District of Maine

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Adam Hill, 34, of Sanford, Maine, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Portland on Tuesday and charged in two counts with possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.

Hill faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Sanford Police Department, and the Office of the Maine Attorney General, with assistance from the Maine State Police and South Berwick Police Department.

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

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Alexander J. Batson, 22, of Bangor, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison to two years of probation and fined $1,000 for possessing marijuana.  Batson pleaded guilty to the charge on February 6, 2014.

According to court records, on May 27, 2014, rangers at Acadia National Park spotted an open container of alcohol in Batson’s car.  The rangers located Batson, who confirmed the vehicle and open container belonged to him.  Batson also admitted to having marijuana and consented to a search of his car.  The search revealed 63 grams of marijuana, an electronic scale, several plastic bags, and $3,200 in cash, all belonging to the defendant.  Batson admitted that he sold marijuana.

The investigation was conducted by the National Park Service.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Senthil Prabakaran, 42, of Portland, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to two months in prison for failure to file his 2010 federal income tax return.  Prabakaran also was ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $115,529.  He will be under the supervision of the Federal Probation Office for a year after his release, during which time he will be subject to home confinement for up to four months and required to perform up to 160 hours of community service.

Prabakaran was indicted in June of 2014 on three counts of failing to file federal tax returns for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010.  Court records reveal that Prabakaran agreed to plead guilty to one count of the indictment and to pay restitution relating to the tax due for all three years.  “As filing season comes to an end, it is important for citizens to have confidence that when they pay their taxes, their neighbors and co-workers are doing the same,” stated William Offord, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge.  “The sentencing of Mr. Prabakaran sends a clear message that IRS Criminal Investigation, together with the Department of Justice, will investigate and prosecute those who violate our tax system.”

Contact: Julia M. Lipez
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Paul Henry, 25, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 15 years in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for production of child pornography.

Court records reveal that on both January 25 and January 26, 2014, Henry filmed himself on his iPhone engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year old girl.  Henry then distributed one of the videos via a social networking application on his phone to multiple individuals.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Portland Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Contact: Richard Murphy
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Robert Thompson, 53, of Rockwood, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 8 months imprisonment for evading federal income tax and for illegal sales of lobsters.  The Court also ordered Thompson to pay the Internal Revenue Service restitution of $65,172.

Court records reveal that while Thompson was the dock manager for the Spruce Head Fishermen's Cooperative, he and some Co-op members struck an arrangement under which Thompson would buy some of their catch directly from the lobstermen, bypassing the Co-op and paying them in cash. Thompson then sold these lobsters to J.P.'s Shellfish Company of Eliot, Maine for cash, even though Thompson did not hold a License to buy and sell lobsters as required by the State of Maine.

Thompson pled guilty back in December of 2014 to one count of evading payment of federal income tax on those cash sales for the year 2008, although he agreed as part of his plea to payment of back taxes relating to the years 2009-2011 also. In addition he pled guilty to violating the so-called Lacey Act, a federal law that makes it a crime to purchase or sell wildlife, which includes lobsters, in a manner that violates a state law. A consequence of these illegal sales was that the lobsters at issue were not properly reported to regulatory authorities who monitor the State's fisheries. John Price, owner of J.P.'s, pled guilty and was sentenced in 2014 for violating the Lacey Act and illegally structuring cash transactions.

"Tax evasion is not a victimless crime", IRS Special Agent in Charge William Offord said following the sentencing. "We all pay when others swindle the government". Eileen Sobeck, Assistant Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Fisheries, added "[T]his sentence should serve as a reminder that proper reporting is vital to the sustainability of our Nation's living marine resources. Violations like this are a high priority for our agency".

The charges were the result of a collaborative investigation conducted by the Knox County District Attorney’s Office, the IRS, NOAA-Office of Law Enforcement, and the Knox County Sheriff's Office.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that yesterday United States District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Janis F. Woods, 65, of Conway, New Hampshire to 26 months incarceration, 3 years supervised release and $1,135,371.70 worth of restitution for one count of interstate transportation of stolen checks and one count of tax evasion.  Woods pleaded guilty on October 29, 2014.

According to court documents, Woods used her position as bookkeeper for two businesses, Grover Gundrilling, Inc. of Norway, Maine and VM Foods of Conway, New Hampshire, to issue herself unauthorized checks. Between about January of 2009 and about January of 2012, Woods wrote a total of approximately 169 unauthorized checks totaling approximately $742,081 on Grover Gundrilling’s business account. The total tax due and owing as a result of Woods’ having fraudulently obtained $742,081.31 from Grover Gundrilling is $224,157. Between about 2007 and about 2009, Woods wrote unauthorized checks drawn on VM Foods account, payable to herself, totaling approximately 220,456.48.  The total tax due and owing as a result of Woods’ having fraudulently obtained $220,456.48 from VM Foods Inc. is $59,820.  The total tax due and owed as a result of Woods’ unreported income from both Grover Gundrilling and VM Foods is $283,977.
 
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Hornby observed that while Woods’ serious medical needs and her lack of criminal history called for leniency, her offense was serious because it lasted almost five years and inflicted over one million dollars’ worth of loss on her victims.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.

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

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today that Michael Serritella, 60, of Palm Harbor, Florida, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nancy Torresen to 30 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.  The Court imposed an 18 month term of home confinement as one of the conditions of supervised release.   

According to court records, on June 13, 2013, law enforcement personnel in Maine intercepted a package addressed to a person in Harrison. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant to search the package and the ensuing search revealed approximately 345 oxycodone pills and a note addressed to the person in Harrison stating the pills would cost $4,000.  Law enforcement subsequently arrested the person in Harrison after he arrived at the post office and took possession of the package.  Law enforcement personnel subsequently recovered photographic evidence from a post office in Florida that showed the seized package had been mailed by Serritella.

Further investigation revealed that from September 2012, and continuing through May 2013, Serritella mailed an additional twenty-two (22) packages containing oxycodone pills to the person in Harrison, Maine. The person would then distribute the pills in the Harrison area and send payment to Serritella in Florida.

United States Attorney Delahanty said that this operation was successful because of the cooperation of federal and state law enforcement agencies in Maine and Florida.  The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA).

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Owen R. Adair, 23, of Vinalhaven, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to a charge of making a false distress message to the United States Coast Guard.

According to court records, on September 30, 2014, Adair initiated a two-way radio conversation using a VHF radio with a radio operator at the United States Coast Guard Sector Northern New England.  In ensuing transmissions, Adair repeatedly told the Coast Guard operator that he urgently needed assistance because a crewman on his fishing vessel had sustained a serious injury and was bleeding badly.  In fact, the defendant was not aboard a vessel but was ashore on Vinalhaven Island and was using a VHS radio in his truck.  There was no injured person. The Coast Guard dispatched a search and rescue vessel from Rockland.  After a four-hour search, the Coast Guard abandoned its efforts and concluded that the distress call was a hoax.

Adair faces up to six years in federal 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 Coast Guard Investigative Service.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Lamar Young, 28, of Lewiston, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 14 years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court records, in late 2012 and early 2013, Young and other individuals sold cocaine base out of an apartment in Lewiston. Young and other members of the conspiracy contributed money to purchase cocaine base and cocaine powder from suppliers in Massachusetts. The cocaine was transported from Massachusetts to Maine, turned into cocaine base when necessary, packaged for distribution, and sold by members of the conspiracy.
           
Court records also showed that in March 2014, Young was arrested in the bedroom of an apartment in Lewiston. After his arrest, officers found a digital scale and several plastic bags containing cocaine powder and cocaine base in a dresser drawer in the bedroom. Officers also found a loaded Hi-Point .380 caliber pistol in the bedroom. Young possessed the pistol for the purpose of protecting the drugs, and protecting himself from anyone who might seek to take the drugs from him.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Lewiston Police Department; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Lawrence A. Stewart, 48, of Wayne, Maine, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to theft of public money.

According to court records, from about October 2011 until January 2015, Stewart received additional Veterans Administration (“VA”) disability compensation based on unemployability when he was, in fact, gainfully employed.  Stewart provided falsified documentation to the VA, underreporting the extent of his employment and the income he had received.  In all, Stewart received overpayments of over $53,000 to which he was not entitled.

Stewart 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 VA Office of the Inspector General.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that George D. LaCasse, 35, of Caribou, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Court records reveal that on May 23, 2014, LaCasse arranged for another person to purchase a 9mm pistol for him from Ben’s Trading Post in Presque Isle, Maine.  LaCasse was at the Trading Post when the firearm was purchased.  Witnesses saw him with the pistol.  He admitted to others that he had a gun.  Federal agents also recovered 9mm casings and other evidence that LaCasse had used the firearm for target practice.  LaCasse was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had felony convictions in Massachusetts in 2009.

LaCasse faces up to ten 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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Caribou 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 Ryan Abbott, 23, of Plymouth, Wisconsin, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to transporting child pornography.

According to court records, in October 2014, Abbott, who was in Wisconsin, sent several email messages to the undercover email account of a federal agent in Maine. Some of the messages contained links to folders of child pornography images stored on a cloud storage website. Other messages attached video files depicting sexually explicit conduct involving young children. Abbott was arrested in Wisconsin in December 2014 and brought to Maine to face charges filed in this district.
     
Abbott faces between five and 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and between and five 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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Clyde Eldridge, 65, of Calais, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr, to one year of probation and fined $5,000 for making a false statement to federal agents.

According to court records, Eldridge owned C&E Feeds, a feed and pet store in Calais.  In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its Canadian counterpart, Environment Canada, were investigating the illegal use of the pesticide cypermethrin. On September 23, 2010, when asked by two EPA special agents to identify anyone to whom he had sold cypermethrin and whether he had kept records of the sales, Eldridge said he sold different amounts of cypermethrin to different people and that he did not keep track of the sales.  The investigation revealed, however, that Eldridge sold cypermethrin on 10-11 occasions to one regional production manager employed by Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd., a subsidiary of Cooke Aquaculture, and that on each occasion Eldridge made a note of the quantity picked up by the manager.  In April of 2013, Cooke Aquaculture pled guilty in New Brunswick Provincial Court and paid a $490,000 fine for illegally using pesticides that killed hundreds of lobsters in waters that were about a mile from Maine’s border.

In imposing a sentence, Judge Woodcock said that Eldridge violated the trust of his fellow citizens in selling the pesticide, knowing that it would likely be used in violation of Canadian law and that violating laws meant to protect the environment is a serious matter.

The investigation was conducted by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and Environment Canada.

Contact: Karen E. Kelly
Assistant Chief, U.S. Department of Justice's Tax Division
James W. Chapman, Jr.
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II and Acting Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, Caroline D. Ciraolo, announced that F. William Messier, 70, and David E. Robinson, 78, both of Brunswick, Maine, were convicted yesterday by a federal jury in U.S. District Court for conspiracy to defraud the United States by impeding and impairing the Internal Revenue Services (IRS).  Messier was also convicted of corruptly endeavoring to impede the IRS.  Messier was acquitted of willful failure to file income tax returns for 2008 through 2012.

According to testimony during the trial, Messier, doing business as Oak Hill Communications, earned income generated on leases from telecommunication towers located on his Brunswick property.  From 1999 through 2014, Messier engaged in conduct intended to obstruct the enforcement of the Revenue laws, including providing false tax documents to customers, obstructing IRS collection activities and the extensive use of cash.  In 2012, the IRS assessed taxes and interest against Messier totaling $172,000 for the tax years 2000 to 2004.  According to the testimony of witnesses, after the IRS sent Notices of Levy to Messier’s customers, Robinson and Messier took a number of steps to obstruct and impede the IRS in the enforcement of the levy, including presenting the IRS with a fake and worthless money order for the amount due by Messier. According to witness testimony, Messier and Robinson urged customers not to honor the levies or to pay the IRS, urged customers to pay Messier in cash to conceal their payments from the IRS, sent false documents to the IRS and sent threatening and misleading correspondence to customers of Messier’s business urging them not to cooperate with the IRS.  Robinson claims to be the “Interim Attorney General” of the “Maine Republic Free State.”

Messier faces up to 8 years in prison and fines totaling $500,000.  Robinson faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.   They will be sentenced after the completion of presentence investigation reports by the U.S. Probation Office.

The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney James W. Chapman, and Karen E. Kelly, Assistant Chief at the Tax Division prosecuted the case.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jesse Mansir, 31, of Gardiner, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release for pharmacy robbery.  He pleaded guilty to the charge on October 28, 2014.

Court records reveal that on August 21, 2014, Mansir entered the Rite Aid Pharmacy in Gardiner, approached the pharmacy counter and handed a threatening note to a pharmacy technician.  He told the technician that he had a gun and he concealed one of his hands.  The pharmacist gave Mansir two bottles of Oxycodone and he fled.

Law enforcement officers located Mansir with the aid of a police dog and recovered one of the stolen Oxycodone bottles.  A Gardiner police officer identified Mansir as the robber after reviewing surveillance video from the pharmacy.  Two of the pharmacy employees also identified him as the robber from a photo array.

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

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Terrance Douglas, 35, of Bennettsville, South Carolina and Bangor, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, cocaine base and heroin; possession with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base and heroin; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, from April to October, 2014, Douglas imported the drugs from out of state and then prepared, packaged, and distributed them in the Bangor area.  Douglas, who had a previous felony conviction for distributing cocaine base, was also found in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson .44 magnum pistol at the time of his arrest.  

Douglas faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life years in prison, an $8,000,000 fine, and supervised release for life.  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; the Bangor Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.

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

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Michael Paul, Jr., 45, of Saco, Maine, was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to one year and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for money laundering conspiracy.   He pled guilty to the charge on April 1, 2014.
   
According to court records and proceedings, from August 2011 through October 2013, David Jones obtained hundreds of pounds of marijuana from an out-of-state source and distributed it in Maine. Paul laundered about $39,000 in drug proceeds belonging to Jones by putting the funds through Paul’s business, Michael Paul Foundations, and by purchasing a truck in Paul’s name using drug proceeds and then transferring the truck to Jones.

This case results from a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Portland Police Department and the ongoing effort of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Kevin Lee Ross, 52, of Penobscot, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 7½ years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.  Ross was found guilty after a jury trial on October 21, 2014.

Court proceedings revealed that in July 2011 a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence in Penobscot.  The defendant was the only person at the residence at that time. Agents found a child pornography video playing on one of the defendant’s computers.  A forensic examination of computers seized from the residence revealed thousands of images and hundreds of videos of child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Crystal Burch, 22, of Cushing, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to making a false statement to a government agency.

According to court records, in June 2014, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was investigating Burch’s then-boyfriend for the illegal possession of firearms. In 2013, Burch purchased several handguns from a local firearms dealer and ATF agents were trying to determine whether Burch’s boyfriend possessed any of them. Burch falsely told an ATF agent that she had transferred the handguns to her boyfriend’s father. Later the same day other ATF agents found her boyfriend in possession of two of the handguns.

Burch faces a sentence of up to five 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 ATF.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Adam Mack, 39, of Portland, Maine, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to aiding and abetting visa and marriage fraud and making false statements.

According to court records, between October 2009 and January 2012, Mack unlawfully assisted foreign nationals who were seeking to become a lawful permanent residents, or green card holders, by engaging in marriage and visa fraud and he made false statements regarding his employment of them to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.

Mack faces up to 10 years in prison on the visa fraud charges, and up to five years on the marriage fraud and false statement charges.  He also faces fines of up to $250,000 on each charge.  He will be sentenced after completion of a presentence investigation report by the United States Probation Office.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Chad Amodio, 43, of Milton, New Hampshire, was sentenced today in U.S District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 40 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release for interstate travel to have sex with a minor.  Amodio pled guilty on November 7, 2014.

Court records and proceedings reveal that in March 2014, Amodio began having inappropriate sexual conversations on a chat website with a 13-year-old girl.  Police were alerted and an undercover officer took control of the minor’s account.  Amodio communicated with the undercover officer and made plans to travel from his home in New Hampshire to Maine in order to have sex at the girl’s home.  Shortly after arriving at the Penobscot County address provided by the undercover officer, Amodio was arrested.  Alcohol and a bottle of lubricant were found in his vehicle which he admitted purchasing in anticipation of the planned sexual encounter.

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

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Rodrigo Schumacker, 30, of Seabrook, New Hampshire, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to social security fraud.

According to court records, in March 2010, Schumacker, a Brazilian citizen, completed an application requesting that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services grant him permanent resident status. On the application, Schumacker claimed that he had been assigned a certain social security number, when in fact he had never been assigned a social security number. The number Schumacker used had been assigned to a woman in Florida who was deceased at the time he used it. He later admitted to investigators that he knew the number he had used was not assigned to him

Schumacker faces up to 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release of up to 3 years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the United States Probation Office.

The investigation was conducted by 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 Walter Heathcote, 26, of Biddeford, Maine was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for interference with commerce by robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. Heathcote pleaded guilty to the charges on December 18, 2014.

Court records reveal that on December 2, 2013, Heathcote was the getaway driver for Charles Reed III and Ryan Forrest who robbed at gunpoint the Family Dollar Store in Biddeford.

As a result of prior convictions, Heathcote was subject to an enhanced sentence as an armed career criminal requiring a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.

The investigation was conducted by the Biddeford Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the 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 David Jones, 30, of Portland, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 110 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for distributing marijuana and money laundering.  

According to court records and proceedings, from August 2011 through October 2013, Jones obtained hundreds of pounds of marijuana from an out-of-state source and distributed it in Maine.  In October 2013, agents executing search warrants seized $291,981 from a storage unit Jones rented, $92,104 from an associate’s apartment and $6,278 from the defendant’s residence.  Agents also seized two boats, a truck, several motorcycles, two trailers, numerous pieces of electronic recording equipment and jewelry.  All the seized cash and items were forfeited.  Agents also learned that Jones laundered $177,500 of his drug proceeds through financial transactions involving Gary Prolman, Esq. and $39,000 through transactions involving Michael Paul.

This case results from a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Portland Police Department and the ongoing effort of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that David William Burkman, 31, of Canon City, Colorado, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for sexually exploiting a child and transporting child pornography. Burkman pleaded guilty to the charges on October 20, 2014.

According to court records, in March 2014, Burkman engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a six-year-old girl and took photographs of the conduct. In April, Burkman sent an email message to the undercover email account of a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations in Maine. Attached to the email was one of the photographs of the girl. Burkman was arrested in May and a search warrant was executed at his residence. During an interview after his arrest, he admitted engaging in sexual activity with the six-year-old girl, taking photographs of the activity, and sharing the photographs online.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Colorado Springs 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 Beth M. Rogers, 45, of Portland, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to mail and wire fraud.

Court records show that Rogers operated TravelWise Cruises & Tours, a travel agency in Saco. Beginning in late 2011, Rogers began taking client money without making travel reservations for the clients who had provided the funds. She instead used the money to pay for the travel of other individuals who had booked travel through TravelWise. She misapplied money from more than 50 clients in this fashion until mid-2012, when her scheme was discovered.

Rogers faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.  She will also be required to pay full restitution to her victims. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

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

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Gregory Owens, 58, of Londonderry, New Hampshire, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Portland and charged with 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.

According to court records, on that date, 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.  

Owens faces up to 20 years in prison on the interstate domestic violence charge and no less than ten years and up to life on the firearm charge, which must be served consecutively.  He also faces a $250,000 fine on each count.

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

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

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jason K. Stockmar, 29, of Augusta, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock Jr. to three months  in prison and one year of supervised release for stealing mail and postal money orders while employed by the United States Postal Service (USPS).  He was also ordered to pay $3,160 in restitution. Stockmar pleaded guilty on August 18, 2014.

According to court records, Stockmar was hired by USPS in 2011.  He was the officer in charge of the East Vassalboro, Maine Post Office between about December 1, 2012, and April 21, 2013, when he stole about 25 to 30 pieces of customer mail containing cash, checks and gift cards.  He also took 20 blank postal money orders from a post office safe and attempted to purchase gold with them.

The case was investigated by the USPS Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Contact: Andrew K. Lizotte
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Dr. Daniel P. Schecter, a dentist who provided services in Rockport, Maine, has paid $484,744.80 to settle claims involving improper billing to MaineCare (Maine’s Medicaid program).

After an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office throughout which Dr. Schecter cooperated, the United States and the State of Maine filed a civil complaint seeking monetary damages against Dr. Schecter alleging that he violated the federal False Claims Act from January 1, 2009 through November 19, 2012, by improperly billing MaineCare for services rendered without medical necessity and proper supporting documentation, for unsubstantiated tooth extractions and for narcotics prescribed without proper justification.  The settlement amount represents the amount of monies improperly billed by Dr. Schecter and held in suspension by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services as a result of the investigation.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Maine.

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

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that George Noonan, 51, of Portland, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 176 months in prison and 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine. Noonan pleaded guilty on November 19, 2014.

According to court records, between early 2010 and June 2013, Noonan and others acquired cocaine in Massachusetts and distributed over 1,200 grams of it in the Portland area.  Noonan was subject to an enhanced sentence as a career offender because this conviction was his third felony drug trafficking conviction.

This case was investigated by 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 U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland and Biddeford Police Departments.  The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency also participated in the investigation.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that James Christopher Blyler, 38, of Hanover Pennsylvania, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to five years of probation for failing to pay child support. He was also ordered to pay $71,252.87 in restitution representing his total arrearage to date.  Blyler was arrested on October 6, 2014 and has been detained since then.  He pled guilty on October 28, 2014.

According to court documents, on April 20, 2004, Blyler was ordered by a Maine district court to pay $165 per week toward the support of his child until the child reached the age of 18 in 2017.  Shortly after the order issued, Blyler left Maine to live in other states including Texas, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.  In May of 2010, Blyler pleaded guilty to failing to pay child support and was sentenced to three months in prison and one year of supervised release.

Blyler’s probation conditions require him to pay his restitution obligation and court-ordered child support.  In explaining the sentence, Judge Hornby observed that Blyler had been detained for five months, explained that the statutory purposes of criminal punishment include getting defendants to pay restitution and getting parents to pay child support.  Judge Hornby admonished Blyler to take the opportunity to make things right and warned him that if he violated probation he would go to prison.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Child Support: Division of Support Enforcement & Recovery.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that John Whittenburg, 62, of Gorham, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to six years in prison and six years of supervised release for receiving child pornography. Whittenburg pleaded guilty to the charge on November 21, 2014.

According to court records, in April 2012, investigators looking into the sharing of child pornography over the internet interviewed Whittenburg at his home in Buxton. Whittenburg admitted that he had downloaded child pornography and consented to a search of his residence. Investigators found numerous child pornography files stored on his electronic equipment, including a video file depicting a minor female engaged in sexual activity that he had downloaded in October 2011 using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program.

The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the U.S. Secret Service.

Contact: Julia M. Lipez
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Robert Richard, 26, of Gardiner, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 3 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay full restitution for pharmacy robbery.  Richard pleaded guilty on October 21, 2014.

Court records reveal that on November 28, 2013 (Thanksgiving Day) Richard entered the Rite Aid pharmacy in Bridgton, Maine wearing a hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses, and a bandana, and handed the pharmacist a note reading, “All your oxycodone now!”  The pharmacist handed Richard a bag containing oxycodone pills and Richard absconded in a car with a concealed license plate.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bridgton Police Department, with additional assistance provided by the Augusta and Gardiner Police Departments, and the Kennebec and Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Departments.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Garry Collins, 46, formerly of Brunswick, Maine, was sentenced on February 26, 2015 in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 200 months in prison and eight years of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute more than 28 grams of cocaine base, or crack cocaine.  Collins pleaded guilty on October 1, 2014.

According to evidence presented at the plea and sentencing hearings, on June 3, 2013, Collins and others packaged crack cocaine for distribution at a Portland hotel. The next day, he was found by Portland Police officers with just under 60 grams of crack cocaine and arrested.

Based on prior convictions for drug trafficking and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, Collins was subject to an enhanced sentence as a career offender.

The investigation was conducted by the Portland Police Department, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and 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 Andrew Cupidore, 21, of New York, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 2 years in prison for passing counterfeit U.S currency.  Cupidore pleaded guilty on August 18, 2014.

According to court records, on April 21, 2014, a police officer patrolling the Maine Mall in South Portland located four female minors from New York who were using counterfeit $100 bills to pay for purchases in the mall.  The officer seized over $1000 in counterfeit $100 bills from the minors.  The investigation revealed that Cupidore gave the minors the counterfeit bills and told them to pass them in the mall and to return change from the transactions to him. Officers located Cupidore hiding in a mall restroom and seized nine counterfeit $100 bills from him.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, the South Portland Police Department and the Seabrook and Newington, New Hampshire Police Departments.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Richard Magee, 58, of Gorham, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 70 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for distributing cocaine and possessing firearms after having been convicted of a felony.  Magee pleaded guilty to these offenses on October 29, 2014.

In August and September 2013, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned that Magee was acquiring cocaine from an out of state source and distributing it in Maine.  In October 2013, agents executed a search warrant at Magee’s residence and found a cocaine processing station in his basement that was used to add a cutting agent to the cocaine and “re-rock” it.  Agents also seized five firearms from his bedroom.

This case results from a joint investigation conducted by DEA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Portland Police Department and the ongoing effort of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Theodore “Ted” Thomes, 56, and his wife, Renee Thomes, 52, both formerly of Windham, Maine, and now of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby on firearms charges.  Ted Thomes was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms. Renee Thomes was sentenced to 30 days in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally transferring those firearms to an out-of-state resident. Ted and Renee Thomes pleaded guilty on September 30 and October 1, 2014, respectively.

According to evidence presented at the plea and sentencing hearings, in 2011, the couple stole several handguns belonging to a Windham neighbor for whom they were serving as caretakers. In December 2011, Ted Thomes, a convicted felon who had been convicted in Maine in 2009 for being a felon in possession of firearms, took the stolen handguns to the home of another neighbor for safekeeping. In June 2012, Renee Thomes retrieved the stolen handguns and illegally gave them to a New Hampshire auctioneer to be sold. The firearms were auctioned in July 2012 and the couple received about $11,000 in sales proceeds.

In imposing the 27-month sentence on Ted Thomes, Judge Hornby noted the need to promote respect for the law given Ted Thomes’ 2009 conviction for the same crime.  Renee Thomes was sentenced to a term in prison because she sent a letter to the Court containing several material false statements in anticipation of her sentencing.
           
The investigation was conducted by the Windham Police Department; the Maine Attorney General’s Office; and 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 Lawrence Young, 54, of Lebanon, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 2½ years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Young pleaded guilty on September 30, 2014.

According to court records, on May 1, 2014, Young was discovered hunting with a 16-gauge shotgun in the Acton, Maine area.  Young was prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior felony convictions for illegally possessing a firearm in 2013 and violating conditions of release in 2011. 
           
The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police; the Maine Warden Service; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Darlene Ford, 59, of Monroe, was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 6½ years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiring to manufacture marijuana, maintaining a drug involved premises, and aiding and abetting a felon in possession of a firearm.  Ford was found guilty after a jury trial on February 6, 2014.

Court proceedings revealed that in November 2011 a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s home in Monroe where agents found a large and sophisticated indoor marijuana growing operation and two rifles.  Trial evidence revealed that the defendant and other family members conspired to grow hundreds of marijuana plants at the residence.  The defendant also illegally aided and abetted her husband, a convicted felon, to possess the two rifles found during the search of her home.

The investigation was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office and the Maine State Police.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Kathy Jordan, age 61, of Westbrook, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to adulterating a food item, namely a bottle of fish oil capsules, with intent to defraud.

According to court documents, on April 3, 2012, Jordan purchased a bottle of fish oil capsules, face cream and shampoo from a retail pharmacy store near her home.  She returned all three items the following day for a full refund.  One week later, the bottle of fish oil capsules was resold to another customer.  That customer discovered that the bottle contained other items in addition to fish oil, and returned the bottle to the pharmacy.  The pharmacy determined that some of the fish oil capsules had been removed and replaced with stool softener capsules and Dilantin, a prescription anti-seizure medication.  Jordan told investigators that she returned the bottle of fish oil capsules after substituting some of the fish oil with other drugs in her home so that she could get a full refund.

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

This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Inspector General.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Lance M. Szady, 26, of Augusta, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to pharmacy robbery.

Court records show that on September 2, 2014, Dominic J. Pomerleau robbed the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on Hospital Street in Augusta, Maine.  He approached the pharmacy counter with a note that demanded oxycodone and absconded with three bottles of oxycodone.  Szady had driven Pomerleau to the pharmacy and waited for Pomerleau while Pomerleau committed the robbery.  Szady drove Pomerleau and a female passenger, Nicole A. Breton, to Breton’s residence in Chelsea.  All three spent the night at that residence and they consumed many of the pills that were taken in the robbery.  Pomerleau pleaded guilty on January 23, 2015, to attempted pharmacy robbery and pharmacy robbery.  On February 9, 2015, Breton pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to pharmacy robbery.

Szady faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 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 Augusta Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Nicole A. Breton, 21, of Chelsea, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to being an accessory after the fact to a pharmacy robbery.  An accessory after the fact is a person who, knowing that an offense against the United States has been committed, comforts or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment.

Court records show that on September 2, 2014, Dominic J. Pomerleau robbed the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on Hospital Street in Augusta, Maine.  He approached the pharmacy counter with a note that demanded oxycodone and absconded with three bottles of oxycodone.  Breton was waiting for Pomerleau in a getaway car.  She emptied the pills from the bottles and threw the empty bottles and caps out of the car window.  Pomerleau, Breton, and the driver of the car fled to Breton’s residence where they spent the night consuming many of the stolen oxycodone pills.  Pomerleau pled guilty to pharmacy robbery on January 23, 2015 and awaits sentencing.

Breton faces up to 10 years in prison, a $125,000 fine and restitution.  She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

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

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Michael Kurnik, 26, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to five years of probation for conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods. He was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution.  Kurnik pled guilty to the offense on October 22, 2014.

According to court records, Kurnik regularly purchased what purported to be OtterBox cell phone cases from suppliers in China and resold them to individuals in the United States. These individuals in turn often sold the cases on eBay and other online sites. One of the resellers, who lived in Maine, told Kurnik in May 2013 that he had been contacted by OtterBox and told that he was going to be sued for selling counterfeit cases on eBay.

Despite being told of the OtterBox lawsuit, Kurnik continued to buy the phone cases from China and resell them in the United States. In December 2013, he sent a shipment of counterfeit cases to the reseller in Maine, who by that point was cooperating with law enforcement. A search warrant was executed at a warehouse in Manchester, Pennsylvania used by Kurnik and agents seized about 6,700 counterfeit OtterBox cases. Kurnik admitted in an interview that by May 2013 he knew the cases he was selling were counterfeit, but he continued buying cases from China to resell in the United States until December 2013.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

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

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jervis
A. Hillaire, 25, of Menifee, California, and Gyadeen P. Ramdihall, 27, of Rosedale, New York, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit access device fraud.  An access device is any card or account number that can be used to obtain money, goods, services, or any other thing of value.

According to court documents, on about September 4, 2013, Ramdihall, Hillaire and a third person travelled from New York to Maine with 38 credit, debit and gift cards that were counterfeit or fraudulently altered.  In Maine, the three used cards to purchase gift cards and electronic devices from vendors including, among others, Best Buy, Apple, Target and
Walmart.  On October 10, 2013, an Ohio State Trooper stopped Ramdihall for speeding.  Hillaire was his passenger.  A total of 17 fraudulent access device cards in Hillaire’s name were found in the trunk of the vehicle under the spare tire. On January 24, 2014, the Biddeford Police stopped
Ramdihall near the Walmart store in Biddeford.  Hillaire was again his passenger. Ramdihall was arrested for driving with a suspended license; Hillaire was arrested for providing a false identity.  Police discovered eight fraudulent access device cards in Hillaire’s boot.

The defendants face up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and full restitution.  They will be sentenced after the completion of presentence investigation reports by the U.S. Probation
Office.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service, the Kittery and
Biddeford Police Departments and the Ohio State Police.

Patrik Arsenault, 28, was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock Jr. to 65 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a minor and transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced.  Arsenault pleaded guilty on July 8, 2014.

According to court records, in June and July of 2013, the defendant, a former special education teacher, sexually abused three minors and recorded images and videos the abuse.  The defendant then sent recordings of the abuse, as well as other images of child pornography, to several e-mail trading partners.  The defendant also received images of child pornography from his trading partners.  On Aug. 21, 2013, agents seized a hard drive during the execution of a search warrant at the defendant’s residence.  A forensic examination revealed videos and images of the defendant’s abuse of the minors and over 7,500 images and 250 videos depicting child pornography.

“Despicable crimes like this rob our children of their innocence,” said Special Agent in Charge Bruce Foucart of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Boston.  “We entrust teachers to serve as role models for our children and safeguard their welfare.  As this sentence makes clear, when that trust is violated, there will be severe consequences.  This case should also serve as a stern warning to those who mistakenly believe cyberspace affords them anonymity on the Internet to sexually exploit children with impunity.”

“It was his hard work and diligence in identifying the defendant after his activity had been discovered that brought him to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Delahanty on the work of HSI Special Agent Anthony Castellanos.  “These cases are very difficult because of the subject matter, but also because of the necessity to link the defendant to the disturbing images and on-line conduct.  Special Agent Castellanos’s continued persistence has limited the exposure of the minors to further exploitation.  People who engage in this conduct should expect to receive very lengthy sentences.”

The investigation was conducted jointly by HSI, the Maine State Police and the Computer Crimes Unit of the Maine State Police.  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 via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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

Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Nate Brewer, 34, of Blaine, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute bath salts.

According to court records, between about January 2012 and June 2014, Brewer conspired with others in Aroostook County to obtain and distribute bath salts. Specifically, Brewer helped purchase bath salts from China for personal use and to sell to other conspirators. He also helped to raise money to place bulk orders for multiple conspirators in order to receive discounted pricing.

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

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 United State Postal Inspection Service.

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

Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Dominic J. Pomerleau, 21, of Augusta, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to pharmacy robbery and attempted pharmacy robbery charges.

Court records show that on the evening of September 2, 2014, Pomerleau attempted to rob the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on North Belfast Avenue in Augusta. He approached the pharmacy counter and handed the pharmacist a note that read, “I Have a gun don’t push the button or I’ll shoot give me Oxycodone 30 mg & 15 mg and Ridilin 20 mg Hurry make it a minute or less act normal.” As the pharmacist was getting the pills, the phone rang and another employee answered it. Pomerleau left the pharmacy before the pharmacist had time to give him the pills. About 20 minutes later, Pomerleau robbed the Rite Aid Pharmacy located on Hospital Street in Augusta. He approached the pharmacy counter with a note that demanded oxycodone and absconded with three bottles of oxycodone. Both encounters were captured on surveillance video and witnesses provided descriptions of Pomerleau and his distinctive arm and neck tattoos.

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

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

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

Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Gina
Nelson, 31, of Bradley, Maine was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge John A.
Woodcock, Jr. to 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute MDPV, a chemical compound commonly referred to as “bath salts” or “monkey dust.”

According to court records, between April and December 2011, the defendant illegally distributed MDPV in Penobscot County and elsewhere. The defendant distributed MDPV to others who were using and selling the drug in the Bangor area. In November 2011, following the search of a co-conspirator’s residence in Bangor and the seizure of a large amount of MDPV, the defendant assisted another person in removing from the residence MDPV that the police had not found during their search. This additional quantity of MDPV was eventually distributed to another person, who was later caught by law enforcement. Nelson is one of eighteen defendants who pleaded guilty to conspiring with Ryan Ellis and others to distribute the drug. Ellis previously pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

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

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that
Michael Van Eekhout, 51, of Westbrook, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to transporting child pornography and transmitting an extortionate threat.

According to court records, in late 2011, Van Eekhout, posing online under an assumed name, persuaded a woman to send him nude photographs of herself. He then told her that he would widely disseminate the photos unless she took explicit photos of herself and sent them to him. When she did so, he posted the photos online. In April 2012, he threatened to continue doing so unless she sent him more explicit photos.

In June 2014, Van Eekhout, posing as the woman, sent an undercover federal agent a digital photograph of a naked pre-pubescent female. The next month, he was interviewed during the execution of a search warrant at his Westbrook home and admitted that he had sent the photograph and had pretended to be the woman.

The defendant faces a sentence of between five and 20 years in prison, a fine of up to
$250,000, and supervised release of up to life on the child pornography charge. He faces a sentence of up to 2 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of up to 1 year on the threat charge. 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.

Contact: Gail Fisk Malone
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373

Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Craig
Sanborn, age 64, of Maidstone, Vermont, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge
John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 28 months in prison for wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay
$300,000 in restitution, a $7,500 fine and to serve three years of supervised release. The sentence is to be served consecutively to two 10-year sentences Sanborn is currently serving in New
Hampshire state prison for manslaughter associated with a fatal explosion at a Colebrook ammunition-making facility in May 2010. Sanborn was convicted after a week-long jury trial on
April 25, 2014.

Court documents and trial testimony reveal that in 2005, Sanborn received a $300,000 federally-funded Community Development Block Grant to renovate the former rail terminal in
Brownville, Maine, into a facility to manufacture ammunition for black powder rifles. The grant entitled him to reimbursement for machinery purchases and certain other expenses, provided he had invested $300,000 of his own funds towards the project. The evidence showed that he submitted false invoices to the Town of Brownville and received grant reimbursement to which he was not entitled.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Office of
Inspector General, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Brownville
Police Department.