District of Maine

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Matthew McElroy, 39, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to six years in prison and five years of supervised release for transporting child pornography. McElroy pleaded guilty to the charge on April 15, 2016.

According to court records, in January 2016, a federal agent was investigating the distribution and production of child pornography over the internet when he received an email message attaching three child pornography images from an individual later identified as McElroy, who claimed that the images depicted his niece and that he had sexual contact with her. A search warrant was obtained for McElroy’s Chicopee residence and he was arrested on a criminal complaint. McElroy later admitted that he used his email account to trade child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Chicopee, Massachusetts Police Department.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Isaac Allen, 23, of South Portland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 3 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute ecstacy (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)) and for illegally possessing firearms. Allen pled guilty to these offenses on March 17, 2016.

According to court records and evidence introduced at the plea hearing, Allen bought ecstasy from European suppliers, paid for it with “Bitcoin,” and had it shipped to the United States where he sold it to customers, one of whom was cooperating with federal investigators.  Bitcoin is a digital currency that is not backed by any country’s central bank.  On December 2, 2015, Allen’s residence was searched and agents seized, among other things, distributable quantities of ecstasy, a handgun and four loaded magazines. While the search was ongoing, Allen was arrested after being stopped in a vehicle a short distance from his residence. Agents seized a loaded handgun from the vehicle’s glove compartment.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the South Portland Police Department.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Joseph Richards, 47, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for armed bank robbery.  The charges arose from the August 3, 2015 armed bank robbery of Norway Savings Bank (NSB) in Freeport, Maine; the August 14, 2015 armed bank robbery of Franklin Savings Bank (FSB) in Franklin, New Hampshire; the September 4, 2015 armed bank robbery of University Credit Union (UCU) in Portland; and the September 12, 2015 armed bank robbery of TD Bank (TDB) in Lewiston, Maine.

According to court records, the defendant used a pellet gun in each robbery and absconded with $5,854 from NSB, $13,240 from FSB, $12,308 from UCU and $9,888 from TDB.  At the time of the robberies, the defendant was on federal supervised release for a 2003 federal bank robbery conviction in New Hampshire, for which he received a 12½ year sentence.

On July 28, 2016, one of Richards’ co-conspirators, Neil West, Sr., of Portland, Maine, was found guilty following a jury trial in U.S. District Court of armed bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery arising out of the UCU and TDB robberies.  West served as the getaway driver for both robberies.  The TD Bank robbery resulted in a high-speed chase which culminated in Saco.  Following the chase, West and Richards were arrested. 

Before imposing sentence, Chief Judge Torresen stated the seriousness of these offenses is impossible to overstate.  People’s lives were put at risk.  The emotional harm that the tellers suffered will last a lifetime. 

The joint investigation was conducted by the Franklin (New Hampshire), Manchester (New Hampshire), Freeport, Portland, Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach and Saco (Maine) Police Departments; the Maine State Police; and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland, South Portland, Lewiston and Biddeford Police Departments.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Garrett Brosnan, 25, of Bath, Maine, waived indictment and pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to attempting to transfer obscene matter to a minor.

According to court records, in May of this year, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were investigating a report that an unknown adult male had an inappropriate online interaction with a minor girl in Arizona. Investigators obtained information suggesting that the male was Brosnan. An HSI investigator in Arizona initiated an undercover online conversation with Brosnan in late May. The investigator said she was a 14-year-old girl from Arizona. On June 2, Brosnan sent the investigator a picture of himself exposing his penis.

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

The investigation was conducted by HSI offices in Maine and Arizona.

Contact: Jody Mullis
Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorneys
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jack Palmer, 66, of Winter Harbor was convicted following a jury trial in U.S. District Court of possession of child pornography.

The evidence at trial revealed that on October 23, 2014, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Palmer’s residence where they recovered a laptop computer and compact disks.  A forensic examination of these items revealed over 300 images and videos of child pornography.  During two separate interviews with law enforcement, Palmer admitted to searching for, viewing, and collecting child pornography.

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

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

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Kourtney Williams, 26, and Victor Lara Jr, 33, both of Lewiston, Maine were convicted yesterday following a jury trial in U.S. District Court of robbery conspiracy and using a firearm during a crime of violence.  Williams was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Both were found not guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone.

Court records and trial evidence revealed that on August 2, 2014, at about 11:00 p.m., the defendants and Ismael Douglas broke into a residence on the Garfield Road in Minot, Maine intending to steal drugs and money from its occupants.  Williams was armed with a handgun and Lara was armed with a crowbar.

The defendants face up to 20 years in prison on the robbery charge, an additional term of seven years to life on the use of a firearm charge and a $250,000 fine on each count.  In addition, Williams faces an enhanced sentence as an armed career criminal of 15 years to life on the firearm possession charge, and a $250,000 fine.  They will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.  On August 11, 2016, Douglas pled guilty to robbery conspiracy and using a firearm during a crime of violence and awaits sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police, the Lewiston and Auburn Police Departments, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Richard W. Szpyt, a/k/a “Zip,” 57, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 15¾ years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.  Szpyt pled guilty to the charge on June 2, 2016.

According to court records, from 2006 through about December 2007, co-conspirator Ramon Dellosantos supplied cocaine to Szpyt on numerous occasions.  Szpyt distributed it to dealers operating in Maine who sold it to customers in Maine.  Dellosantos pled guilty to the same charge on May 24, 2016 and awaits sentencing.

Szpyt and Dellosantos were arrested in 2008 along with 18 other people and charged with selling marijuana and cocaine to customers in Maine.  According to evidence introduced at that trial, Szpyt was president of the Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club and he used other members of the club to distribute the drugs.  A jury convicted Szpyt and Dellosantos in May 2009 on charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and more than five kilograms of cocaine. In August 2011, their convictions were overturned by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. They were re-indicted on December 14, 2011.  To date, 12 other conspirators have been sentenced.

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

Contact: Jim Moore
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Tayfun Remzi Reis, 61, of Istanbul, Turkey, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 3½ months in prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after having been removed from the country. He was also fined $2,000.

According to court records, on May 30, 2016, the defendant was discovered by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in an area of a recent border sensor activation near Blaine, Maine.  Reis was located close to the international border, adjacent to a beaten down trail, and was found on the ground in a fetal position covered by branches.  Fingerprint results revealed that he was a citizen of Turkey who in 1998 had been removed from the United States.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Border Patrol.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Walter Botelho, 52, of Brewer, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of firearms. 

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). 

Botelho faces up to 10 years in prison, three 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 Brewer Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Deidre Smith, a/k/a Deidre Fowler, 43, of Bangor, Maine, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to unlawfully entering the United States without presenting herself at a border crossing point.  Smith is currently unemployed and is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. 

According to court records, on August 5, 2016, U.S. Border Patrol agents saw Smith walking on a road in Hodgdon, Maine near the border between Canada and the United States.  Smith later admitted that she crossed into the United States on foot from Canada and that she knowingly failed to enter the United States through a border crossing point. 

Smith faces up to one year in prison, a $5,000 fine, and up to one year 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. Border Patrol.

Contact: Jim Moore
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel:  (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that John T. Hines, 50, of Swanville, Maine pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawfully possessing four firearms. 
 
According to court records and evidence adduced at a trial in April 2013, two Waldo County Sheriff’s deputies went to the defendant’s residence to investigate a neighbor’s complaint of hearing gunfire coming from the property and found Hines in possession of a loaded .357 Ruger revolver, two rifles and a shotgun.  Hines was prohibited under federal law from possessing any firearms because he had previously been convicted of domestic violence assault, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. 
            
Hines faces up to 10 years in prison, three 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office.

Contact: Jim Moore
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel:  (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that John T. Hines, 50, of Swanville, Maine pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawfully possessing four firearms. 
 
According to court records and evidence adduced at a trial in April 2013, two Waldo County Sheriff’s deputies went to the defendant’s residence to investigate a neighbor’s complaint of hearing gunfire coming from the property and found Hines in possession of a loaded .357 Ruger revolver, two rifles and a shotgun.  Hines was prohibited under federal law from possessing any firearms because he had previously been convicted of domestic violence assault, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. 
            
Hines faces up to 10 years in prison, three 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Timothy P. Gallagher, 47, of Jay, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to a year and a day in prison and three years of supervised release for federal program fraud. He was also ordered to pay $79,639 in restitution. He pled guilty on April 14, 2016.

According to court records, between May and November 2014, the defendant embezzled $79,639 from Stanford Management LLC (“Stanford”), a property management company specializing in affordable housing that received millions of dollars in federal benefits each year under programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”).  While employed as a full-time construction manager at Stanford, Gallagher set up a competing construction company and paid it to hire subcontractors to perform work on Stanford properties, the job he was being paid a wage to perform.  He also concealed his ownership of the competing construction company from Stanford and the federal agencies. 

The case was investigated by HUD, Office of Inspector General and the USDA, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Jay Police Department.

Contact: Jonathan R. Chapman
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Troy Blanchard, 27 of Rumford, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.

According to court records, on January 19, 2016, officers of the Rumford Police Department saw Blanchard walking on a street in that town carrying a shotgun.  Blanchard then dropped the firearm and entered a nearby residence.  The police recovered the shotgun and then arrested Blanchard at the residence.  Blanchard was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms because of a 2014 conviction in Oxford County for trafficking in drugs.

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

Contact: Andrew K. Lizotte
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257
                                                                                  
Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II today announced that Northern Maine Medical Center (“NMMC”), has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the United States in which it will pay $125,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). 

Controlled substances are strictly regulated in the United States because of their potential for abuse and the danger they pose if improperly used.  The CSA establishes a closed system of controls over the handling of controlled substances by registrants, including hospitals, pharmacies and rehabilitation facilities.  Violations of the CSA concerning dispensing and administering, distribution, recordkeeping, and other related activities can result in civil penalties.

NMMC is a hospital in Fort Kent, Maine.  In addition to acute care services, NMMC also offers long term care and skilled rehabilitation at a location at 25 Bolduc Avenue, in Fort Kent, known as Forest Hill.  NMMC operates as a Hospital/Clinic registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), but does not have a separate registration for Forest Hill. 

The settlement resolves allegations that NMMC negligently failed to maintain and keep records of its destruction of Schedule II through V controlled substances at Forest Hill and at its on-site pharmacy.  The CSA requires registrants to document the amount, date and manner of destruction and disposal of controlled substances.  The Government alleged that the only information NMMC maintained concerning the destruction of controlled substances at Forest Hill was a notation that the drug was “wasted”; that NMMC pharmacy records omitted the manner of disposal; and that NMMC unlawfully distributed controlled substances at Forest Hill because it did not have a registration permitting it to distribute and dispense controlled substances there. 

NMMC admitted no wrongdoing in resolving the matter and contended that its actions at all times complied with the applicable CSA requirements.  NMMC cooperated fully throughout the investigation. 

The case was investigated by the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control.  The civil action is docketed United States v. Northern Maine Medical Center, 16-cv-00445-JDL (D. Me.).

Contact: Halsey B. Frank
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that ISF Trading Company (“ISF”), of Portland, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to violating the Lacey Act.  The Lacey Act is a federal law that prohibits trade in wildlife that has been illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold.

ISF is a Maine company engaged in the business of buying seafood, including live sea urchins, from Maine and Canadian suppliers, processing that seafood, and selling it to domestic and foreign, mostly Asian, markets.  According to court records, ISF bought Canadian sea urchins from a Canadian supplier, TGK Fisheries of Grand Manan, that was not authorized under Canadian law to export them to the United States.  ISF brought them across the Calais Port of Entry under the false label of another Canadian supplier, Matthews Seafood (“Matthews”) of New Brunswick, Canada.  At times, Matthews was authorized to export them. On seven occasions between December 31, 2010 and February 1, 2011, ISF illegally imported a total of about 48,000 pounds of sea urchins, whose processed roe was worth at least $172,800, from TGK through Calais under the Mathews label. The scheme was discovered in February 2011, when ISF attempted to import 8,000 pounds of sea urchins, using an invoice in the name of Matthews.  A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer became suspicious when he noticed that the totes containing the sea urchins did not have the labels required by law.

ISF faces up to five years of probation.  Under its agreement with the United States, ISF faces up to $1,250,000 in fines and forfeitures for the violations.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Andrew Bean, 51, of South Paris, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm after being convicted of four felony offenses.  He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2016.

According to court records, on November 21, 2015, a Maine Game Warden discovered Bean in possession of a 12-gauge shotgun in the Paris, Maine area.  Bean was prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior felony convictions for Operating Under the Influence and for Operating after Revocation in 2002 and, again, in 2006. 

The case was investigated by the Maine Warden Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Douglas Blodgett, 46, of Lewiston, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to accessing with intent to view material containing images of child pornography.

According to court records, in March of this year, Blodgett used the internet to access Internet Relay Chat channels and chatrooms containing child pornography images. Investigators executed a search warrant on Blodgett’s computer and residence, and found that he had accessed internet addresses containing child pornography images. In an interview with agents, Blodgett admitted visiting chatrooms containing child pornography.

Blodgett faces between 10 and 20 years in prison; a $250,000 fine; and between 5 years and life on supervised release. He faces an enhanced sentence because of a prior sex offense conviction. 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 and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Roger Belanger, 59, of Corinna, Maine and Kelli Mujo, 31, of Harmony and Wellington, Maine and Central Falls, Rhode Island, were convicted on Friday following a jury trial in U.S. District Court of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and maintaining a drug involved premise. 

The evidence at trial revealed that between 2002 and 2014 the defendants ran a cocaine and oxycodone distribution conspiracy that stretched from Rhode Island to the Dexter, Maine area.  They obtained over 22 kilograms of cocaine and thousands of oxycodone pills in Rhode Island. Mujo and others transported it to Maine where it was distributed in Dexter and the surrounding communities. 

They face between 10 years and life in prison, a $10,000,000 fine, and between five years and life on supervised release on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years, a $500,000 fine, three years of supervised release on the premises charge.

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, Somerset and Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Offices.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Joseph Dinapoli, 27, of Cushing, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to possessing firearms after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

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

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

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

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that William McNeill, 23, of Cumberland, Rhode Island, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 20 months in prison and five years of supervised for travelling interstate to engage in sexual conduct with a minor. He will also be required to register as a sex offender, and while on supervised release his access to minors, computers, and the Internet will be restricted.

According to court documents, in the fall of 2014, McNeill met a 14-year-old girl from Cumberland County online.  On about October 18, 2014, following several weeks of communicating with the juvenile in a sexually explicit manner, McNeill travelled from North Carolina to Maine to meet and have sexual relations with her.
 
The case resulted from a joint investigation between the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Bridgton, Maine Police Department. 

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

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II, announced that Jimmy Odong, 26, of Portland was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 14 years in prison for robbing three credit unions and two banks in 2015.  He was also order to pay $26,790 in restitution.  The charges arose from the robberies of University Credit Union in Portland on May 14, 2015; TruChoice Federal Credit Union in Portland on May 26, 2015; CPort Credit Union and Bank of America, both in Portland, on June 19, 2015; and Key Bank in Freeport, Maine, on July 17, 2015.

In the robberies, Odong was captured on bank security cameras wearing a hat or wig that partially disguised his appearance, he demanded cash from tellers, and he brandished what appeared to be a gray or black semiautomatic handgun. Odong has been in custody since July 23, 2015, when the FBI and Portland Police arrested him in Portland for the Key Bank robbery after a partial palm print of Odong was recovered from a stolen vehicle he used in the robbery. 

Before imposing sentence, Chief Judge Torresen stated that bank robberies such as the ones committed by Odong are extremely serious offenses, especially when a weapon is brandished.  She stated that the tellers and the customers often suffer emotional trauma that continues well beyond the date of the crime.  Judge Torresen also told Odong that his crimes affected the entire banking industry in this area because no bank felt safe. 

The investigation was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); the Freeport, Portland and Brunswick Police Departments; the Maine State Police; and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force 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; and the Portland, South Portland, Lewiston and Biddeford Police Departments.  U.S. Attorney Delahanty praised the cooperation among these law enforcement agencies noting that “these bank robberies were quickly solved because local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies worked closely together.”

Contact: Halsey B. Frank
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jayme L. Temoke, 29, of Lewiston, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to two years of probation for misappropriation of postal funds.  She was also ordered to pay $4,367 in restitution.  Temoke pleaded guilty on February 23, 2016. 

According to court documents, in June and July 2014, Temoke used her position as postmaster relief for the West Poland post office to embezzle $4,367 in postal funds by cashing money orders and not reporting their sale until she was able to cover the shortage with the proceeds of later embezzled money orders.  When confronted, she told investigators that she was a single mother of three children who got into financial difficulty, started taking money intending to pay it back, but was unable to do so.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.

Contact: Jim Moore
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel:  (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Manual Antonio Guerra-Nolasco, 36, of Canton Matelapa, El Salvador pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawfully re-entering the United States after having been removed from the country.

According to court records, on May 30, 2016, Guerra-Nolasco was arrested after a traffic stop in Orrington, Maine when a Penobscot Count Deputy Sherriff learned that the pick-up truck he was driving was not registered and that his California driver’s license had been issued in the name of another person.  Immigration records revealed that Guerra-Nolasco had been removed from the United States on August 20, 2007. 

Guerra-Nolasco faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  He will be sentenced after completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Border Patrol.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Ariel Perez-Calvo, 28, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. 

Court records show that between January 7 and January 13, 2016, Perez-Calvo and Roberto Lueje-Rodriguez used debit and credit card account numbers belonging to Maine bank customers located in Penobscot, Knox, Hancock, Piscataquis, Franklin, Somerset, Kennebec, and Androscoggin counties, to make unauthorized purchases totaling more than $50,000.  The defendant engaged in similar conduct in Manchester and Concord, New Hampshire in November 2015 when he used debit and credit card account numbers belonging to New Hampshire bank customers to make unauthorized purchases totaling more than $1,000.

The name embossed on each fake card was “David Cuan,” which was not the name of any of the victims.  Each fake card bore a unique account number and appeared to be an authentic debit or credit card, but their magnetic strips were encoded with the true account numbers of the victims. 

The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for access device fraud and an additional mandatory minimum period of imprisonment of two years for the aggravated identity theft.  He will also be ordered to pay full restitution.  He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

On July 8, 2016, Lueje-Rodriquez pleaded guilty to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft charges arising out of the same conduct and awaits sentencing.       

The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Bangor, Brewer, Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Ellsworth, Hampden, Lincoln, Millinocket, Newport, Pittsfield, Rockland, Saco, Waterville (Maine) and Londonderry (New Hampshire) Police Departments.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that William Klingensmith, 46, of Sanford, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to possession of firearms by a prohibited person.  

According to court records, Klingensmith possessed eleven firearms at different times between February and July 2015.  He used two of them for target shooting at a range in Fairfield and had nine of them hanging on the wall of his former residence in Waterville. He was prohibited from possessing them because in 2010 he was convicted in Maine of domestic violence assault, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, 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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waterville Police Department.

Contact: Michael J. Conley
Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorneys
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today that Espen Brungodt, 28, of Norway, was arrested and charged in U.S. District Court by criminal complaint with making threatening interstate communications.

According to court records, on August 3, 2016, Brungodt sent an email to the Portland Police Department in which he threatened to kill police officers.

The defendant will make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland today at 2:00 p.m.

He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Portland Police Department.

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

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Dustin Giles, 31, of Caribou, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. for conspiring to distribute bath salts to 28 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.  The defendant pled guilty to the charge on January 12, 2016.

According to court records, between about January 2012 and June 2014, Giles conspired with others in Aroostook County to obtain bath salts overseas via the internet and distribute it.  Specifically, Giles was supplied with bath salts by another member of the conspiracy and distributed it to multiple customers. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Contact: Halsey B. Frank
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Thomas P. Cortez, 58, of College Point, New York and Portland was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 10 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender.  Cortez pleaded guilty on April 5, 2016. 

According to court documents, Cortez was convicted in Maine in 1989 of unlawful sexual contact with a minor under 14 years old.  As a result, Cortez is required to register as a sex offender for life.  In 1996, Cortez was living in New York when it instituted a sex offender registry. Between about 1996 and about March of 2003, Cortez was registered in New York.  In 2003, Cortez gave New York notice that he was moving back to Maine.  Between 2006 and 2015, Cortez registered in Maine.  After March 2015, Cortez moved to College Point, New York, where he lived with his father and stepmother.  He did not inform Maine that he had moved to New York and he did not register in New York.  In December of 2015, Cortez was arrested in New York and told arresting officers, among other things, that he had been living in New York for about eight months.

In pronouncing sentence, Judge Levy explained that he did not believe that Mr. Cortez did not understand that he had to register, that the purposes of the sentence were to protect the public, to promote respect for law, and to deter Mr. Cortez from reoffending.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Maine Sex Offender Registry, the New York Sex Offender Registry, and the Portland Police Department.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Howard Hoffman, 53, formerly of Richmond, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to one year and one day in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for bank fraud. Hoffman pleaded guilty on April 15, 2016.

According to court records, in March 2007, Hoffman’s childhood friend died while in Costa Rica. Over a year later, Hoffman used his deceased friend’s personal identifying information to gain access to the friend’s bank account and change the address on the account to his residence in Richmond. Over the next few weeks, Hoffman caused two checks, totaling approximately $80,000, to be issued from his friend’s account. Hoffman deposited the checks into a bank account of a company he controlled. Hoffman did not have authority to access the account or cause the bank to issue the two checks.

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

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that John C. Barry, 69, of Portland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to a year and a day in prison for embezzlement and making false entries in credit union records. He was also order to pay $533,791 in restitution.  He pled guilty to the charges on November 18, 2015.

According to court records, the defendant was the manager of the Portland Police Department Federal Credit Union (“PPDFCU”), a federal credit union whose deposits were federally insured.  In that capacity, the defendant had access to PPDFCU bank accounts and was responsible for managing the activities of the credit union.  Between 2009 and December 2013, the defendant embezzled $533,791 from credit union accounts by transferring the funds into his and his family members’ accounts for his and their personal use.  Over that period of time, the defendant was also responsible for preparing and submitting certified quarterly call reports to the National Credit Union Administration (“NCUA”).  The defendant caused false quarterly call reports to be filed that overstated the PPDFCU’s net worth to make it appear that PPDFCU was sufficiently capitalized, when in truth and in fact, as he well knew, the PPDFCU was not sufficiently capitalized.  As a result, on December 1, 2014, the NCUA facilitated the acquisition of the PPDFCU by a much larger federal credit union.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Neil West, Sr., 65, was found guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court of armed bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery, following a jury trial. The charges arose from the September 4, 2015 robbery of the University Credit Union in Portland and the September 12, 2015 robbery of TD Bank in Lewiston.  West was found not guilty of robbing or conspiring to rob Norway Savings Bank on August 23, 2015.

According to evidence at trial and court records, co-conspirators Joseph Richards and Crystal Default robbed the two financial institutions and West was their getaway driver.  The TD Bank robbery resulted in a high-speed chase which terminated in Saco and resulted in the arrests of West and Richards.

At the time of both robberies, West was on federal supervised release stemming from a June 2013 conviction for Accessory After the Fact (Bank Robbery) for which he received a 41-month prison sentence.

West faces up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the robbery charges and up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charges.  He will be sentenced after completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. 

On January 20, 2016, Richards and Default pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery and await sentencing.

The joint investigation was conducted by the Franklin (New Hampshire), Manchester (New Hampshire), Freeport, Portland, Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach and Saco (Maine) Police Departments; the Maine State Police; and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland, South Portland, Lewiston and Biddeford Police Departments.

Contact: Jim Moore
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Justin Bent, 29, of Southwest Harbor, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to six months in prison as well as three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a total of $2,520 in fines, special assessments and court costs for operating under the influence of alcohol and causing serious bodily injury in Acadia National Park.  He was also convicted of operating a vehicle without due care and destroying trees and other natural resources.  Bent previously pled guilty to these offenses on February 22, 2016.

Court records reveal Bent drove off of a roadway and crashed a van into trees at the Park in May of 2014, seriously injuring a passenger in his vehicle.  Court records also indicated the passenger was transported by life flight to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor where he underwent emergency surgery for a bone fracture. 

The investigation was conducted by National Park Service Rangers as well as the police departments of Southwest Harbor and Mount Desert Island.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Kliton Xhemali, 33, of Bangor was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock today to eighteen months imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release on his conviction for distribution of cocaine. 

According to court records, on April 2, 2015, Xhemali sold approximately one ounce of cocaine to a government informant who was working with an undercover agent of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The sale took place at Xhemali’s residence in Bangor.   At the sentencing hearing, the court found that Xhemali was responsible for four ounces of cocaine in addition to the amount that he sold on April 2 based on conduct that occurred on other dates.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock described as “mystifying” Xhemali’s decision to turn to drug dealing.  The court observed that the defendant came from a good family in the Country of Albania who provided him with opportunities in this country, was highly educated, charismatic, a few credits away from earning a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, and a one-time owner of a pizzeria in Hampden, Maine.  Considering all this, the judge stated “to whom much has been given, much is expected” and told Xhemali that “you used your gifts to distribute poison to the people of this area.”

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

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Charles Roberson, 44, of Hermon, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

According to court records, in 2004, Roberson was convicted in Minnesota of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the First Degree.  This felony conviction made Roberson a lifetime sex offender registrant.  In or about the fall of 2015, Roberson moved from Minnesota and began living and working in Hermon, Maine.  He did not notify the Minnesota Predatory Offender Registration unit that he was moving.  Further, up until his arrest on February 23, 2016, he made no attempt to register with the Maine State Police Sex Offender Registry.

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

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Wendell White, 52, of Rumford, Maine (formerly of Bangor) pleaded guilty today U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as crack. 

Between about January 2010 and August 2013, the defendant conspired with Christian Turner, a/k/a “P” and Rodrigo Ramirez, a/k/a “Rico” and others to distribute over 280 grams of crack cocaine throughout the greater Bangor area. The drugs were obtained in the New Haven, Connecticut area and transported to the Bangor area by others. The defendant obtained the drugs from Turner and Ramirez and sold it for $100 per gram and $50 per half-gram. He also allowed Turner, Ramirez and others to use his apartment on Sanford Street in Bangor as a place where crack could be sold and used. Members of the conspiracy from New Haven included members of the Red Side Guerilla Brims, a violent street gang affiliated with the Almighty Blood Nation, a national street gang.

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

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the New Haven Office of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Adam Norton, 32, of Falmouth, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for distributing heroin that resulted in death.  Norton pled guilty to the charge on January 26, 2016.

According to court records, in October 2014, Norton distributed heroin to a man that resulted in his death.  Only days after the death, Norton supplied heroin to a family member who overdosed on it, but who was resuscitated with Narcan, an opiate antidote.

At the sentencing, Judge Levy commented that this “case presents circumstances that are the most heartbreaking” he has encountered. The Court noted that Norton’s drug trafficking was related to his heroin addiction that started from his use of medication that had been prescribed him. The Court added, however, that “being an addict is not an excuse for drug trafficking.” 

This case results from an investigation conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Mark Tasker, a/k/a “Mackie”, 49, of Dexter, Maine; Greg Tasker, 28, of Stetson, Maine; and Eugene Moulton, 67, and Antoinette Perreault, a/k/a “Toni”, 48, both of Harmony, Maine, pleaded guilty today U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone and cocaine. 

According to court records, between January 2002 and November 2014, the defendants conspired to distribute oxycodone and/or five kilograms or more of cocaine in the Dexter area.  The drugs were acquired in Rhode Island.  Father and son, Mark and Greg Tasker, distributed oxycodone and cocaine. Moulton and Perreault distributed cocaine.  Mark Tasker also pled guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises for allowing his Liberty Street residence in Dexter to be used for drug distribution activities.

Co-defendants John Williams, Cynthia Williams, Whitney Chadbourne, and Corey Pomerleau pled guilty in the case on January 25, 2016 and await sentencing.

Mark Tasker faces between 10 years and life in prison, a $10,000,000 fine, and between five years and life on supervised release on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the premises charge. Greg Tasker, Moulton and Perreault face up to 20 years in prison, 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 and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, with assistance provided by the Dexter Police Department, and the Penobscot County and Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Offices.

Contact: Benjamin M. Block
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jesse Roy, 37, of Sanford, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 140 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. 

According to court records, from around June 2014 until October 20, 2014, Roy conspired to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Sanford, Maine area and elsewhere.  On October 20, 2014, a search warrant executed at Roy’s residence in Sanford resulted in the seizure of about 94 grams of heroin, $24,500 in U.S. currency, and a Davis Industries, model P380, .380 caliber handgun.  Several months after his arrest, Roy sent two letters to his co-defendant setting forth a false narrative regarding the charges they faced in an effort to obstruct the investigation and prosecution.

Roy was sentenced to 80 months in prison for his role in the narcotics distribution conspiracy and an additional five years for the possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Judge Levy enhanced Roy’s sentence because of his attempt to obstruct justice and for acting as a manager or supervisor of the drug distribution conspiracy. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sanford Police Department.

Contact:  James M. Moore
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Brian Hitchcock, 29, of Caribou, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

Court records reveal that on May 23, 2014, the defendant went to Ben’s Trading Post, a federal firearms licensee and dealer of firearms located in Presque Isle, Maine, and falsely completed a federal firearms application form certifying that he was the actual buyer of a pistol, when, in fact, he was buying the pistol for a felon. Surveillance video showed the defendant purchasing the pistol when the felon was present at the Trading Post and the defendant later admitted to buying the pistol for the felon. 

Hitchcock 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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Caribou Police Department.

Contact: Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Anthony Parent, 23, of Milford, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.  He was also ordered to pay $7,000 in restitution to victims of his offense. He pleaded guilty on October 30, 2015.

According to court records, from about October 31, 2013 to about July 17, 2014, Parent kept images and videos of child pornography on his personal computer, uploaded them to online accounts, and used electronic mail services to trade child pornography with others. 

In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock commented that the images possessed by the defendant, some depicting the sexual abuse of babies, were “abhorrent” and “unspeakable.”

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Maine State Police, and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jeremy Ingersoll-Meserve, 38, of Waldoboro, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to 41 months in prison and a three years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as crack. 

Between about January 2010 and August 2013, the defendant conspired with Christian Turner, a/k/a “P”, Jermaine Mitchell, a/k/a “Melo”, Rodrigo Ramirez, a/k/a “Rico” and others to distribute over 280 grams of crack cocaine throughout the greater Bangor area. The drugs were obtained in the New Haven, Connecticut area and transported to the Bangor area by others. The defendant obtained the drugs from other conspirators and sold it for $100 per gram and $50 per half-gram.  Members of the conspiracy from New Haven included members of the Red Side Guerilla Brimms, a violent street gang affiliated with the Almighty Blood Nation, a national street gang.

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the New Haven Office of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the New Haven Police Department.

Contact: Darcie N. McElwee
James W. Chapman, Jr.
Assistant United States Attorneys
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Gregory Owens, 59, of Londonderry, New Hampshire, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 20 years plus life in prison for interstate domestic violence and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in connection with a home invasion shooting in Saco, Maine on December 18, 2014. He was also ordered to pay over $80,000 in restitution.  He was found guilty following a jury trial on February 16, 2016.

According to trial testimony, on December 18, 2014, Owens drove from New Hampshire to Maine intending to kill his wife who was an overnight guest at the home of friends living in Saco. During the home invasion, Owens shot his wife and the male home owner with a 9mm pistol. Both survived their injuries.   

In imposing sentence, Chief Judge Torresen noted that this was one of the most serious crimes she had encountered.  She said that the defendant crossed a state line planning to murder his wife and she called his trial testimony denying it “bunk.” “I don’t believe you, no one here believes you.”  In imposing the sentence, she recognized that the defendant had exhibited the capacity to commit murder to achieve his ends two times and that she needed to protect the public because he would never change.

The investigation was conducted by the Saco Police Department; the Londonderry Police Department; the Maine and New Hampshire State Police; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Joshua Bickmore, 29, of Guilford, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to distribution of heroin. 

According to court records, on August 13, 2015, Bickmore met with an undercover law enforcement officer at the Cambridge, Maine, General Store and sold him 13 baggies of heroin for $390.   

Bickmore 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 Drug Enforcement Administration and the Greenville, Maine, Police Department. 

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Amanda Ouellette, 38, of Mechanics Falls, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to failing to account for and pay over federal employment taxes. 

According to court records, from 2008 to 2013, Ouellette operated Daddy O’s, a restaurant in Oxford, Maine, and paid wages on a regular basis to several employees.  She withheld federal income and FICA taxes from her employees’ gross pay, but from 2009 through 2013, she failed to file quarterly federal income tax returns and pay over the taxes she withheld to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), as required. 

Ouellette faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  As part of her plea agreement, she agreed to pay $114,487 in restitution to the IRS. 

Contact: Chris Ruge                                                                        
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Tiffany Sutherland, 30, of Bangor was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 4½ years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”  Sutherland pleaded guilty to the charge on January 25, 2016.

According to court records, from April to October, 2014, Sutherland conspired with Terrence Douglas and others to obtain drugs from out-of-state suppliers and to distribute them in the Bangor area.  Sutherland sold heroin and crack cocaine and gave proceeds from those sales to Douglas. 

In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock told Sutherland that her home town of Bangor “has changed for the worse because of people like you.” On November 18, 2015, Douglas was sentenced to 10 years on conspiracy and gun charges. 

The investigation was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Bangor Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Timothy S. Klimas, 27, of Bangor, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 50 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for creating and distributing child pornography.  He pleaded guilty to the charges on September 22, 2015.

Court records reveal that between 2012 and 2014, the defendant sexually abused three minor children and used a digital camera and his cell phone’s camera to record sexually explicit images of them.  He posted many of those images on a website.  He was arrested in August 2014.

In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock said: “These images are a crime against innocence … against childhood … against a basic human moral code” and that the defendant’s conduct was “beyond evil.”

The investigation was conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bangor and Newport Police Departments. 

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Roberto Lueje-Rodriguez, 29, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. 

Court records show that between January 7 and January 13, 2016, Lueje-Rodriguez and another man used debit and credit card account numbers belonging to bank customers in Maine to make unauthorized purchases totaling more than $50,000.  They used the cards in Penobscot, Knox, Hancock, Piscataquis, Franklin, Somerset, Kennebec, and Androscoggin counties.

Each of the debit card account numbers used by the defendant were unique and assigned to one person or, in one instance, to a Maine company.  He used plastic cards made to look as though they were authentic debit or credit cards.  Each of the cards was encoded with true account numbers on the magnetic strip.  The name embossed on each of the cards used by the defendant was “David Cuan”, which was not the name of any of the true account holders. 

The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the access device fraud and a mandatory minimum period of imprisonment of 2 years for the aggravated identity theft crime.  He will also be ordered to pay restitution.  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 State Police, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, the Bangor Police Department, the Brewer Police Department, the Dexter Police Department, the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department, the Ellsworth Police Department, the Hampden Police Department, the Lincoln Police Department, the Millinocket Police Department, the Newport Police Department, the Pittsfield Police Department, the Rockland Police Department, the Saco Police Department, and the Waterville Police Department.

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

Portland, Maine:  Matthew Mennealy, 34, of Lewiston, Maine, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge George Z. Singal for his involvement in distributing heroin, oxycodone, crack and cocaine and possessing firearms while drug trafficking.  Mennealy received a sentence of 84 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for these crimes.

According to Court records, in December 2014, agents stopped a vehicle in which Mennealy was a passenger.  The agents subsequently searched the vehicle and located cocaine base, oxycodone pills, heroin, and a loaded 22 caliber handgun which had a live round in the chamber.

Agents later sought and obtained a search warrant for Mennealy’s residence.  The subsequent search of the residence revealed a bin hidden in the basement ceiling that contained 46 grams of cocaine base, 79 grams of cocaine, 59 grams of heroin, and 106 oxycodone 30 mg. pills.  The agents discovered a loaded pistol secreted under a pillow in the master bedroom and a loaded handgun in the kitchen next to a surveillance system.

Mennealy was charged with the drug trafficking crimes and possessing firearms in relation to those drug crimes in June 2015.  Mennealy pleaded guilty to those charges on January 26, 2016. 

This case results from a collaborative investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that David Chaisson, 23, of Bangor was sentenced to five years in prison and a three-year term of supervised released for his part in a crack cocaine distribution conspiracy that stretched from New Haven, Connecticut to Bangor.  

According to court records, the defendant illegally distributed crack in Penobscot County and elsewhere between January 2010 and August 2013.  He sold and distributed the cocaine base in multiple half gram and gram amounts to others.  The half-gram bags were sold for $50 each and the gram bags were sold for $100 each. The defendant was responsible for collecting proceeds from his transactions and returning the money to the person from whom he had obtained the cocaine base.  The defendant profited in money and/or cocaine base for the transactions that he engaged in. 

The ultimate source for the cocaine base was in the New Haven, Connecticut area and it was transported to the Bangor area by others in the conspiracy including members and associates of the Red Side Guerilla Brimms, a street gang affiliated with the Almighty Blood Nation, a national street gang.  In fact, during his involvement in the conspiracy Chaisson allowed gang member Christian Turner to live in his Old Town residence and deal crack from the location.  In imposing sentence, the Court held Chaisson responsible for providing a “safe haven” for Turner and other gang members who came to Bangor to distribute the crack.

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the New Haven, Connecticut Office of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven Connecticut Department of Police Services.