business bank account in Mardigan’s name d/b/a “Avenue Auto” that Mardigan used to launder his gambling proceeds.

The defendant faces up to five years in jail and twice the gain on the gambling charge, 20 years and twice the value of the property laundered on the money laundering charge, and three years and $100,000 on the tax charge. The defendant agreed to forfeit over $1,375,000 and 18 real properties located in Portland, Westbrook, Gorham and Cape Elizabeth, and to pay $1,338,891 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).  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; IRS, Criminal Investigation; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Sidney P. Kilmartin, 56, of Windham, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to a total of 25 years in prison, a total of 5 years of supervised release, and a total of $1041 in restitution for mailing injurious articles (cyanide) resulting in death, wire fraud, mail fraud and witness tampering. On October 3, 2016, the defendant pleaded guilty to wire and mail fraud charges.  On October 11, 2016, a jury found him guilty of mailing cyanide resulting in death, wire and mail fraud, and witness tampering.

At trial, evidence showed that the defendant acquired potassium cyanide and thereafter advertised to sell it on an internet blogsite devoted to suicide. Between September 2012 and May 2013, he communicated by email with hundreds of depressed and suicidal people around the world offering the cyanide, and accepted payments for it. To some of those victims, he mailed Epsom salts instead of cyanide. When one victim in England did not die after he ingested Epsom salts, that victim complained to the FBI and told the defendant he had done so.  Thereafter, the defendant sent the victim real cyanide that resulted in his death in December 2012. The defendant asked that victim to destroy evidence of their interaction. At the time the defendant was engaged in these activities, he was under the supervision of a Maine state psychiatric hospital pursuant to a not guilty by reason of insanity adjudication for a 2007 aggravated assault.

In pronouncing sentence, Judge Woodcock observed that Mr. Kilmartin’s crimes were amongst the most heinous because they involved preying upon extraordinarily vulnerable people, some of whom gave heartrending testimony at trial.

In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Frank praised the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and expressed gratitude for the cooperation and assistance of the Humberside Police Force (City of Hull, England).

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Theodore S. Comando, 54, of Westbury, New York pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to failing to pay court-ordered child support.

According to court records, in September 2005, a Maine District Court ordered Comando to make weekly child support payments of $131.  Comando failed to do so as required and currently owes more than $10,000.

The defendant faces up to 2 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Daniel F. Dyer, 57, of Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Canada pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to importing illegally-taken moose antlers and a hide.

According to court records, on September 28, 2013, Daniel Dyer, a Canadian outfitter and guide, arranged for Richard Eaton, a West Virginia resident, to unlawfully harvest a moose in New Brunswick using a license issued to a New Brunswick resident.  Dyer later brought the hide and antlers of the moose through Maine. Dyer delivered the hide to a taxidermist in Pennsylvania and the antlers to Eaton in West Virginia.  In 2014, Eaton was convicted in federal court of receiving the illegally-taken moose.

The defendant faces up to 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.  He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Enforcement Division of Environment Canada (New Brunswick).

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Roger Edward Picard, 66, of Garland, Maine pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to failing to register as a sex offender.

According to court records, in 1983, Picard was convicted in Massachusetts of Rape of a Child.  As a result, he was required to register as a sex offender. On or before December 3, 2016, Picard moved to Garland but failed to register as required. He was arrested on March 1, 2018.

The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years on supervised release.  He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence report by the U.S. Probation Office.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Erick Adams, also known as “X,” 40, of Taftville, Connecticut, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 25 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release for a conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 280 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as crack, cocaine, and heroin, and being an armed career criminal in possession of firearms.

Adams pled guilty to the two offenses on June 2, 2017. 

Court records reveal that between about December 2014 and January 2016, Adams and his co-conspirators distributed crack, cocaine and heroin from “trap houses” in Biddeford, Maine, and used a storage unit to store drugs and firearms.  On January 6, 2016, law enforcement agents arrested Adams and an armed co-conspirator at a hotel room in Saco, Maine, and seized about 103 grams of crack, 33 grams of cocaine, 6 grams of heroin, and $26,000 in U.S. currency.  The following day, agents seized about 685 grams of crack, 69 grams of cocaine, 50 grams of heroin, and four handguns from the storage unit.  Adams had multiple prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

The investigation was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Biddeford Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service, 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 Vance Cayford, 47, of Norridgewock, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of ammunition and attempted possession of a firearm by a felon. The defendant pled guilty on November 3, 2017.

According to court records, on May 29, 2016, state troopers went to the defendant’s Norridgewock residence to investigate a domestic disturbance.  Soon after they arrived, the defendant ran toward one of the troopers and attempted unsuccessfully to take the trooper’s rifle.  During a search of Cayford’s residence, troopers recovered 92 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition.  The defendant was prohibited from possessing ammunition and firearms because of previous Maine felony convictions for domestic violence assault and illegal possession of a firearm.          

The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police 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.

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Dane Mitchell, 26, of Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby, to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms.  Mitchell pled guilty on August 30, 2017.

According to court records, on April 8, 2017, Mitchell and another individual travelled to a Gray, Maine, where they rented firearms, purchased ammunition, and fired the weapons at a shooting range.  Boston Police Department officers identified Mitchell and the shooting range from videos that were uploaded to Snapchat.  Mitchell was prohibited from possessing firearms as the result of his 2016 Massachusetts felony convictions for possessing a firearm without a permit and possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number.

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.

Portland, Maine.  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank, announced that Glenn Brackett, 49, of Biddeford, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release for robbing a credit union.

According to court records, on August 16, 2017, Brackett entered the Infinity Federal Credit Union, in Arundel, Maine, approached a teller with his hand hidden in a sock making it appear that he was armed, and ordered the teller to give him everything.  The teller gave Brackett money and he absconded in a vehicle.  Law enforcement officers responded to the area of the robbery and Brackett sped away when he saw a marked police cruiser.  Soon thereafter, police found his vehicle abandoned behind a local business.  The police tracked him into the woods behind the business and arrested him, recovering all the money Brackett stole from the bank.

This investigation was conducted by the Biddeford Police Department, the York County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Russell Truman, 50, of Gardiner, Maine, pled guilty today 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, Truman conspired with others to acquire heroin, fentanyl and crack in Rochester, New York and transport it to Central Maine for distribution. In exchange for heroin and crack, the defendant assisted several Rochester dealers in distributing the drugs and allowed drugs to be sold from his residence. 

The defendant faces 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 Police Department, 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 Carey Ackies, 36, of Jamaica, Queens, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 230 months in prison and eight years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute heroin and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as crack, and aiding and abetting the possession with the intent to distribute heroin and 28 grams or more of crack. On November 30, 2017, Ackies was convicted following a three-day jury trial. 

Court records and trial evidence revealed that on January 18, 2016, federal agents intercepted a drug courier getting off a bus in Portland with heroin and crack.  The ensuing investigation revealed that the defendant was the source of the drugs.  Four days later, DEA located and arrested the defendant in New York. A search of his Jamaica apartment resulted in the seizure of heroin and crack, a firearm, a money counter and other evidence of drug trafficking. 

In imposing sentence, Judge Singal observed that Ackies was a professional drug dealer who was responsible for sending substantial quantities of the most addictive, dangerous drugs into Maine.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Maine State Police and the Lewiston Police Department.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Denton Worrell, a/k/a “Lil D”, 20, of Rochester, New York, pled guilty today 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, Worrell conspired with others to acquire heroin, fentanyl and crack in Rochester, New York and transport it to Central Maine for distribution. The defendant and other conspirators from Rochester sold the drugs in Central Maine.  In exchange for crack or heroin, Central Maine residents allowed the Rochester conspirators to sell drugs from more than 12 of their residences and assisted them in distributing, storing and transporting the drugs. 

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

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 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 Kyle Rivers, 26, of Bear, Delaware, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to three years in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”  He pleaded guilty on November 28, 2017.

Court records reveal that on August 1, 2017, law enforcement officers searched the defendant’s hotel room in Brunswick, Maine, and seized heroin, cocaine base, Xanax pills, and about $10,500 in drug proceeds.  At the time of this offense, the defendant was on probation in Maryland following a drug trafficking conviction.

The investigation was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, and the Brunswick and Bath Police Departments 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 Michael Brewer, 62, of Boothbay Harbor, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 47 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, an attempted traffic stop of Brewer by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on May 13, 2017 turned into a high-speed case.  The chase ended when Brewer crashed and rolled the truck he was driving.  A search of the truck revealed that Brewer was in possession of a handgun.  It was also determined that Brewer had a blood-alcohol level of .308%.

Brewer was not permitted to possess firearms because of several prior felony convictions, including: Burglary (2015); Criminal Operating Under the Influence (2006); Operating After Revocation (2006); Attempted Murder (1989); and Aggravated Assault (1989).

In pronouncing sentence, Judge Levy noted that the “bone-chilling” high speed pursuit, in combination with Brewer’s criminal history, which consisted of 39 prior convictions, required a lengthy sentence in this case.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Yanel Greene, a/k/a “Nel”, 35, of Bangor, Maine, was sentenced to eight years imprisonment and a three year term of supervised release in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine on his conviction for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute heroin, crack cocaine and oxycodone.

According to court records, between January 2013 and September 2015, Greene conspired with others to distribute cocaine base, heroin and oxycodone in the Bangor area and elsewhere.  Greene would obtain the drugs from sources in New York City and arrange for others to transport the drugs back to the Bangor area.  Greene would then provide the drugs to others who would distribute the drugs and bring the drug proceeds back to him.  The Court held Greene responsible for distributing in excess of one kilogram of heroin and two kilograms of crack cocaine. 

The case was related to the prior prosecution of Mario Lee, a/k/a “Moe,” who was sentenced to 218 months imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.  The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 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 today that a federal Grand Jury sitting in Portland handed down an indictment charging Abdirashid Ahmed, 38, of Lewiston and Garat Osman, 32, of  Auburn, with health care fraud involving the MaineCare program and soliciting and receiving health care kickbacks from May 2015 through December 2017.

According to the indictment, Ahmed solicited kickbacks from a MaineCare provider in exchange for referring beneficiaries to the provider. Ahmed and Osman then allegedly brought beneficiaries to the provider and served as Somali interpreters during the visits.  The indictment recites that fraudulent bills were submitted to MaineCare that overstated the health and interpreter service provided and MaineCare reimbursed the provider based upon the fraudulent billing.  And, according to the charges, the provider then paid Ahmed and Osman the monies that MaineCare paid on the fraudulent interpreter claims.

If convicted, each person faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  If convicted, each person may also be ordered to pay restitution to MaineCare.

The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and the State of Maine Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Crime Unit.

Both defendants were arrested this morning and are expected to make initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Portland later today.

An indictment 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 United States District Judge George Z. Singal today sentenced William Gaudet, 52, formerly of Wells, Maine, to serve life in federal prison for transporting a minor interstate intending to engage in criminal sexual activity and traveling interstate with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Gaudet was convicted on November 16, 2017, following a four-day jury trial.

According to court records and trial evidence, on two occasions during the summer of 2010, Gaudet traveled between Maine and Pennsylvania with an eight-year-old child intending to engage in sexual activity with her. On both occasions, he sexually assaulted the child.  The investigation began in 2014 after the child reported the abuse. In 2012, Gaudet was convicted in New Hampshire Superior Court for sexually assaulting another minor in 2001 and 2005. 

Judge Singal ordered that the life sentence run consecutive to the sentence in the New Hampshire case.  Under federal law, Gaudet will not be eligible for parole.  In imposing the sentence, Judge Singal stated: “The degree of cruelty displayed here is virtually beyond belief... I cannot imagine a more serious offense.”  

The investigation was conducted by the Biddeford, Gorham, Kennebunk, Wells, Wakefield (New Hampshire) and Pocono Township (Pennsylvania) Police Departments; the New Hampshire Correctional Facility; the Carroll County (New Hampshire) Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Carrie Caporino, 46, of Scarborough, Maine, pleaded guilty today to two counts of embezzlement from health care providers and one count of social security number fraud. 

According to court records, between 2014 and 2016, the defendant embezzled approximately $295,000 from a dental practice by making personal charges on office credit cards, using office funds to pay a personal credit card and her PayPal account, and by writing office checks to pay for personal expenses, including her rent.

In 2016 and 2017, the defendant worked for a Falmouth physician and embezzled approximately $253,000 by mobile depositing numerous checks made payable to her employer from patients and insurance into her personal bank accounts, and by writing office checks to herself that were not authorized by her employer.

The defendant also used a social security number that was not assigned to her on an application for health insurance when she worked for the dental practice.

The defendant faces up to ten years in jail on the embezzlement counts and up to five years on the social security count.  The maximum fine for each count is $250,000. 

She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The FBI and the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General investigated this case.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Rusty Hood, 38, of Sanford, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to five years in prison and ten years of supervised release for transporting child pornography. Hood pleaded guilty on January 29, 2018.

According to court records, in May 2016, Hood chatted online with an individual in Ohio. During the chat, the two men exchanged images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Hood claimed during the chat that he was interested in babies, and that he had engaged in sexual activity with a young girl.

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

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Michael Gaudette, 36, of Hiram, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Gaudette pled guilty on November 28, 2017.

According to court records, on May 10, 2017, the Maine State Police executed a search warrant at a property in Hiram where Gaudette resided and seized three assault rifles, a shotgun and a handgun.  Three of the firearms were loaded.  Gaudette was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for attempted robbery, burglary, escape, possession of narcotics and conspiring to deliver articles to prisoners.

The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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 Travis J. Stinson, 40, of Milford, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 7½  years in prison and three years of supervised release for stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer and for being a felon in possession of firearms. He was also ordered to pay $3,657 in restitution.  Stinson pleaded guilty on July 21, 2017.

Court records reveal that on October 12, 2016, Stinson enlisted the aid of an accomplice to steal guns from a Bangor pawn shop in exchange for heroin.  Stinson drove his accomplice to the vicinity of the pawn shop.  His accomplice broke a window at the pawn shop, took 16 handguns --15 of which were semi-automatic pistols -- and absconded.  Stinson drove the getaway car.  Stinson was prohibited from possessing firearms because of felony theft convictions in Kentucky.

The investigation was conducted by the Bangor Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Michael Burns, 34, of Dresden, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 55 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon. Burns pleaded guilty to the charge on November 2, 2017.

According to court records and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, in 2016, Burns borrowed a .22 caliber rifle from a neighbor. He kept the rifle in his home.  On August 28, 2016, during an argument, Burns attempted to strangle his live-in girlfriend while her minor child watched. Burns then grabbed and loaded the rifle and threatened to “blow his [own] head off” in front of his girlfriend and her child.

Burns was prohibited from possession the firearm because he had prior Maine felony convictions for illegally possessing firearms, theft, and aggravated assault.  At the time of the offense, Burns was on probation for a domestic violence related aggravated assault on another former girlfriend. 

The investigation was conducted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office 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.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Nicholas T. Richard, 39, of Lewiston, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 262 months in prison and supervised release for life for receiving child pornography images. He was also ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images.  Richard pleaded guilty on November 20, 2017.

According to court records, in February of last year, Richard used the internet and peer-to-peer file-sharing software to download child pornography images. Richard was at the Auburn Public Library when he downloaded the images using the library’s wireless internet connection. Investigators seized Richard’s laptop computer and other electronic devices from him at the library and obtained a search warrant for them. The laptop contained thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography and child erotica. Richard was subject to an enhanced sentence because of a prior federal child pornography conviction.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the Auburn Police Department.  The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative to locate, apprehend and prosecute people who sexually exploit children.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Mario Ernesto Garcia-Zavala, 22, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by George Z. Singal to time served (about 221 days) after being found guilty of having entered the United States after being removed.  He was convicted following a non-jury trial on March 21, 2018.

The evidence at trial showed that Garcia-Zavala unlawfully entered the United States in about March 2014 and was ordered removed to Honduras on March 29, 2014.  Four days later, immigration authorities returned him to Honduras.  Garcia-Zavala did not apply for permission to reenter the United States. He was arrested in Portland on September 9, 2017 after a Maine State Trooper stopped the van in which he was a passenger for traffic violations.

U.S. Attorney Frank said: “We have a lawful system of immigration. We appreciate it when our state and local law enforcement partners help us identify people who cross our borders illegally, often, as here, repeatedly.”

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Removal Operations and the Maine State Police.

WASHINGTON — Today, as the Department of Justice recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the nationwide rollout of an initiative aimed at increasing awareness and reporting of sexual harassment in housing. The announcement includes an interagency task force between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Justice Department to combat sexual harassment in housing, an outreach toolkit, and a public awareness campaign. This three-pronged approach will strengthen the Department’s efforts to combat sexual harassment in housing.

“Sexual harassment in housing is illegal, immoral, and unacceptable," said Attorney General Sessions. “It is all too common today, as too many landlords, managers, and their employees attempt to prey on vulnerable women. We will not hesitate to pursue these predators and enforce the law. In October, I ordered a new initiative to bring more of these cases, and we have already won relief for 15 victims. Today we announce three new steps to make the initiative more effective and to win more cases. I want to thank the dedicated and committed professionals in our Civil Rights Division and our partners in the Department of Housing and Urban Development for their hard work in this effort. We will continue to aggressively pursue harassers, because everyone has a right to be safe in their home.”

“All discrimination stains the very fabric of our nation, but HUD is especially focused on protecting the right of everyone to feel safe and secure in their homes, free from unwanted sexual harassment,” said Secretary Ben Carson. “No person should have to tolerate unwanted sexual advances in order to keep a roof over his or her head. Part of our mission at HUD is to provide safe housing and we will remain diligent in this mission to protect those we serve. I look forward to working with Attorney General Sessions and the Department of Justice as part of this task force to bring an end to this type of discrimination.”

In October 2017, the Justice Department announced an initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing and launched pilot programs in D.C. and the Western District of Virginia. The initiative sought to increase the Department’s efforts to protect women from harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, security guards, and other employees and representatives of rental property owners. During the pilots, the Department developed and tested ways to better connect both with victims of sexual harassment in housing and with those organizations that victims may turn to first for help – including law enforcement, legal services providers, public housing authorities, sexual assault services providers, and shelters.  The Department also tested certain aspects of the initiative in other jurisdictions, including New Jersey, the Central District of California, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Michigan.

The two pilot programs generated an upswing in harassment reporting to the Department from both D.C. and the Western District of Virginia. In D.C., the Department generated six leads since the October 2017 launch. In Virginia, the Department generated three leads. While the Justice Department recognizes that leads and investigations do not always lead to enforcement actions, the pilot program’s results—when extrapolated across all the U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country—could lead to hundreds of new reports of sexual harassment in housing across the country.

Because of these promising results, the Department is rolling out three major components to the Initiative.

First, the new HUD-DOJ Task Force to Combat Sexual Harassment in Housing will drive a shared strategy between the Department and HUD for combatting sexual harassment in housing across the country. It will focus on five key areas: continued data sharing and analysis, joint development of training, evaluation of public housing complaint mechanisms, coordination of public outreach and press strategy, and review of federal policies.

Second, the outreach toolkit is designed to leverage the Justice Department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices. The toolkit provides templates, guidance, and checklists based on pilot program feedback. It ultimately will amplify available enforcement resources and help victims of sexual harassment connect with the Department.

Third, the public awareness campaign has three major components: a partnership package with relevant stakeholders, launch of a social media campaign, and Public Service Announcements run by individual U.S. Attorney’s offices. The campaign is specifically designed to raise awareness, and make it easier for victims all over the country to find resources and report harassment.

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment in housing should call the Department at 1-844-380-6178, send an e-mail to fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.  If you have information or questions about any other housing discrimination, you can contact the Department at 1-800-896-7743.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Emelita Ignacio Arindela, a/k/a “Esperanza Ignacio Arindela,” “Esperanza Hooper,” Emily I. Arindela,” and “Emily Ingacio Arindela,” 43, of Mount Desert Island, Maine, and previously of the Philippines, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to passport fraud.

According to court records, in 2000, the defendant assumed the name and date of birth of her older sister in order to marry a U.S. citizen in the City of Valenzuela, Philippines.  In 2002, she entered the United States under her sister’s identity.  In 2009, she became a naturalized U.S. citizen using her sister’s identity. Later that year, she legally changed her name to Emily I. Arindela.  In 2010, she applied for a U.S. passport using her new name and her sister’s date of birth.  

The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 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 Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. Department of State.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Jeffrey Swimm, 38, of Bangor, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 40 years in prison and supervised release for life for sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography.  Swimm pled guilty on August 23, 2017.

According to court records, between about October 2012 and April 2017, Swimm produced still-image and video files depicting child pornography, some of which were produced using a camera hidden in the defendant’s bathroom.  Swimm admitted to agents that, over a three year period, he produced pornographic images and videos depicting multiple prepubescent minors, so that he had them to trade with other people he met on-line.  In addition, the defendant possessed other images and videos of child pornography depicting children under the age of 12 which he solicited and received over the internet. 

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bangor Police Department, and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Seth J. Blewitt, 30, of Oakville, Connecticut was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release for bank robbery and armed Hobbs Act robbery.  The Hobbs Act makes it a crime to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery.  The charges arose from the robberies of a TD Bank branch and a Dollar Tree store.  The defendant pleaded guilty on November 30, 2017.

Court records reveal that on May 28, 2017, the defendant robbed a TD Bank branch in Bangor.  He entered the bank, approached a teller, and said, “I’m actually robbing you.  I want all of your money, no dye packs or GPS trackers.”  He was wearing a black knit hat, sunglasses, gloves, and a plaid shirt.  The teller complied and the defendant absconded with a bag of cash. 

The next day, the defendant robbed the Dollar Tree store in Bangor with a shotgun.  He was wearing a mask and sunglasses and he demanded that a cashier open the register.  When the cashier said that she could not open the register, he struck the register with the shotgun.  The cashier yelled for the manager.  The manager opened the register and gave cash to the defendant who absconded with it. 

The defendant’s wife, Cara Blewitt, served as the getaway driver for both robberies.  Officers from the Bangor Police Department arrested the Blewitts within minutes of the Dollar Tree robbery.  On March 26, 2018, Cara Blewitt was sentenced to 33 months for aiding and abetting the robberies. 

The investigation was conducted by the Bangor Police Department; the FBI; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that John Oliveira, 32, of Bangor was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl.   Oliveira pleaded guilty to the charges on April 17, 2017. 

According to court records, on August 16 and 17, 2016, the defendant sold fentanyl to a witness working with law enforcement.  During the second sale, the defendant bragged that he was “the best” at selling drugs, he did not “normally have [buyers] waiting too long,” and his buyers “always know what quality is going to be.” 

In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock commented that the defendant had a “horrible criminal history” and that the defendant’s drug dealing was “every parent’s worst nightmare.” 

The investigation was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Maine Attorneys General’s Office.  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 Willie Richard Minor, 58, of Auburn, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.  Minor was convicted on December 13, 2017, following a two-day jury trial. 

Court records and trial evidence revealed that on June 14, 2010, Minor was convicted in Maine Superior Court for assaulting his wife at the time.  As a result of that misdemeanor conviction, the defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms.  On November 27, 2016, the defendant admitted to a detective with the Auburn Police Department that he had a gun and kept it in his apartment.  The police subsequently searched his apartment and seized a loaded .38 caliber pistol.  At sentencing, the Court found that Minor was subject to an enhanced sentence because he used the pistol to assault another person.

The investigation was conducted by the Auburn and Mechanic Falls Police Departments; the Maine State Police Crime Lab; the FBI; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Amanda Harding a/k/a “Amanda Grass,” 33, of Orono, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to five years of probation for social security fraud.  Harding was also ordered to pay $26,616 in restitution.  Harding pleaded guilty on August 31, 2017.

According to court records, the defendant began receiving Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) payments in 2006. SSI benefits are paid by the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources.  The defendant was living in Maine when she first obtained SSI benefits.  Between 2006 and 2016, the defendant was repeatedly informed that she needed to report any change of address to the SSA.  On October 8, 2011, the defendant married a Canadian citizen, moved to New Brunswick, Canada, and applied for Canadian citizenship.  She resided in Canada from October 2011 through February 2016.  The defendant did not inform SSA of her change of address and illegally obtained over $26,000 in SSI benefits. During an interview with law enforcement agents, the defendant admitted that she understood if she told SSA that she moved to Canada her SSI benefits would be significantly reduced.        

The case was investigated by SSA’s Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Canadian Border Patrol.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Christopher Shepard, 32, of Gorham, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography. Shepard pleaded guilty on November 28, 2017.

According to court records, in April of last year, investigators from the Gorham Police Department executed a search warrant at Shepard’s apartment in Gorham. Investigators seized his cellular telephone, which was later found to contain several images of a girl under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Iulian Petre, a/k/a “Julian Petre,” 51, of Waterville, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to two years in prison and  three years of supervised release for illegally receiving and shipping firearms.  He was convicted of these charges on August 28, 2017, following a six-day jury trial. 

Court records and trial evidence revealed that in 2012 and 2013, Petre purchased and received firearms from out-of-state sellers intending to unlawfully export them.  He shipped some of these firearms to Romania.  The export of these firearms required authorization from the U.S. Department of State, which the defendant knowingly failed to obtain.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Shae Ryan Estes, 41, previously of McKinney, Texas, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to transmitting threats in interstate commerce.

According to court records, in the summer of 2017, the defendant, while living in Texas, made two threatening telephone calls to his ex-girlfriend, who was then in Maine.  The calls were recorded on her answering machine.  In the calls, the defendant threatened that he would “hunt” her down, that she was “next,” that she would “suffer,” and that if he ever got back to Maine he would kill her current boyfriend, various members of her family, and “anyone that gets in my [expletive] way.” 

The defendant faces up to 5 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 FBI and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that in commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), April 8-14, 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the Westbrook Police Department (WPD) are hosting a presentation by L.Y. Marlow to raise awareness about crime victims’ issues and rights and the need for support and services for victims of crime. The presentation will take place on April 18th at 9:00 a.m. at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center, in Westbrook, Maine.

Ms. Marlow is an author, a speaker and the founder of Saving Promise, a national domestic violence prevention organization.  Ms. Marlow will share her personal story, which includes a family legacy of more than four generations of domestic violence, to address what she believes is a global health crisis – intimate partner violence.

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of NCVRW by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme --Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims -- highlights how the investment of communities in crime victims expands the opportunity for victims to disclose their victimization, connect with services, and receive the support they need. The theme also acknowledges the many barriers facing victims of crime especially those with disabilities, LGBTQ victims, older adults, those with limited English proficiency, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and others from historically marginalized communities.

OVC and the USAO encourage widespread participation in the week’s events and in other victim-related observances throughout the year. DOJ will host OVC’s annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 13, 2018, to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime. For additional information about this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and how to assist victims in your community, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Novak Ciurar, 30, of Romania, pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison to time served (four days) for entering the United States illegally.

Court records reveal that on March 31, 2018, Ciurar entered the United States from Canada in Hodgdon, Maine at a location not designated for entry to the United States.  U.S. Border Patrol agents located the defendant shortly after his entry.  Ciurar is a citizen of Romania and did not have any immigration documents that would allow him to remain in the United States.  Ciurar has now been placed in proceedings to remove him from the United States.  

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol which is the mobile, uniformed law enforcement arm of U.S. Customs and Border Protection within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for securing U.S. borders between ports of entry.  The U.S. Border Patrol relies on cooperation and assistance from members of the community that live along the border.  If you observe suspicious activity in the border area, please do not hesitate to contact the U.S. Border Patrol at (800) 851-USBP; if this activity is in Canada, please call (800) 222-TIPS. 

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Joey Antoine Maillet, 36, of Dieppe, New Brunswick, pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison to time served (49 days) for entering the United States at a point other than a designated Customs station.

According to court records, on November 16, 2017 Maillet entered the United States from Canada on foot across a train trestle in Calais, Maine.  He was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol the next day and admitted to illegally entering the country.  Maillet, who has dual U.S. and Canadian citizenship, provided an address in Leominster, Massachusetts.  He was released and issued a summons for the offense.  When he failed to appear in court on February 7, 2018, a warrant issued for his arrest.  On February 16, 2018, Maillet was arrested in Miami, Florida. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol which is the mobile, uniformed law enforcement arm of U.S. Customs and Border Protection within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for securing U.S. borders between ports of entry.  The U.S. Border Patrol relies on cooperation and assistance from members of the community that live along the border.  If you observe suspicious activity in the border area, please do not hesitate to contact the U.S. Border Patrol at (800) 851-USBP; if this activity is in Canada, please call (800) 222-TIPS. 

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Evan Lewis, 28, of Brunswick, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 2½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for providing false information during an attempt to purchase a firearm.  Lewis pleaded guilty on October 26, 2017.

According to court records, on July 22, 2015, Lewis attempted to purchase a Taurus, semi-automatic, 9mm pistol from a pawn shop in Lewiston, Maine. In the process of doing so, Lewis completed an Firearms Transaction Record form in which he falsely claimed that his name was David Frank Lewis and denied having been convicted of a felony crime or being an unlawful drug user.  In fact, Lewis was a convicted felon and an unlawful user of Methamphetamine. The pawn shop ultimately refused to sell Lewis the pistol because the name he gave did not match the name on his driver's license.

The case was investigated by the Lisbon and Auburn Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced Jesse Newton, 30, of Waldo, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm and two years in prison, consecutively, for violating conditions of his supervised release.  The defendant pleaded guilty on July 7, 2017.

Court records reveal that on July 13, 2016, U.S. Probation Officers and investigators from the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal searched Newton’s residence and seized a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol, 9mm casings, rifle stocks, 46 marijuana plants and a cell phone.  Newton possessed the firearm in connection with his marijuana grow operation.  At the time of the search, Newton was on supervised release for a 2013 felony firearms conviction that prohibited him from violating federal or state law.  Investigators later learned that Newton possessed ten other firearms.

In imposing the maximum available sentence, Judge Woodcock noted the defendant’s threats to kill a police officer, his causing injury to a cooperating witness, his use of a firearm in connection with marijuana cultivation, his failure to accept responsibility for his crimes and his lengthy criminal history which included attacks on the homes of two police officers.  Judge Woodcock said he found Newton’s behavior appalling and noted this was “the first time I’ve ever seen a defendant go after a police officer’s house.”  Newton had convictions for four assaults, terrorizing, criminal use of explosives, criminal threatening, criminal mischief, harassment, disorderly conduct, refusing to submit to arrest and obstruction of reporting of a crime. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Probation Office; the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office; the Belfast Police Department and the Maine Forest Service.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that James Robinson, 60, of Concord, New Hampshire, was convicted yesterday following a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court of fraudulently obtaining $45,473 in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and making false statements to a government agency. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on two other charges.

The evidence at trial revealed that Robinson received SSI benefits, which are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly. Between 2008 and 2013, Robinson falsely represented to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that he was living alone in Cornish, Maine, and was not receiving help or money from any person. In fact, he was living with his wife in Concord, New Hampshire, who was providing him with financial assistance. If Robinson had provided truthful information to SSA, he would have been ineligible for SSI benefits. The evidence further revealed that he made false statements concerning these facts in a 2015 interview with a Special Agent of SSA, Office of the Inspector General.

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

The investigation was conducted by SSA, Office of the Inspector General, as well as the Maine Department of Health & Human Services, Fraud Investigation & Recovery Unit.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Jeremy Duguay, 34, of Bangor, 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 between October 2010 and August 2016, the defendant conspired with others to illegally manufacture and distribute marijuana.  The defendant was paid to assist in the production of marijuana at a large, sophisticated indoor growing facility in Frankfort, Maine.  In May 2016, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at the facility and seized about 400 marijuana plants, 295 marijuana root balls, and paraphernalia used to manufacture and process marijuana.  The defendant had a firearm when agents arrived at the facility.  According to the search warrant affidavit, the location of the facility was not reported to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.  

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, between three years and life of 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 investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Cara M. Blewitt, 31, of Oakville, Connecticut was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release for aiding and abetting bank robbery and Hobbs Act robbery.  The charges arose from the robberies of a TD Bank branch and a Dollar Tree store.  The defendant pleaded guilty on October 11, 2017.

Court records reveal that on May 28, 2017, the defendant’s husband, Seth Blewitt robbed a TD Bank branch in Bangor.  He entered the bank, approached a teller, and said, “I’m actually robbing you. I want all of your money, no dye packs or GPS trackers.”  He was wearing a black knit hat, sunglasses, gloves, and a plaid shirt.  The teller complied and Seth Blewitt absconded with a bag of cash. 

The next day, Seth Blewitt robbed the Dollar Tree store in Bangor with a shotgun.  He was wearing a mask and sunglasses and he demanded that a cashier open the register.  When the cashier said that she could not open the register, he struck the register with the shotgun.  The cashier yelled for the manager and the manager opened the register and gave Seth Blewitt cash.  He absconded with the cash. 

The defendant served as the getaway driver for both robberies.  Officers from the Bangor Police Department arrested the defendant and her husband within minutes of the Dollar Tree store robbery. 

Seth J. Blewitt pleaded guilty to both robberies on November 30, 2017.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2018. 

The investigation was conducted by the Bangor Police Department; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Mario Ernesto Garcia-Zavala, 22, a citizen of Honduras, was convicted today following non-jury trial in U.S. District Court of having entered the United States after being removed or deported.

The evidence at trial showed that Garcia-Zavala, who had unlawfully entered the United States, was ordered removed to Honduras on March 29, 2014 and was in fact removed on a government airplane four days later.  Garcia-Zavala did not apply for permission to reenter the United States. He was arrested in Portland on September 9, 2017 after a Maine State Trooper stopped the van in which he was a passenger for traffic violations.  

Garcia-Zavala faces up to two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and two years of supervised release.  He will be sentenced after the United States Probation Office prepares a presentence report. It is expected that Garcia-Zavala will be returned to Honduras after his sentence is completed.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Removal Operations and the Maine State Police.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Ahmed Sadek, 23, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was arraigned today in U.S. District Court on an armed bank robbery charge.

According to court records, on November 17, 2017, the defendant robbed a Key Bank branch located in Portland using what appeared to be a firearm.

The defendant faces up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Portland Police Department in conjunction with the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the York County Sheriff’s Office; and the Portland, South Portland, and Lewiston Police Departments.

An indictment 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 Salman Mohamed, 20, of Portland, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to five years in prison and four years of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”  He pleaded guilty on September 20, 2017.

Court records reveal that on May 31, 2017, the defendant possessed over 100 grams of crack.  At that time, he was also on bail for a separate drug trafficking charge. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Portland Police Department.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Reginald McBride, 41, of New York, New York, was convicted today following a three-day jury trial in U.S. District Court of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it, and using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense.  The charges arose out of a June 26, 2016 shooting at the Walmart in Augusta, Maine. 

The evidence at trial revealed that on June 26, 2016, the defendant drove a vehicle to the Augusta Walmart carrying over 40 grams of heroin and a 9-mm pistol. When the defendant got to the Walmart, he engaged in a firefight with another individual. After the shooting, the defendant fled in his vehicle. Officers located the defendant and recovered the heroin.  Officers later seized a loaded revolver, two more firearms, ammunition, a speed loader, and a scope from the vehicle. 

Trial evidence revealed that the defendant used numerous aliases including “Kweasia McBride,” “Reggie McBride,” “Reginald Washington,” “Benjamin McBride,” “John Doe,” and “Sunny.”  The defendant had prior felony convictions from Virginia and New York under a combination of these aliases.  

The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release on the felon in possession charge; up to 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and life on supervised release on the drug charge; and a consecutive term of between five years and life, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release for using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense.           

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Augusta Police Department; the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory; and the Bangor and Hallowell Police Departments.

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Tyler Poland, 31, of Auburn, Maine, was arrested and charged by a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court with illegal Ecstasy and marijuana trafficking.

According to the complaint, the charges arose from an investigation into a drug trafficking organization located in the Lewiston-Auburn area that is alleged to have grown and distributed large quantities of marijuana in violation of federal law, and under the cover of, but in violation of, Maine’s Medical Marijuana program. The organization cultivated marijuana at numerous warehouses in Androscoggin County and distributed marijuana to people who were not participants in Maine’s Medical Marijuana program, including out-of-state customers,  On February 27, 2018, federal, state and local law enforcement agents executed over 20 search warrants in the Lewiston-Auburn area.  The defendant’s Merrow Road residence and warehouses were searched.  Agents seized about 608 marijuana plants, 366 pounds of processed marijuana, hundreds of Ecstasy pills (weighing more than a kilogram), hundreds of alprazolam pills, and over $156,000.

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

The defendant is expected to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court today at 3:30 p.m. in Portland.

The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; the Maine State Police; and the Lewiston, Auburn, Windham, Biddeford and Scarborough Police Departments.

A criminal complaint 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 Tristan Nelson, 39, of Madawaska, Maine pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court to illegally importing methylphenidate, which is commonly sold under the trade name Ritalin, and alprazolam, which is commonly sold under the trade name Xanax.

According to court records, on February 22, 2017, a mail package from the Philippines addressed to the defendant arrived at the Madawaska post office.  The package contained about 950 methylphenidate pills and about 450 alprazolam pills.  The defendant came to the post office and accepted the package.  The defendant later admitted to agents that he purchased the pills online, that he knew the pills were shipped to him from outside of the United States, and that he intended to distribute some of the pills. 

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, between three years and life on supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine for importing methylphenidate.   He faces up to 5 years in prison and between one year and life on supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for importing alprazolam.  He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. 

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Bradley Flowers, 40, formerly of Palmyra, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for failing to register as a sex offender and was sentenced by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to time served (about 28 months) plus 30 days, and 5 years of supervised release, the first six months of which will be in community confinement. 

According to court records, the defendant was required to register as a sex offender for life following a 2006 Maine conviction for unlawful sexual contact.  Between July 2007 and June 2014, the defendant registered with the Maine Sex Offender Registry, as required.  In about September 2014, the defendant moved to Colorado, but did not register in Colorado.  Thereafter, he lived in Ohio and Arizona, but did not register there, or in any other state.  On October 20, 2015, the defendant was arrested in Arizona and has been in custody since that time.

In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock noted that some of the defendant’s criminal history was “disturbing” and that, at times in the past, the defendant had been a “violent and dangerous” individual. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Maine Violent Offender Task Force and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Anthonio Dicentes, 38, formerly of Hodgdon, Maine, and recently of Madison, Florida, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 40 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.  Dicentes pled guilty on September 1, 2017. 

According to court records, between about June 2009 and September 2015, Dicentes possessed image files depicting child pornography that he purposefully and repeatedly downloaded from the internet, including at least one of which depicted a child under the age of 12.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.