District of Maine

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Norma J. Duhamel, 71, of South Portland, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to stealing mail.

According to court documents, between August and October of 2016, Duhamel stole mail containing bank checks and a credit card from mailboxes of residents of Cumberland, Maine. She cashed about $1,125 worth of stolen checks and charged about $105 on the credit card.

The defendant faces up to 5 years in prison, a $250,000 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 investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that David Miller, 54, of Flushing, Michigan (and formerly of Bath, Maine) pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Court records reveal that during the summer of 1995, Miller, then 33, was working as a long-haul truck driver. In June and July of 1995, Miller took a thirteen-year-old relative with him on two interstate trips. During these trips, he engaged in sexual activity with this relative. Federal agents began investigating Miller in 2015 when the relative reported the abuse to authorities after seeing a Facebook photograph of Miller with a five-year-old child sitting on his lap. In October 2016, Miller was interviewed by federal agents in Michigan and admitted sexually abusing his relative during the 1995 interstate trips.

Under federal law, the statute of limitations for the offenses did not expire before Congress extended it to the life of the child in 2003. Where a statute of limitations has been extended by Congress, it may be applied to crimes that preceded enactment so long as the prior statute of limitations has not expired.

The defendant faces a sentence of between 10 years and life 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 investigation was conducted by the Bath Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Alfred McIntosh, Jr., a/k/a “Bim,” 45, of Limington, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 12 years in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for distributing methadone.

According to court records, on June 1, 2012, McIntosh burglarized the residence of a family member and stole methadone. On June 7, 2012, he distributed some of the stolen methadone to Drew Conners who consumed some of it and passed away on June 8, 2012 from acute methadone toxicity.

This case results from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Buxton, Windham and Portland Police Departments, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Brent Roaix, 33, of Lewiston, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to robbing a federally insured credit union.

According to court records, on January 25, 2017, Roaix entered a Rainbow Federal Credit Union in Lewiston and gave a handwritten note to a teller demanding money and stating that he was armed. The teller gave him money and he absconded on foot. Shortly thereafter, Lewiston police officers found him hiding in a nearby apartment, arrested him, and recovered all of the stolen money.

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

This investigation was conducted by the Lewiston Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Contact: Benjamin M. Block

May 17, 2017 Assistant United States Attorney

Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Xavier Watson, 24, of Brentwood, New Hampshire, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 121 months in prison and three years of supervised release following convictions for robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Watson pleaded guilty to the charges on October 5, 2016.

According to court records, early on January 15, 2016, Watson and four other men drove from New Hampshire to Lyman, Maine, for the purpose of committing a home invasion robbery of a licensed medical marijuana caregiver. Watson and three of the men broke into the home, brandishing two firearms – a pistol and a shotgun. Watson possessed the pistol and co-defendant Vincent Casazza possessed the shotgun. Five victims were present in the residence. Watson physically assaulted a male victim. Records introduced by the government at sentencing indicate that Watson also sexually assaulted a 17-year-old female victim during the robbery. Watson and his co-conspirators stole three firearms from the residence, as well as U.S. currency, marijuana, various electronics, and other items of value.

Watson's co-defendants, Vincent Casazza, Reynan Mora, and Andre Thomas, have pleaded guilty in federal court to their involvement in the robbery but have not yet been sentenced.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine State Police, with assistance from the Office of the Maine Attorney General and the York County District Attorney’s Office.

Contact: Michael J. Conley
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Sal Mansy, 41, of Detroit, Michigan, and TV TOYZ, LLC, a Michigan corporation, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to operating an unlicensed money service business.

According to court documents, Mansy bought and sold approximately $2,400,000 worth of the virtual currency “Bitcoin” for profit online between August 2013 and June 2015. Mansy would funnel proceeds from his Bitcoin sales through the business bank account of TV TOYZ, a limited liability corporation he owned and operated.

A year-long investigation into Mansy’s activities culminated in June 2015 with a search of his Detroit residence and the seizure of three of his bank accounts, containing a combined total of $118,134.57.

Mansy engaged in the buying and selling of Bitcoin for profit without ever registering his money service business with federal authorities. Through this failure to register, Mansy violated Title 18, United States Code, Section 1960, which makes it a crime to transfer money for others as a business without obtaining appropriate licenses.

Mansy faces up to five 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 investigation was conducted by the Portland, Maine and Detroit, Michigan offices of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; and the Saco Police Department.

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Joseph Dinapoli, 28, of Cushing, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 30 days in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing firearms after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. He pled guilty on August 22, 2016.

According to court records, in June 2008, Dinapoli was convicted of Domestic Violence Assault, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and as a result was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms. In June 2014, Dinapoli was found in possession of two handguns.

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

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Charles Flores, 27, of Bronx, New York was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 2½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack”. Flores pled guilty on January 9, 2017.

Court records reveal that on March 21, 2016, federal agents responding to a tip went to a hotel in Brunswick, Maine and observed Flores engage in what appeared to be a drug deal. A search of Flores and his hotel room resulted in the seizure of heroin, crack and $6,900.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine State Police and the Lewiston Police Department, and investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Pablo Martinez, 40, most recently of Portland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to six months in prison and five years of supervised release for failure to register as a sex offender. He pled guilty on January 31, 2017.

According to court documents, Martinez was required to register for life as a result of a 1997 New York state conviction for the second degree rape of a 13-year-old girl. Martinez registered in New York until 2002. In May 2002, he moved and stopped registering, and a warrant issued for his arrest. Over the next 13 years, Martinez lived in various places including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Missouri, but did not register. In August 2015, he moved to Portland, but again, did not register. In October 2015, he was arrested in Portland for assaulting his girlfriend.

In pronouncing sentence, Judge Levy stated that Martinez’ failure to register for 13 years was a serious violation that frustrated the registration law’s purpose to protect the public.

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

Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Amanda K. Wentzell, 26, of Augusta, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to stealing mail while being a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee.

According to court documents, in February 2016, the defendant began working as a retail clerk the post office in Temple, Maine. In July 2016, a Temple resident complained that his son had not received a prepaid debit card sent to him by U.S. mail. Investigation revealed that the defendant activated the debit card and used it to make two purchases totaling the $100 value of the debit card, she had been “rifling” mail, and between about April and August 2016, she took and opened several pieces of mail that were being processed by the post office. On August 9, 2016, the defendant resigned her USPS position.

Wentzell faces up to five 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 Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the USPS, Office of Inspector General.

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Victor Rosario, 32, of Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 7½ years in prison and four years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute heroin. Rosario pled guilty on January 6, 2017.

Court records reveal that between July 2015 and January 2016, Rosario regularly supplied heroin to several Maine residents who transported it from Lawrence to Maine and distributed some of it to associates and customers. In January 2016, state agents seized over 100 grams of heroin from one of Rosario’s Maine customers who was returning to Maine after purchasing it from Rosario. Federal agents later arranged for the covert purchase of heroin from Rosario in Lawrence.

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

Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Allison Pluard, 30, of Herman, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to fraudulently issuing postal money orders.

Court records reveal that Pluard was employed at C&K Variety, a Contract Postal Unit (CPU) in Hermon. Between September and November 2016, she purchased low-denomination postal money orders from the CPU, but fraudulently imprinted them for up to $1,000. When confronted by inspectors, she confessed. The loss exceeds $4,200.

Pluard faces up to five 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 investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Shirley Reynolds, 60, of Bangor, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to stealing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly.

Court records reveal that between 2009 and October 2016, Reynolds falsely represented to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she was living alone. In fact, she was living with her husband. When confronted by investigators, Reynolds said that she lied because she knew that her SSI benefits would be reduced or eliminated if she disclosed her true living situation.

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

The case was investigated by the SSA, Office of the Inspector General.

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Zachary Spinney, 36, of Kittery, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 38 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm while being subject to a protection from abuse order. Spinney pleaded guilty to the charge on November 28, 2016.

According to court records and proceedings, in July 2016, Spinney and his girlfriend purchased a Ruger, model AR556, 5.56mm semi-automatic rifle and over 180 rounds of ammunition from a licensed firearms dealer.  Security footage captured Spinney carrying the ammunition out of the store.  Later that day, Spinney fired the rifle at a sand pit in Eliot.  Spinney was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of a March 2016 protection from abuse order issued in Maine. 

In imposing sentence, Chief Judge Torresen heard testimony describing the defendant’s significant history of domestic violence and varied his sentence up five months from the top of the guideline range in order to protect the public.

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

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Mario Lee, a/k/a “Moe”, 42, of Bangor, and formerly of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 218 months in prison and eight years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Lee pled guilty on October 31, 2016.

According to court records, between August 2013 and September 2015, Lee conspired with others to distribute heroin in the Bangor area and elsewhere.  Lee supplied heroin to dealers in the Bangor area and surrounding communities. Co-conspirators introduced customers to Lee, drove him to heroin transactions and allowed him to use their residences to distribute heroin. Lee paid them with heroin. Lee faced enhanced penalties as a result of a prior drug trafficking conviction in New York.

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.

Contact: Jamie R. Guerrette
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Darnell Robinson, a/k/a “Butta,” age 30, of Auburn, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release for distributing heroin. He pled guilty on January 12, 2017.

Court records reveal that on April 27, 2016, a witness working with federal agents purchased $1,000 worth of heroin from Robinson in Auburn.  Shortly thereafter, law enforcement agents seized heroin from a customer who acquired it from Robinson.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine State Police, the Lewiston and Auburn Police Departments and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Contact: Sheila W. Sawyer
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257
                                                                                   
Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy today announced that Joseph W. Griffin, D.M.D. (“Dr. Griffin”) has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the United States and the State of Maine in which he will pay $90,000 to resolve allegations that he submitted false claims to MaineCare (Maine’s Medicaid program) from July 1, 2014 through July 1, 2015.  MaineCare is primarily funded by the United States which pays about two-thirds of all claims submitted to MaineCare. 

According to a civil complaint, Dr. Griffin was alleged to have violated the state and federal False Claims Acts by submitted claims totaling $164,972 to MaineCare for dental services that were not rendered, were medically unnecessary, or were so inadequately documented in the patient’s medical record as to be unreviewable, all in violation of the requirements of the MaineCare Program.  The settlement amount reflected Dr. Griffin’s inability to repay the full amount improperly billed and his retirement from his dentistry practice.
           
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General and Maine Attorney General’s Health Care Crimes Unit.  The civil action is docketed United States and the State of Maine v. Joseph W. Griffin, D.M.D., 2:17-cv-00162-JAW (D. Me.).

Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Roger Belanger, 59, of Corinna, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone and cocaine.  Belanger was convicted following a jury trial on August 19, 2016.

The evidence at trial revealed that between 2002 and 2014, the defendant and his daughter, Kelli Mujo, ran a cocaine and oxycodone distribution conspiracy that stretched from Rhode Island to the Dexter, Maine area.  Belanger was central to the organization of the conspiracy and was directly involved in obtaining over 22 kilograms of cocaine and thousands of oxycodone pills in Rhode Island and arranging their transportation to Maine where it was distributed in Dexter and the surrounding communities. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, with assistance provided by the Dexter Police Department, and the Penobscot and Somerset County Sheriff’s Offices.

Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Luis Medina, 49, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to submitting a false document to a government agency, social security fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court records, in August 2015, Medina, who was working for an asbestos abatement contractor, used a false name and social security number to gain access to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery. Based on the false information, Medina was cleared for access to the shipyard.

Medina faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the false document and social security fraud charges and a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence on the aggravated identity theft charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the New Hampshire State Police; and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General.

Contact: David B. Joyce
James W. Chapman, Jr.
Assistant United States Attorneys
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Dr. Joel A. Sabean, 69, of Falmouth, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for tax evasion, drug distribution for other than legitimate purposes, and health care fraud.  He was also ordered to pay $5,311 in restitution, file amended tax returns and pay all outstanding tax obligations.  He was convicted following a two-week jury trial on November 18, 2016.

According to court records, between January 2008 and December 2013, the defendant sent over $2.3 million to a relative who resided in Florida and had her fabricate and send him phony medical bills so that he could write off about $3 million in medical expenses on his 2008 through 2012 income tax returns. From 2007 through 2014, the defendant also wrote invalid prescriptions for the relative, in her name and the names of others, for controlled and non-controlled drugs, some of which were illegally reimbursed by the defendant’s insurance company that did not cover the relative. These prescriptions were invalid because, among other things, they were issued to a close family member who was not a patient without a medical examination.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Portsmouth (NH) Tactical Diversion Squad.

Contact: Jody Mullis
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Darrin Cates, 47, of Winslow, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S District Court by Judge John A Woodcock, Jr. to 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.  Cates pleaded guilty on October 23, 2015.

According to court records, on January 9, 2015, law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant at Cates’s residence and seized computer equipment. A forensic examination revealed about 550 images and 276 videos of child pornography depicting two to 11-year-old children.  Cates admitted that he possessed large quantities of child pornography and that he was interested in eight to 12-year-old girls. 

In imposing sentence, Judge John Woodcock noted that the images were “egregious,” “disturbing” and “abhorrent” and said that Cates “committed a crime that touches upon a societal nerve,” and that it was “profoundly troubling” that Cates collected such “truly sick images.”           

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

Contact: James W. Chapman, Jr.
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that brothers Ali Ratib Daham, 40, and Abdulkareem Daham, 21, of Westbrook, Maine, were charged by indictment today in U.S. District Court with conspiracy to defraud and to commit offenses against the United States.  In addition, Ali Ratib Daham was charged with SNAP and WIC trafficking, wire fraud, money laundering and theft of government funds.  The charges arise 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.

The indictment alleges that from about June 2011 until about April 2016, the defendants engaged in a SNAP and WIC trafficking conspiracy 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.  The indictment also alleges that Ali Ratib Daham allowed customers to exchange SNAP benefits for cash or use their SNAP benefits to pay down credit accounts, allowed customers to redeem WIC coupons for cash, committed wire fraud by allowing a customer to use an EBT card containing SNAP benefits to obtain cash at a discounted rate, laundered proceeds of SNAP trafficking, 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”).

Both defendants face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge.  In addition, Ali Ratib Daham faces up to five years in prison on the WIC and SNAP trafficking charges, up to 20 years on each of the wire fraud and money laundering charges, up to ten years on the theft charges and up to a $250,000 fine on each count.

"I am extremely grateful to MDHHS' investigative team for their incredible work on uncovering and prosecuting potential welfare fraud; I am committed to maintaining this focus to ensure our limited taxpayer dollars are going toward those who truly need them. The collaboration between our Department and the FBI highlights the importance of working together to protect the integrity of our welfare system. I also appreciate the work done by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) that led to the indictment.” said MDHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew.

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

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

Contact: James W. Chapman, Jr.
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Paulo D. Braga, 66, of Standish, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to one year and a day in prison for health care fraud.  He was also ordered to pay $89,445 in restitution.  Braga pleaded guilty to the offense on November 29, 2016.

According to court records, from 2010 to 2013, the defendant was a licensed clinical professional counselor who had offices in Portland and Windham, Maine.  He billed MaineCare through a third-party mental health agency that required him to submit progress notes for each counseling session. MaineCare is part of the federal Medicaid program.  Braga hired former mental health and substance abuse clients as office assistants and then instructed them to create and then sign his name to progress notes based on past progress notes, or that they created using their “imagination.”  He instructed them to bill for sessions based on his calendar of appointments, regardless of whether the client showed up for the appointment.  He also instructed his office assistants to always bill for the maximum number of sessions for a client that MaineCare allowed under its cap.  As a result, his staff submitted progress notes to his billing agency that contained false information or dates-of-service and caused MaineCare to pay for counseling sessions that never took place. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations and the Healthcare Crimes Unit of the Maine Attorney General’s Office. 

Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Denver Carolissen, 42, of Kuilsrivier, South Africa, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 25 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for sexually exploiting a minor and transporting child pornography. Carolissen pleaded guilty on December 8, 2016.

According to court records, in 2010, Carolissen, who was in South Africa, took several sexually explicit photographs of a minor girl. In September 2014, he sent the photographs to undercover federal agents in Maine investigating the online exchange of child pornography. He also sent child pornography images depicting other children to the investigators. He was indicted in the District of Maine in November 2014, and arrested by South African authorities. Following his arrest, he admitted that he had engaged in sexual activity with the minor girl, taken photos and video footage of the activity, and sent images to other individuals using the internet.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit of the South African Police Service.

Contact: Jody Mullis
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Jonathan Gardiner, 31, of Glenburn, Maine pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

According to court records, on November 13, 2014, law enforcement officers recovered a 12-gauge shotgun in the attic of the defendant’s residence and a 9-mm pistol on the ground behind the residence.  Forensic testing revealed that the defendant held both firearms.  Gardiner was prohibited from possessing firearms because of Maine felony convictions for burglary, aggravated assault, theft by unlawful use of property, and drug trafficking. 

If Gardiner is found to be an armed career criminal, he faces an enhanced sentence of between 15 years and life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 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 Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory.

Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Luis Hernandez, 35, of Waterbury, Connecticut, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to distribution of heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” 

According to court records, on November 30, 2016, Hernandez distributed heroin and crack to an individual working with the law enforcement agents at a residence in Hermon, Maine.

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release.

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

Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Todd Shorey, 52, of Newport, Maine, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin. 

According to court records, between May 2015 and January 2016, Shorey conspired with Jamie Akerson and others to distribute over a kilogram of heroin.  Shorey, Akerson and others obtained large quantities of heroin on a weekly basis from an out-of-state source and had it distributed throughout Central Maine.  Jamie Akerson pled guilty to the same charge on April 14, 2017.

The charge carries a sentence of between 10 years and life in prison, an $8,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.

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

Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Lamar Young, 30, formerly of Lewiston, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” He pleaded guilty on November 28, 2016.

According to court records, in late 2012 and early 2013, Young and other conspirators sold cocaine base out of an apartment in Lewiston. The conspirators pooled money to purchase powder cocaine and crack from suppliers in Massachusetts, had it transported to Maine, cooked powder cocaine into crack, and packaged it for distribution from the apartment.
           
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Lewiston Police Department; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Contact: F. Todd Lowell
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Ernest R. Cook, 58, of Bangor, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 130 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography and using the internet intending to view child pornography.  He was also ordered to pay $16,500 in restitution.  Cook pleaded guilty on November 18, 2016.

Court records reveal that on December 21, 2014, the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office received information that the defendant had images of child pornography on his computer.  The sheriff’s office executed a search warrant and seized the defendant’s computer and a flash drive.  A forensic examination by the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (MSPCCU) revealed that the defendant used his computer to search for child pornography on the internet and saved those images to the flash drive.

In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock said: “Society will not tolerate what you are doing.”

The investigation was conducted by the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office, the MSPCCU and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Contact: Jody Mullis
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that John Oliveira, 32, of Bangor, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to distribution of fentanyl.

According to court records, on August 16 and 17, 2016, Oliveira sold fentanyl to a witness working with law enforcement. 

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

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

Contact:   James W. Chapman, Jr.
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Carlos Rafael Acosta-Joaquin, a/k/a “Kelvin Valle-Alicea,” 31, of Portland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 14 months in prison and two years of supervised release for misusing a social security number assigned to another person.  On October 26, 2016, the defendant was convicted after a three-day jury trial. 

The evidence at trial established that the defendant, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, entered the United States through Puerto Rico without proper documentation after he purchased the social security card and birth certificate of Kelvin Valle-Alicea, a citizen of Puerto Rico.  In 2015, while assuming Valle-Alicea’s identity, the defendant used Valle-Alicea’s name and social security number on a state court form after he received a speeding ticket. 

Acosta-Joaquin has been in custody since February 24, 2016, when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agents arrested him on immigration charges.  Federal agents arrested him on social security fraud charges the next day. A condition of supervised release requires that he surrender to immigration authorities upon his release from prison.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Fraud Investigations and Recovery Unit. 

Contact: Darcie N. McElwee
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Primo Tosi a/k/a “Brian”, 31, of Scarborough, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a person subject to a protection order. Tosi pleaded guilty to the charge on October 31, 2016.

Court records reveal that in May 2016, officers of the Scarborough Police Department responded to a call from Tosi’s former girlfriend who reported being threatened with a firearm by him. While later executing a search warrant, officers seized a 12 gauge shotgun and ammunition in Tosi’s bedroom and an antique rifle.  Tosi was prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of a protection from abuse order issued by the Maine District Court in Bridgton in January 2016. 

In imposing the sentence, Judge Hornby departed upward one year from the advisory sentencing guideline range because of Tosi’s prior criminal history that included four convictions for misdemeanor crimes involving domestic violence against three different women and due to his risk of recidivism.

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

Contact: Jody Mullis
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Adam Williams, a/k/a “Pacman,” 36, of Worcester, Massachusetts pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to distribution of cocaine base, commonly known as crack.

According to court records, on April 10, 2015, a witness working with law enforcement, purchased $200 worth of crack from Williams in Bangor. 

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

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

Contact: Jody Mullis
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Walter Botelho, 52, of Brewer, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr.  to 2½ years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms.  Botelho pleaded guilty on September 2, 2016. 

According to court records, on May 2, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Brewer residence and recovered, among other things, two rifles and two shotguns.  The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for first-degree manslaughter (New York), receiving stolen goods (Rhode Island), and assault and battery (Massachusetts). 

In imposing a sentence, Judge Woodcock noted that Botelho had “a problem beating up women,” noted that some of Botelho’s prior criminal conduct was “chilling,” and warned that if he did not turn his life around, his dream of having a stable life in Maine would “turn into a nightmare for others.”      

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

Contact: Darcie N. McElwee
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Stephanie Knightly, 50, of South Paris, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to transferring a firearm to a felon.

According to court records, on August 16, 2014, Knightly purchased a pistol in Scarborough, Maine. The private sale was arranged by Steven Piirainen, a person she knew to be a felon. Piirainen accompanied her to the sale and gave her cash to purchase the pistol. After the sale, Piirainen took the firearm. The next day, after stealing a truck, Piirainen engaged in a shootout with the Maine State Police in South Paris, was shot, and died. Prior to the shootout, Piirainen told Knightly that he knew his probation officer was going to arrest him soon and that he was “never going back” to prison.

Knightly faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She will be sentenced after completion of a pre-sentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. 

The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police; the Lewiston Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Contact: Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Rocky Allen Resides, 27, of Xenia, Ohio, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to time-served in U.S. District Court by Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison for unlawfully entering the United States without presenting himself at a border crossing point.  

According to court records, on April 2, 2017, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Resides walking on U.S. Route 1 in Calais, Maine near the Canadian border.  The investigation revealed that Resides illegally entered Canada in July 2016 and did not return to the United States on April 2, 2017 through a border crossing point.  

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol.

Contact: Richard W. Murphy
Acting United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Ann Marie Williams, 52, of Falmouth, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby, to six months in prison and three years of supervised release for embezzling funds from the City of Westbrook while employed as the City’s Tax Collector.  Williams was also ordered to pay $118,000 in restitution. She pleaded guilty on September 19, 2016.

According to court records, from July 2015 through April 2016, while employed as the Tax Collector for Westbrook, Williams embezzled a portion of cash tax payments made by residents.  She concealed her thefts by altering records reflecting the amount of cash tax payments that had actually been received by the City.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Anthony Derrico, 36, of Grand Junction, Colorado, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for transporting child pornography. He was also ordered to pay a total of $10,000 in restitution to children who were depicted in child pornography images he possessed. He pleaded guilty on November 21, 2016.

According to court records, in May 2016, a federal agent in Maine investigating the online exchange of child pornography saw that an individual, later identified as Derrico, posted child pornography images to an online chat group. In a later private chat session with the agent, Derrico expressed an interest in child pornography, and sent the agent three child pornography images. The agent learned that Derrico, who was a truck driver, was driving from Idaho to Texas. Derrico was found in Laredo, Texas and arrested in his truck. Memory cards seized at the time of his arrest contained numerous child pornography images.

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

William Sheldon, 71, of Woolwich, Maine, and Timothy Lewis, 46, of Phippsburg, Maine, were each indicted in Portland, Maine, with crimes related to illegally trafficking juvenile American eels, also known as “elvers” or “glass eels.” A seven-count indictment was returned on March 1, charging Sheldon with conspiracy to smuggle elvers and violate the Lacey Act. A two-count indictment was returned on March 29, charging Lewis with conspiracy to traffic elvers and violate the Lacey Act. Sheldon was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Portland. An arraignment for Lewis will be scheduled in the future.

The indictments were announced today by Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Acting Director Jim Kurth of the USFWS.

These indictments were the result of “Operation Broken Glass,” a multi-jurisdiction U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) investigation into the illegal trafficking of American eels. To date, the investigation has resulted in these two indictments, as well as guilty pleas for eleven individuals in Maine, Virginia and South Carolina. These eleven defendants combined have admitted to illegally trafficking more than $2.75 million worth of elvers.

Eels are highly valued in east Asia for human consumption. Historically, Japanese and European eels were harvested to meet this demand; however, overfishing has led to a decline in the population of these eels. As a result, harvesters have turned to the American eel to fill the void resulting from the decreased number of Japanese and European eels.

American eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea, an area of the North Atlantic Ocean bounded on all sides by ocean currents. They then travel as larvae from the Sargasso to the coastal waters of the eastern U.S., where they enter a juvenile or elver stage, swim upriver and grow to adulthood in fresh water. Elvers are exported for aquaculture in east Asia, where they are raised to adult size and sold for food. Harvesters and exporters of American eels in the U.S. can sell elvers to east Asia for more than $2000 per pound.

Because of the threat of overfishing, elver harvesting is prohibited in the U.S. in all but two states: Maine and South Carolina. Maine and South Carolina heavily regulate elver fisheries, requiring that individuals be licensed and report all quantities of harvested eels to state authorities.

The offense in this case is a felony under the Lacey Act, each carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ incarceration, a fine of up to $250,000 or up to twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, or both.

Operation Broken Glass was conducted by the USFWS and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section in collaboration with the Maine Marine Patrol, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Law Enforcement, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Conservation Police, Virginia Marine Resources Commission Police, USFWS Refuge Law Enforcement, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, Massachusetts Environmental Police, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Law Enforcement, New York State Environmental Conservation Police, New Hampshire Fish and Game Division of Law Enforcement, Maryland Natural Resources Police, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Yarmouth, Massachusetts Division of Natural Resources, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Police Department and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

The government is represented by Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorneys Cassandra Barnum and Shane Waller of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Contact: Daniel J. Perry
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Jamie Hussey, 35, of Gorham, Maine, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to committing federal program fraud.

Court records show that between February 2014 and September 2016, the defendant embezzled over $91,577 from the South Portland Housing Authority (SPHA), an agency that that administers public housing units and that receives federal benefits each year under programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). The defendant was employed as the SPHA Resident Services Coordinator for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS), a program that promotes the development of local strategies to coordinate public and private resources that help public housing tenants obtain employment that will enable participating families to achieve economic independence.  Under this program, a participant can earn monetary credits that are placed in an escrow account based upon the participant meeting certain goals.  Upon successfully completing a FSS contract, a participant may claim funds in their escrow account if no family member is receiving welfare assistance.  The defendant caused 48 checks to be issued in the names of FSS program participants and deposited into her personal bank account. None of the participants ever requested these checks, nor received any proceeds of the checks. 

Hussey 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 HUD-Office of the Inspector General and the South Portland Police Department.

Contact: Jody Mullis
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that William Klingensmith, 47, of Sanford was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to one month in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing firearms.  Klingensmith pleaded guilty on August 4, 2016.

According to court records, Klingensmith possessed a total of eleven firearms at different times between February 20, 2015, and July 11, 2015.  On or about June 13, 2015, Klingensmith used a 9 mm rifle and a Colt 38 revolver for target shooting at a range in Fairfield.  On July 11, 2015, officers found another nine firearms, consisting of rifles and shotguns, hanging on the wall of Klingensmith’s former residence in Waterville.  In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock stated that because of this felony conviction and Klingensmith’s prior misdemeanor conviction of domestic violence, there would be “no firearms for Mr. Klingensmith forever.”    

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

Contact: David B. Joyce
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Moses Okot, 28, of Portland, Maine, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

Court records revealed that on November 16, 2015, Okot discharged a firearm in Portland’s Old Port district, striking two people standing on the sidewalk.  Okot fled from the scene of the shooting in a vehicle.  A Portland Police Officer followed the vehicle to a residence in Portland.  Okot was later found hiding on a nearby third-story porch.  The firearm used in the shooting was found in the vehicle. 

At the time of the shooting, Okot was on state probation as a result of a 2011 conviction for felony murder. He was therefore prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms.

Okot faces a period of imprisonment of up to ten years and a fine of up to $250,000.  However, the plea agreement in this case calls for imposition of a ten-year sentence to be served consecutively to a probation revocation sentence imposed in state court.  

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

Contact: David B. Joyce
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Mustafa Hassan, 34, of Portland, Maine was convicted yesterday following a jury trial in U.S. District Court of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as crack. 

Court records and trial evidence revealed that between January 2016 and March 2016, Hassan, Nelson Calderon, and others trafficked in cocaine and crack in southern Maine.  The two men were arrested on March 6, 2016, as law enforcement interrupted a pending drug transaction.  A subsequent search warrant at Calderon’s residence revealed about 160 grams of crack and about 460 grams of cocaine. 

Hassan faces between five and forty years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000,000.  He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.  On November 21, 2016, Calderon entered a guilty plea to the drug conspiracy charge.  He awaits sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) 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 DEA; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland, South Portland, and Lewiston Police Departments.

Contact: Donald E. Clark
Assistant United States Attorney
(207) 780-3257
             
Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, announced the distribution of more than $1.1 million of criminally forfeited funds to eight Maine law enforcement agencies for their participation in the successful federal prosecution of Malcolm French and Haynes Timberland, Inc. Pursuant to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Equitable Sharing Program, the funds have been distributed to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Maine State Police; the Maine Warden Service; the Washington County Sheriff; and the Brewer, Biddeford, Scarborough and Gorham police departments. 

The prosecution arose out of the September 22, 2009 seizure of 2,943 marijuana plants in Township 37, Washington County.  On January 24, 2014, following a jury trial, French was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture over 1000 marijuana plants, manufacturing over 1,000 marijuana plants, managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana, and harboring illegal aliens. His business, Haynes Timberland, Inc., was found guilty of managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana. 

On February 10, 2016, Haynes Timberland was sentenced to pay a $100,000 fine. On April 21, 2016, French was sentenced to 175 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Haynes Timberland and French were also ordered to forfeit $1,550,000, a warehouse compound in Township 31, and a hunting camp in LaGrange that facilitated drug trafficking.  The funds shared today were from the forfeiture of the $1,550,000.

Contact: F. Todd Lowell
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that John D. Fraser, a/k/a “John Knight,” 54, of Nova Scotia, Canada was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to time served (three months and 22 days) in prison and one year of supervised release for attempting to enter the United States after having been ordered removed.

Court records reveal that on November 20, 2016, a vehicle with Florida registration plates arrived at the Calais, Maine port of entry to the United States.  The defendant, who was a passenger in the vehicle, provided a valid Canada passport in the name John Knight.  He said he was going to his winter home in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  An officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection referred the defendant to secondary inspection.  After initial denials, the defendant admitted that he had been living and working in the United States for over 30 years without authorization.  A fingerprint check showed that the defendant had a significant criminal history under the name John D. Fraser and had been ordered removed from the United States in 2010.  

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

Contact: Donald E. Clark
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, announced that on Thursday, March 16, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, located at 202 Harlow Street, Bangor, Maine they will recognize the distribution of more than $1.1 million of criminally forfeited funds to eight Maine law enforcement agencies for their participation in the successful federal prosecution of Malcolm French and Haynes Timberland, Inc. Pursuant to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Equitable Sharing Program, the funds have been distributed to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Maine State Police; the Maine Warden Service; the Washington County Sheriff; and the Brewer, Biddeford, Scarborough and Gorham police departments. 

Contact: David Joyce  
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Derrick Favreau, 33, of Auburn, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  He was also fined $5,000.   He pleaded guilty July 26, 2016.

According to Court records, in May 2014, law enforcement officers seized distributable amounts of cocaine from a hidden compartment in Favreau’s vehicle.  Later, officers seized $19,000 from a hidden compartment in a second vehicle operated by Favreau and $10,000 during the execution of a search warrant.

This case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Maine State Police, the Lewiston and Auburn Police Departments, and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office.

Contact: Donald E. Clark
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  The United States Attorney’s Office announced that on Friday the President of the United States requested the resignation of U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II.  Pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, Richard W. Murphy, previously the First Assistant U.S. Attorney (“FAUSA”) is now the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine.

Acting U.S. Attorney Murphy has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for nearly 27 years and as FAUSA since September 2010. He is a South Portland native. He graduated from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts and from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor. He was a partner in the Portland law firm of Pierce Atwood before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1990.

Contact: Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Steven Tutt, 46, of Gorham, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 12 months and 1 day in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.  He was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.  The defendant pled guilty on November 29, 2016.

According to court records, law enforcement, using a peer-to-peer file sharing program, downloaded a child pornography video from the defendant’s home computer.  A search warrant was subsequently obtained for the defendant’s residence.  A forensic examination of the defendant’s computer was conducted and revealed several additional videos of child pornography.  During an interview with law enforcement, the defendant admitted that he had actively searched for and obtained images and videos of child pornography using peer-to-peer software.

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

Contact: F. Todd Lowell
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Presiliano Gonzalez Berruete, 53, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to being an alien who was found in the United States after having been removed and deported from the United States.  Gonzalez Berruete was indicted for that crime in February 2017. 

According to court documents, on February 12, 2017, the defendant arrived at the Canada Border Services Agency in Woodstock, New Brunswick.  He was refused entry to Canada and transported to the Houlton, Maine Port of Entry.  A United States Custom and Border Protection (CBP) officer determined that the defendant was a citizen of Mexico and had been removed from the United States in 2010.  The removal of the defendant happened after the defendant was convicted of a federal felony drug trafficking offense and had served time in prison for that offense.  The defendant returned to the United States after that removal by entering the United States without inspection at a place that was not designated for entry.

The case was investigated by United States Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security.