District of Maine

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Manchester, New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Dominic Barbosa (aka Christopher Barnhart), 29, to 12 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge, to be served consecutively, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $51,804.40 in restitution. Barbosa pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024.

According to court records, from at least March 2019 through March 2022, Barbosa obtained the identifications of individuals without their knowledge or consent. Barbosa stole mail in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, including bank account statements, tax returns, and other documents containing others’ means of identification. He kept records of that information to use in the scheme. As part of the scheme, Barbosa would apply for duplicate licenses for others, often changing the address, and then use the stolen identification information and duplicate driver’s licenses to open bank accounts, credit card accounts and lines of credit in others’ names. He also used the stolen identifications to make purchases or enter into contracts. When questioned by a U.S. Postal Inspector, Barbosa stated he had a cloud database with stolen identities, and investigators in Massachusetts found bins of mail and photocopies of identifying information in a storage unit Barbosa rented. 

The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, South Berwick Police Department, Litchfield Police Department (NH), North Reading Police Department (MA), Salem Police Department (NH), and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

###

BANGOR, Maine: A Manchester, Maine man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for armed bank robbery.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Joshua Brougham, 39, to 40 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $1,120.  Brougham pleaded on April 30, 2024.

According to court records, in October 2022, Brougham entered an Augusta bank wearing a brimmed hat and a standard hospital mask over his face. He pointed a handgun at the bank teller and demanded “all the money in the drawer.” After receiving some money, Brougham fled to a nearby parking lot, leaving in a gold-colored GMC Yukon.

Four days after the robbery, Augusta Police Department investigators located a vehicle matching the one from the robbery surveillance footage at an area convenience store and arrested Brougham as he exited the store. A firearm recovered from the vehicle matched the description of the one used during the robbery. During the investigation, law enforcement also seized a brimmed hat that matched the hat worn during the robbery.

The Augusta Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  An Atlanta, Georgia man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland this week for conspiring to commit bank fraud.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Rasheed Colbert, 33, to 10 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $69,744 in restitution. Colbert pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024.

According to court records, in March 2022, Colbert and coconspirators stole checks out of the mailboxes of local businesses then used the stolen checks to create counterfeit checks. The counterfeit checks were made payable to unhoused individuals Colbert and others recruited to cash them. Colbert and his coconspirators netted just under $70,000 from the cashed counterfeit checks.

Coconspirator Mantavious Jones, 36, also of Atlanta, received a 16-month prison sentence for his role in the scheme to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The New England Cyber Fraud Task Force and Kennebunk Police Department investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Saco and Scarborough police departments.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Lewiston man was arrested on Wednesday and charged by criminal complaint today with possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute and unlawfully possessing a firearm.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the case and other court documents, Nasir Kenya-Malik White (aka Biggie), 24, was arrested at his residence in Lewiston on Wednesday evening on probable cause following a search of his apartment. Investigators recovered more than 300 grams of suspected cocaine during the search. Ten firearms, including several assault-style rifles, were also recovered. The complaint alleges that White is precluded from possessing firearms as a result of a 2023 conviction in Androscoggin County Superior Court for reckless conduct with a firearm or dangerous weapon. White was scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland today.

The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force is investigating the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  United States Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) John Osborn will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. 

AUSA Osborn has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Maine, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).  

“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” U.S. Attorney McElwee said. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.

In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities:

• U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maine: AUSA/DEO Osborn will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. Anyone with election day concerns can contact AUSA Osborn at 207-771-3214 or AUSA Andrew McCormack in the Bangor office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 207-262-4615.
• Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI): The FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI office in Maine can be reached by the public at 207-541-0700.
• Civil Rights Division: Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
• In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation: Please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities in all cases involving a crime of violence or intimidation. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: An Androscoggin County woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for making a false statement while purchasing a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), also known as a straw purchase.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Tia Lavigne, 24, to time served and three years of supervised release. Lavigne pleaded guilty on June 20, 2024.

According to court records, in June 2023, Lavigne purchased a .22 Glock pistol from an FFL in Scarborough. In completing the required Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol,

Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473, Lavigne falsely stated she was the actual purchaser. However, prior to purchasing the firearm, she received instruction and money from a second person who later retrieved the pistol from Lavigne’s vehicle.

ATF investigated the case.

STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on Tuesday affirmed the district court’s decision to deny a motion filed by Lucas and Alisa Sirois to end the federal prosecution against them. The defendants failed to show that their marijuana operation complied with Maine’s medical marijuana laws. As a result, the prosecution will continue in federal court.

Lucas and Alisa Sirois sought to enjoin their prosecution by invoking the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, which prohibits the Department of Justice from prosecuting cases that would interfere with states’ ability to implement their own medical marijuana laws. But because the defendants could not demonstrate that their operations complied with Maine law, the appellate court held that the U.S. Attorney’s prosecution did not run afoul of the Amendment. Indeed, as reflected in the Court’s opinion, Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy requested the federal government to investigate the defendants because it believed that they operated as a collective, which was illegal under Maine law. The Court further concluded that Lucas Sirois failed to rebut evidence presented by the government that he knowingly engaged in more than a million dollars’ worth of black-market sales of marijuana.

Lucas Sirois and his coconspirators are alleged to have realized more than $13 million in proceeds over a six-year period through the illicit sale of marijuana, including from black market sales outside of Maine. The alleged conspiracy involved recruiting coconspirators to cultivate marijuana on his behalf, creating an illegal collective, and then laundering the proceeds of the conspiracy through a complex network of corporations he controlled. Sirois currently faces 11 charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and tax evasion. Alisa Sirois faces three charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and bank fraud. Five conspirators have pleaded guilty to charges and await sentencing, with charges pending against others.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child sexual abuse material.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Travis McCutcheon, 54, to 42 months in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release. McCutcheon pleaded guilty on May 15, 2024.

According to court records, in December 2022, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (MSPCCU) received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that in November 2022, two video files containing child sexual abuse material had been detected in a cloud-based storage account serviced by Google Drive. Investigators traced the related subscriber information and IP addresses used to access the Google Drive account to McCutcheon. Investigators executed a search warrant on the account and found two additional video files containing child sexual abuse material and emails from McCutcheon in which he solicited child sexual abuse material.

“Although the evidence discovered does not reflect that Mr. McCutcheon possessed materials involving any of his students, his conduct was egregious,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Child sexual abuse material documents the exploitation and abuse of children who suffer revictimization every single time the images are shared or viewed. That an educator could be engaged in such child victimization is unconscionable.”

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the MSPCCU investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Lewiston man has been arrested for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Muktar Abshir (Mo) Aden, 25, was arrested at his residence in downtown Lewiston today on an arrest warrant issued by the court. He made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland today.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police and Lewiston Police Department.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Peru, Maine woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for trafficking methamphetamine and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Mandy Lynn Shorey, 43, to 180 months to be followed by five years of supervised release.

According to court records, between July 2022 and January 2023, Shorey sold approximately 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to an undercover officer across four controlled buys. For three of the buys, the purity of the methamphetamine Shorey sold to police approached 100%. During one of the buys, Shorey explained that she carried a firearm with her for protection when she met with new drug customers and removed the firearm from a bag and placed it in her waistband. During another exchange, she told the undercover officer that meeting her to conduct their next transaction would be safe because she would “bring one armed man to back me up that they will never see, just in case.” When Shorey was arrested, she was in possession of a Charter Arms .22 revolver.

The FBI Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case.

###

Updated 10/9/24 to correct defendant's city of residence at time of arrest from Windham, ME to Peru, ME 

BANGOR, Maine: A West Springfield, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing a stolen firearm. 

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jadin Andino, 22, to three years of probation and ordered to pay $500 in restitution. Andino pleaded guilty on February 28, 2024.

According to court records, in April 2022, Andino took possession of a 9mm firearm knowing that it had been stolen from a pawn shop in Waterville.   

Ryan Ansart, 22, of West Springfield, Mass. and Damiean Marcial-Alexander, 22, of Waterville have each pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from the Waterville pawn shop and are awaiting sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waterville Police Department investigated the case.

###

BANGOR, Maine: An Ellsworth man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kevin Lee Ross, 62, to 121 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $90,000 in restitution. Ross was found guilty by a federal jury on June 14, 2024, following a two-day trial. Ross was also sentenced to 24 months for violating his supervised release from an earlier conviction. The sentences will be served consecutively.

According to court records, in March 2023, a relative of Ross called the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office in Bangor to express concerns that Ross had a cell phone and was using it to view pornography. Ross was on federal supervised release following a 2014 federal conviction for possessing child pornography and was prohibited from possessing any unapproved or unmonitored internet-capable devices.

In April 2023, probation officers conducted an unannounced home inspection at Ross’s residence. During the inspection, the officers discovered a cell phone as well as a trash bag containing drug paraphernalia. When the phone was powered on, its screen displayed a sexually explicit image of a young child and further investigation revealed more than 500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. A search of a vehicle used by Lee since his 2021 release from prison revealed a laptop and external hard drive hidden in the spare tire wheel well. The laptop was found to have 187 images and videos of child sexual abuse material while the external hard drive contained 761 images and videos.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

BANGOR, Maine: A Cornville man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to accessing child sexual abuse material. 

According to court records, in August 2020, an individual using the Kik Messenger app contacted an FBI online covert employee (OCE) after the OCE posted on an online bulletin board known to be frequented by people with a sexual interest in children and/or child pornography. The username for the Kik account and associated email address were traced to Wade Willette, 46. In January 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cyber tip from Kik revealing that the same username had uploaded three videos containing child sexual abuse material the previous month.

In March 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Willette’s residence, and FBI agents interviewed Willette. In the interview, he confirmed the Kik account was his, that he had searched for and viewed child sexual abuse material on his phone, and that he had engaged in online conversations about child pornography in the past. Two images of young children being sexually abused were recovered from his phone.

Willette faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000. Any sentence will be followed by five years to life of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

BANGOR, Maine: A Winterport man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for distributing child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Steven Mathis, 35, to 240 months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Mathis pleaded guilty on April 25, 2024.

According to court records, in August 2021, Mathis used an online chat platform to discuss child sexual abuse material with others. In one exchange, another user requested a sexually explicit image of a child, and Mathis provided an image. In an interview with the Maine State Police, Mathis admitted that he had distributed child sexual abuse material online.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for sexually exploiting a child and possessing child sexual abuse material.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Timothy Doyon, 29, to 35 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $103,500 in restitution. Doyon pleaded guilty on October 24, 2023.

In sentencing Doyon, the judge stated, “This crime is among the worst I have ever seen.” The judge also thanked the law enforcement officers who worked on this investigation, noting that if Doyon had not been caught and arrested on state charges, “I don’t know where this would have gone. And based on the images that have been described from the child sex abuse material that was in your possession, I don’t think it was going anywhere good.”

According to court records, in March 2023, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (MSPCCU) received three related CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC). According to the tips, a phone number had been used to upload more than 400 files of suspected child sexual abuse material to cloud-based storage. Investigation revealed that the phone number belonged to Timothy Doyon, a registered sex offender in Maine with a prior state conviction for possessing sexually explicit material of a minor under 12. In May 2023, investigators executed a warrant to search Doyon’s person, vehicle and residence. During the warrant’s execution, investigators seized multiple electronic devices, including cell phones and digital storage devices, and Doyon admitted to downloading, viewing, and saving child sexual abuse material. At least one image recovered depicted Doyon engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a child under the age of 12. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is limiting identifying information to protect the minor victim’s privacy.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the MSPCCU investigated the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department.

“This case has been one of the most heartbreaking and emotionally challenging cases our special agents have worked. Today’s significant sentence reflects the absolute cruelty and horror Doyon inflicted upon a child. We hope that the conclusion of this case and the knowledge that he will be in federal prison for many, many years can bring some peace to all he victimized,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

BANGOR, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to filing a fraudulent application for a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to court records, in April 2021, Shahied Golden, 29, filed a fraudulent PPP loan application and received approximately $20,833 in PPP funds. The application listed a false gross income for 2020 and falsely stated the loan proceeds were needed to make payroll payments for his alleged business. He also submitted a fraudulent document in support of his application, which falsely stated his gross income, among other things. Further, Golden caused the funds to be deposited into his own personal bank account, quickly withdrew the funds, and did not use the PPP proceeds for approved expenses. 

Golden faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Lisbon man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing child sexual abuse material.

According to court records, in September and October 2023, the Maine State Police (MSP) identified an IP address at the residence of Joseph Gibson, 36, that had been used to download child sexual abuse material. In December 2023, the MSP executed a search warrant at the residence, seizing two devices belonging to Gibson which were found to contain child pornography. The case was referred to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which conducted a follow-up review of the devices. HSI found five video files on Gibson’s phone depicting the sexual abuse of young children. Gibson also admitted to viewing child pornography on the internet when questioned by investigators.

Because Gibson was previously convicted in state court for possessing and distributing child pornography, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and a maximum of 20 years, in prison on the federal charge, to be followed by five years to life of supervised release. He also faces a maximum fine of $250,000. Gibson will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI investigated the case with assistance from the MSP.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal term as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project iGuardian online safety program available to Maine communities: The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) program Project iGuardian is focused on keeping children and teens safe from online predators through education and awareness. The in-person educational outreach effort was created to share information about the dangers of online environments, how to stay safe online, and how to report abuse and suspicious activity. Schools, parent groups, and other community groups interested in bringing the program to their community can find more information at: https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect/training.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

BANGOR, Maine:  A Connecticut man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to two instances of distributing a mixture or substance containing cocaine base.

According to court records, in July 2023, a confidential informant reported to the FBI that a man they knew had agreed to sell the informant crack cocaine. In August 2023, the informant conducted two controlled buys of suspected cocaine base from Devonne Scott, 31, with the exchanges monitored and videotaped by the FBI and law enforcement partners. Laboratory tests confirmed the purchased substances contained cocaine base.

Scott faces a maximum sentence of 20 years followed by three years to life of supervised release. He also faces a fine of up to $1 million. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case, together with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lewiston Police Department .

###

A Lewiston, Maine, man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for threatening a Black family who lived in his apartment complex.

Charles Allen Barnes, 47, previously pleaded guilty to one count of threatening communications in interstate commerce. In connection with his plea, Barnes admitted to sending a Facebook voice message in which he stated that he was outside a neighbor’s residence and would kill anyone who emerged. In the message, Barnes repeatedly used racial slurs to refer to the victims.

“Violent and racially motivated threats have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant, a self-described racist skinhead, used social media to terrorize his innocent neighbors because they are Black. This sentence cannot undo the fear and trauma his hateful actions caused but should make clear that online threats come with real-world penalties. The Justice Department is steadfast in enforcing our federal civil rights laws to ensure all communities, including communities of color, are protected from hate-fueled threats of violence.”

“The hate-fueled threat and his subsequent possession of a weapon nearby instilled fear in this family in the one place we all should feel safest,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “Hate of any kind will not be tolerated in Maine, and we will continue to pursue justice for victims of racial harassment, threats, and violence.”

“Charles Barnes’ abhorrent behavior and racist threats put his neighbors through a horrific experience,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Division. “People of all races and faiths deserve to feel safe in their communities. It is our hope that today’s sentence helps the victims in this case heal, while making it clear to others that violence, especially borne from hate, will not be tolerated.”

According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Barnes harbored longstanding racist views, espoused white supremacist rhetoric online and had described himself to an acquaintance as a racist skinhead. After hearing this and other evidence, the court enhanced the sentence based on its finding that Barnes intentionally selected his victims because of race. The court also heard that, several hours after Barnes sent the threatening message, police officers found him sitting outside of his apartment located in the same complex, armed with a large knife. Based on this evidence, the court imposed an additional sentencing enhancement.

The FBI Boston Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Maine Attorney General’s Office and Lewiston Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing fentanyl, using or carrying a dangerous weapon in a drug crime, and failing to appear before the court.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Marcus Mello, 27, to 181 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. The Court ordered forfeiture of his $25,000 appearance bond, and a default judgment in that amount was entered against him. Mello pleaded guilty on February 6, 2024.

According to court records, in May 2020, Mello sold 12 “percs,” a common term for Percocet or Oxycodone pills, to a 59-year-old York County woman. The woman was found unconscious in a parked vehicle shortly after and could not be revived. An autopsy identified her cause of death as toxicity due to the combined effects of multiple substances, including fentanyl. Text messages recovered from the victim’s phone revealed she had purchased pills from Mello, and a medical examiner recovered a baggie marked with images of skulls that contained ten blue pills from her clothing. A chemical analysis revealed that the pills contained fentanyl, not oxycodone.

A witness who was with the victim when she purchased the pills and overdosed texted Mello to inform him of the woman’s death and demanded to know what was in the pills. Despite knowing that someone had died after taking the “percs” that he sold them, Mello continued to sell the pills to other customers, including to a confidential informant. When Mello was arrested in July 2020, investigators recovered over $6,300; a loaded handgun with 14 full-metal-jacket bullets in the magazine; approximately 10 round white tablets; and approximately 417 blue pills marked “M 30” divided into plastic baggies from his backpack. Laboratory testing of the blue pills revealed that they contained fentanyl and collectively weighed approximately 45.6 grams. The white pills tested positive for Oxycodone and weighed approximately 3.8 grams. A review of Mello’s phone revealed conversations with his supplier, including dates, quantities and distribution details.

While out on bail, Mello appeared in court for jury selection on October 6, 2023, but failed to appear for the start of the trial on October 16. When reached by phone, he stated he could not make it to court that day but had decided to plead guilty. When Mello again did not appear the following day, a warrant was issued for his arrest. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents located and arrested Mello at a residence in South Portland on November 3, 2023. Agents recovered a bag of white powder from a bathroom where Mello had briefly fled, another bag of powder in his shirt pocket, and a third bag in a shoebox in a guest bedroom.

The DEA investigated the case.

###

The Justice Department sued the State of Maine today for unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities and a state-operated juvenile detention facility in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. The department previously notified Maine of its findings of civil rights violations in a June 2022 letter to Maine. The letter identified steps that Maine should take to remedy the violations.

“The State of Maine has an obligation to protect its residents, including children with behavioral health disabilities, and such children should not be confined to facilities away from their families and community resources,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities can get the services they need to remain at home with their families and loved ones, in their communities.”

“Families across Maine must be able to access to local community-based services for their children with behavioral health disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “The alleged violations identified by the Justice Department must be remedied so that these children and their families can obtain services in their own communities, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

The ADA and the Olmstead decision require state and local governments to ensure the services they provide for children with disabilities are available in the most integrated setting appropriate to each child’s needs. These services can include assistance with daily activities, behavior management and individual or family counseling. Community-based behavioral health services also include crisis services that can help prevent a child from being institutionalized during a mental health crisis. Absent these services, Maine children with disabilities enter emergency rooms, come into contact with law enforcement and remain in institutions when they could remain with their families if Maine provided them sufficient community-based services.

The lawsuit alleges that Maine administers its system in a way that limits behavioral health services in the community. As a result, Maine children must enter in- and out-of-state facilities, or even the state-operated juvenile detention facility, Long Creek Youth Development Center, to receive behavioral health services. Others are at serious risk of entering these facilities, as their families struggle to keep them home despite the lack of necessary services.

The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.

For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov/topics/community-integration/.

For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt.

The letter of findings can be viewed here.

PORTLAND, Maine: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine today announced an innovative new elder fraud awareness program that will utilize the inherent relationships of pharmacists and their customers to reach older Mainers. The Maine Rx Elder Fraud Program is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, AARP Maine, and the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention. 

“Pharmacists are consistently ranked among the most trusted health care providers, and with approximately 9 out of 10 people over age 65 having at least one regular prescription, pharmacists will be a key partner in our efforts to inform this population,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “That trust and regular contact makes pharmacies an ideal conduit to reach older Mainers, as well as their family members or caregivers.”

The program, which is designed to educate Mainers on common signs of scams and how to report elder fraud, will begin at Hannaford Supermarkets’ 60 in-store pharmacies across Maine. Informational brochures will be attached to prescription bags for distribution to Hannaford pharmacy customers.

“We recognize older individuals, as well as their caretakers, make up a large portion of our customer base, and that we are uniquely positioned to help reach this audience directly through our pharmacy services as a trusted source for health and safety information,” said Sara Lane, Manager of Pharmacy Clinical Services, Hannaford Supermarkets. “We are always looking for opportunities to make a positive impact in the communities we serve and by making this information available to our pharmacy customers in all corners of our state, our goal is to help reduce the number of elder fraud incidents in Maine.”

Elder fraud is a growing problem across the nation. Last year, more than 101,000 Americans aged 60-plus were defrauded out of $3.4 billion through an ever-growing variety of scams. According to the FBI, that number included 397 Mainers who filed fraud complaints last year for losses totaling more than $7.1 million, and many others go unreported. While some scams can have negligible losses, recent sophisticated scams have robbed victims of their life savings.

“There are so many different types of scams in circulation, it can be difficult to recognize them all. Add in technology, and it becomes even more difficult,” said Jane Margesson, Communications Director for AARP Maine. “Increasingly, the scams are more sophisticated and with multiple layers, even multiple scammers playing different roles. As the schemes have become more complex, the potential losses have increased as well. Those losses can be especially devastating for victims nearing or in retirement. Some of the stories we hear are absolutely heartbreaking.” 

“The actual losses are likely considerably higher than reported,” said Andrew McCormack, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Elder Justice Coordinator for the District of Maine. “For a variety of reasons, older individuals are often hesitant to report when they’ve been scammed. While it is normal to feel embarrassed when you’ve been tricked, it is important to remember that the criminals who take advantage of people are absolute pros at what they do. Older Americans are not the only victims – people of all ages and backgrounds fall prey to scams every day – but after a lifetime of saving and perhaps not being online as often and therefore as current on recent scams, they are a common, and frankly favorite, target for some of the most insidious types of fraud.”

The informational materials were created by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with assistance from the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention. The materials will include common signs of scams as well as information about the National Elder Fraud Hotline.

“We are grateful to all the organizations that have worked together to make this program possible. Our collective aim is to reduce the number of people in Maine who are victimized by these cruel schemes,” said U.S. Attorney McElwee. “Sadly, there are always going to be criminals who try to take advantage and steal your hard-earned money. Recognizing red flags can help prevent you, or someone you love, from becoming a victim.”

For information about the Maine Rx Elder Fraud Program, email usame.outreach@usdoj.gov or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 207-780-3257.  

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Kent, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to advertising child pornography.

According to court records, earlier this year, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Portland, Maine were investigating a site on the dark web dedicated to the sexual abuse of children. During the investigation, HSI agents observed a profile, later identified as belonging to Michael Posey, 49, that held a moderator position and was responsible for approving posts submitted by others. The profile included a password that individuals could use for any files/links provided by the user. A review of the profile’s history revealed a history of postings that dated back to December 2021. Agents logged into the site, reviewed a post made by Posey regarding a collection of 70 videos of child sexual abuse, and accessed a zipped file containing numerous videos including young children. In April 2024, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Posey’s residence in Kent, Washington. During the interview, Posey confirmed he used the profile on the dark web site and provided agents with his login information.

Posey faces 15–30 years in prison followed by five years to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Paul Logugune, 22, to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release and ordered him to pay $32,564 in restitution. Logugune pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024.

According to court records, from May to June 2022, Logugune and a coconspirator broke into unattended vehicles and stole purses and wallets to obtain driver’s licenses and checkbooks. Forged checks were then drawn on the stolen checkbooks and made payable to the names on the stolen licenses. They then recruited others to cash the forged checks at multiple credit union branches in Cumberland County using the stolen IDs to impersonate the ID theft victims.

The FBI investigated the case.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Darwin Mateo, 25, to 36 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Mateo pleaded guilty on March 1, 2024.

According to court records, in August 2023, law enforcement encountered Mateo while executing a search warrant at the Biddeford residence of Michael and Jessica Bolster. Investigators discovered two large bundles of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl inside the residence. One bundle was located inside a backpack in a locked bedroom. The other bundle was discovered hidden at the bottom of the stairwell, a few inches from where investigators located Mateo. Each bundle contained numerous individual baggies, totaling approximately 541 grams. Mateo admitted to investigators that the backpack was his, and that he had traveled from Massachusetts to Maine to distribute the fentanyl.

Michael Bolster, 48, pleaded guilty on January 18, 2024, for his role in the trafficking conspiracy and faces 5-40 years in prison. Jessica Bolster, 43, pleaded guilty on February 21, 2024, and faces up to 20 years. They will each be sentenced after the completion of presentence investigative reports by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.

###

BANGOR, Maine: An Old Town man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography of a child under 12.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Matthew Podlaski, 40, to 36 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $58,000 in restitution.

According to court records, between October and December 2022, Podlaski searched the internet for and downloaded images of the sexual abuse of young children, storing the images on multiple devices. Investigators seized 14 devices belonging to him, including laptop computers, flash drives and external storage devices. He pleaded guilty on May 9, 2024.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for distributing, and possessing with intent to distribute, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Bo Rodden, 34, to 90 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Rodden pleaded guilty on November 30, 2023.

According to court records, in January and February of 2023, Rodden sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to a confidential source. On February 14, 2023, a police officer stopped Rodden’s vehicle in Lebanon, Maine. He possessed five bags containing a total of approximately 49 grams of fentanyl and two bags containing a total of approximately 150 grams of methamphetamine.

The FBI, Strafford (NH) County Sheriff’s Office and York County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

###

BANGOR, Maine: A Maine man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to one count of making repeated phone calls with the intent to harass and one count of transmitting a threatening interstate communication.

According to court records, from mid-July to early August 2023, Angelo Castigliola, 44, formerly of Biddeford, repeatedly called and texted the victim, including calling her 57 times and leaving her nine voicemails. He also sent the victim 40 text messages on one day alone. These repeated communications were harassing in nature. In the communications, Castigliola repeatedly threatened to harm an individual with whom he believed the victim had a relationship, and repeatedly referenced the victim’s minor child. On July 28, 2023, Castigliola also made several telephone calls to the victim’s mother, often disguising his phone number, leaving two voicemails. In one voicemail, Castigliola threatened to kill three of her family members including the victim, and to rape two minor children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is limiting identifying information to protect the victims’ privacy.

Castigliola faces up to two years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 for making repeated harassing phone calls and up to five years and a maximum fine of $250,000 for transmitting a threatening interstate communication. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case. 

###

BANGOR, Maine: A Linneus man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, James Valiante, 42, and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Valiante, a drug dealer in Aroostook County, participated in the conspiracy by regularly obtaining quantities of drugs from his source of supply in the Bangor area.

Valiante faces 10 years to life in prison and a maximum fine of $10 million to be followed by up to five years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Twenty-one defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in the northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 10 of the defendants have been sentenced and nine have pleaded guilty:

Sentenced:

• Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
• Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
• Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
• Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
• Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
• Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served
• Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
• Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
• Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
• James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months

Pleaded Guilty:

• Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont)
• John Miller (23, Caribou)
• Shelby Loring (29, Bangor)
• Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle)
• Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington)
• Carol Gordon (53, Bangor)
• Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou)
• Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor)
• James Valiante, 42 (Linneus)

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

###

BANGOR, Maine:  A West Springfield, Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and stealing firearms from that dealer. 

According to court records, in April 2022, Ryan Ansart, 22, and coconspirator Damiean Marcial-Alexander, 21, of Waterville broke into a Waterville firearms dealer and stole multiple firearms, including a Glock, Model 17 Gen5 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver. According to an ATF Theft/Loss Report submitted by the store owner, 15 firearms in all were reported stolen, six revolvers and nine semi-automatic pistols. Evidence collected included Instagram and text messages planning the theft, including a map to the location from Marcial-Alexander’s apartment, as well as photos of the two men holding some of the stolen firearms.

Ansart faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Marcial-Alexander pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, and also faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to three years of supervised release.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Waterville Police Department.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Durham man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on April 9, 2024, a deputy from the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office served Richard Leblond, 51, with a temporary protection from abuse order. The deputy explained that as part of the order, Leblond was required to relinquish any firearms in his possession. Leblond informed the deputy that he possessed several firearms and consented to a search of his residence. During the search, investigators located multiple handguns, pistols, rifles and shotguns, all of which were recovered from two gun safes inside the residence. Further investigation revealed that Leblond had a 2009 conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, which precluded him from possessing any firearms.  

Leblond faces up to 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Leblond will also forfeit the firearms seized.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office. 

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on November 23, 2023, the Portland Police Department received reports of shots fired near the intersection of Commercial Street and Cross Street. The caller described the suspect pulling a firearm from his waistband and firing two shots into the air and provided a description of the vehicle. The description was later confirmed by video from a security camera located on a nearby building. Responding officers recovered two spent 9mm shell casings from the scene, and the vehicle was intercepted by South Portland police as it crossed the bridge into South Portland. After a brief attempt to flee, Mohamud Abdullahi, 31, was arrested. The firearm used in the shooting was recovered the next day from the front lawn of a residence near where the vehicle had been stopped.

Abdullahi’s previous convictions in Cumberland County Superior Court, including for assault and aggravated criminal trespass in 2017 and unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs in 2011, preclude him from possessing firearms. He faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI, Portland Police Department, and South Portland Police Department investigated the case.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A California man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court records, in March 2022, Lonnel Diggs (aka “Cash,” “Cashiioso Runzitup”), 40, of Van Nuys, Calif. and a co-conspirator proposed to a couple who purchased crack cocaine from Diggs that they purchase firearms in exchange for cash and crack cocaine. The couple agreed to make straw purchases and began traveling to gun shows and gun stores in Maine on the men’s behalf. At one of the gun shows, Diggs took photos of firearms and texted the images to the couple, who then made the purchases and provided him with the firearms.

Diggs was convicted in California for robbery in 2003 and for assault with a dangerous weapon on a peace officer in 2010 and is therefore precluded from possessing any firearms. He faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department.

STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on March 15, 2024, law enforcement conducted a probation check and interview with Bret Binette, 19, at his Lewiston residence. When law enforcement arrived at the residence, they saw Binette operating a motor vehicle.  A search of that vehicle revealed a 9mm pistol and subsequent investigation established that Binette knowingly possessed that firearm. Binette is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a 2023 conviction in Androscoggin County Superior Court for criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.

Binette faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Lewiston Police Department investigated the case. 

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to interference with commerce by robbery.

According to court records, in September 2021, Max Gbetibouo, 30, entered a Saco convenience store brandishing a weapon and demanded money from the register. The store clerk complied, and Gbetibouo fled the store on foot. The robbery was captured on surveillance video.

Gbetibouo faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The multicolored 1911 firearm Gbetibouo used to threaten the store’s employee during the commission of the robbery was recovered and will be forfeited.

The Saco Police Department investigated the case.  

###

BANGOR, Maine: A Sedgwick man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to producing child sexual abuse material.

According to court records, in May 2021, Travis Bessey, 29, participated in a Kik chat room dedicated to the distribution of child sexual abuse material. A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent monitoring the chat observed a user, later identified as Bessey, share images of an adult man sexually abusing young children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not identify victims of crime and is limiting identifying information, including gender, age and location, to protect the minor victims’ privacy. The Maine State Police and HSI executed a search warrant at Bessey’s residence. During the investigation, Bessey admitted to sending and receiving child sexual abuse material in the Kik group, and images of Bessey sexually abusing children were recovered from his phone.

Bessey faces 15-30 years in prison on each of the two counts, a fine up to $250,000 and mandatory restitution to the victims. Any sentence would be followed by a minimum of five years of supervised release.

HSI investigated the case with assistance from the Maine State Police. 

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal term as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Kentucky woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiracy to commit visa fraud and tax evasion.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. ordered Colleen Holt-Thompson, 58, to pay $172,158.79 in restitution and sentenced her to probation for three years. Holt-Thompson pleaded guilty on January 29, 2024.

According to court records, Holt-Thompson founded Host Ukraine in 2015 in Newport, Kentucky and served as the non-profit’s executive director. The organization brought children living in orphanages in Ukraine to stay with American families for short periods over the summer or winter holidays. As part of the program, Host Ukraine was required to have the permission of the Ministry of Social Policy in Ukraine to transport each child, and the name and address of a hosting family was required before permission would be granted. Once permission was granted, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine would issue a non-immigrant visa to the child. The Ministry’s approval was a prerequisite to the issuance of the visas.

Between 2015 and 2019, Thompson applied for and received Ministry hosting permission for 828 U.S. non-immigrant visas for Ukrainian children. To obtain the visas, Holt-Thompson would provide placeholder names – names and addresses of American families who had not actually agreed to serve as hosts – when she submitted names of Ukrainian children to the Ministry. Before the children traveled to the U.S., she would find actual host families for each child. During the period of the conspiracy, a coconspirator who lived in Maine and was the Northeast contact for Host Ukraine was responsible for identifying placeholder families in Maine and recruiting families to serve as actual host families for the Ukrainian children who traveled to the U.S. on fraudulently obtained visas.

Host families were charged a $3,000 fee to host a child, and Host Ukraine also collected donations. In 2016, Holt-Thompson spent approximately $127,610 in personal expenses and paid for those expenses from Host Ukraine’s checking account or paid personal credit card bills using Host Ukraine’s checking account. The money spent on personal expenses was not reported as income on the tax return Holt-Thompson and her husband filed. Holt-Thompson reported her taxable income for that year as only $47,226. In addition, Holt-Thompson failed to file a tax return for Host Ukraine.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Tyler Campbell, 39, to 84 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $2,189 in drug proceeds found in his possession at the time of his arrest. Campbell pleaded guilty on February 15, 2024.

According to court records, in February 2023, a cooperating source made arrangements with Campbell to purchase methamphetamine. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) testing later revealed that the 84 grams of methamphetamine purchased was 100% pure. DEA investigators directed the source to arrange another buy. During this second transaction, Campbell sold the source 99.2 grams of fentanyl. Both transactions were recorded and filmed. Campbell was carrying additional drugs at the time of his arrest, including 142.6 grams of pure methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash.

The DEA investigated the case.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Westbrook man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to bank robbery.

According to court records, on January 26, 2024, Jason Arsenault, 41, pulled up to the drive‑through window of a South Portland bank wearing a black winter hat, sunglasses and a black mask covering his face. Using the pneumatic tube, he passed a note to the teller that read, “CAR BOMB No Cops Alarms or WE ALL DIE $50,000 in 20’s.” The teller placed some money in the pneumatic tube, and Arsenault took the funds and drove away. Using multiple surveillance cameras, investigators were able to trace the vehicle’s movements and capture an image of Arsenault’s face, leading to his identification. Six days following the robbery, Arsenault was arrested in Portland, and he confessed to the robbery and directed investigators to the money hidden in a backpack in Baxter Woods in Portland.

Arsenault faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the South Portland and Portland police departments.

###

BANGOR, Maine: A Pittston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for accessing child pornography with intent to view.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Robert Brandt, 39, to 18 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution. Brandt pleaded guilty on January 26, 2024.

According to court records, between October 2022 and October 2023, Brandt accessed computer files that contained child sexual abuse material. He did so by frequenting a pornography-oriented website where he knew internet addresses for child pornography would be posted. He followed links until he reached the files he targeted. The images and videos he accessed showed children under the age of 12 begin sexually abused by adult men.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal term as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  An Orange, New Jersey man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to burglarizing two Maine post offices and robbing at knifepoint two U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers.

According to court records, during a one-week period in January 2024, Winston McLeod, 30, and a coconspirator broke into the Paris and North Monmouth post offices and stole money order printers, mail, computers, post office box keys, and other items. The two men then robbed two Lewiston postal carriers in quick succession on January 20, 2024, threatening to stab each of them with a knife unless they turned over their postal keys.

The two men were arrested by law enforcement following a traffic stop. A search of the occupants and the vehicle, a white Jeep that matched a vehicle seen in videos from each crime scene, revealed a black butterfly knife, black ski mask, large sums of cash, and several checks determined to have been stolen from the Paris post office. When responding to the Paris location, Postal Inspectors also found two iPhones in the snow directly beneath the broken window used to access the post office. Investigators were able to identify McLeod through a photo of him on the lock screen of one of the phones. Law enforcement recovered additional stolen items at and near the address where the two men had been staying.

McLeod faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on one charge of conspiracy to rob postal carriers and burgle a U.S. Post Office and two charges of burglary of a post office. He faces up to 25 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 on each of two charges of robbery of a postal carrier. Any sentence will be followed by up to five years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with assistance from FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Rumford, Lewiston, Paris and Monmouth police departments. 

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to keeping the U.S. Mail, its employees, and customers safe. Today’s plea is the culmination of exceptional teamwork between our local and federal law enforcement partners.  The swift response by responding officers and their ongoing support were instrumental in making this a successful investigation,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “Ensuring the safety of our employees is a top priority, Postal Inspectors will continue to thoroughly investigate any robberies of our employees and burglaries of our facilities.”

###

Updated 07/23/24 to correct Winston McLeod's current age

PORTLAND, Maine: A North Berwick man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to filing fraudulent applications for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

According to court records, between April 2020 and September 2021, Frederick Avery, 49, submitted two applications for PPP loans that claimed he was the 100% owner of Superior Cruise and Travel LLC. Avery sold the agency to a limited liability company in Pennsylvania in November 2019. He claimed on the applications that the loans, which totaled more than $215,000, were for payroll, lease/mortgage interest, utilities, and other items. Avery submitted falsified bank statements from a non-existent account to support one of the applications.

Avery faces up to 30 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $1 million, followed by up to five years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A Lowell, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiring to distribute and possess methamphetamine.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Angel Luis Lozano, 27, to 60 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Lozano pleaded guilty on February 15, 2024.

According to court records, in November 2022, an undercover officer arranged to purchase two pounds of methamphetamine from Mandy Shorey, 43, of Peru, Maine. Lozano traveled from Massachusetts to Maine with at least 938.4 grams of methamphetamine to provide to Shorey. In January 2023, the agent again arranged to purchase two pounds of methamphetamine, and Lozano traveled with other coconspirators from Massachusetts and delivered approximately 459.3 grams of methamphetamine.

Mandy Shorey pleaded guilty on April 18, 2024, to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, conspiring to distribute and possess methamphetamine, and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. She faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million followed by supervised release for at least five years and up to life for the two drug charges. She faces a minimum sentence of five years and a fine of up to $250,000 on the firearms charge. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. 

Chief U.S. District Judge John D. Levy sentenced Willie Richard Minor, 63, to the two years, eight months, and ten days he had served before an earlier conviction was vacated.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in June 2010, Minor was convicted in Maine Superior Court of domestic violence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not identify victims of crime and is limiting identifying information to protect the victim’s privacy. As a result of that conviction, Minor was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition. In November 2016, Minor admitted to having a gun in an interview with the Auburn Police Department. The police recovered the gun from his apartment in Auburn.

Minor was originally convicted and sentenced on the federal charge after a trial in December 2017. While the case was pending on appeal, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision, Rehaif v. United States, that changed what the government is required to prove in certain federal firearm possession cases. As a result, the parties agreed to have the original conviction vacated, and the case was remanded for a new trial. Minor was again convicted after a trial in February 2020, and in September 2020, he was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release.

In March 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit found that the jury had been incorrectly instructed in Minor’s second trial. The Court of Appeals clarified what the government is required to prove under the Supreme Court’s Rehaif decision, leading to the third trial. Minor was again found guilty by a federal jury following a two-day trial in April 2024.

“This office will continue to prioritize prosecutions against those convicted of domestic violence who illegally possess firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Anyone convicted of abuse – and those they choose to victimize – should understand that illegal gun possession by domestic abusers will not be tolerated.”

The Auburn Police Department; Maine State Police Crime Laboratory; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and FBI investigated the case.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: Eight men from Maine and one from New Hampshire – comprised of the owner, captains, and crew members of a commercial fishing vessel, the Western Sea, and owners of local Maine fisheries – have been sentenced for knowingly subverting commercial fishing reporting requirements. The final six sentences in the complex case were handed down this week by U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy in U.S. District Court in Portland. 

The Western Sea is a fishing vessel that operated out of Rockland and fished for Atlantic herring. Atlantic herring is the primary bait fish for Maine’s lobster industry. Operators of fishing vessels in the Atlantic herring fishery must comply with restrictions on fishing areas, seasonal access, gear usage, and limits on the quantity or weight of fish caught. To ensure a sustainable fishery for a particular species, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has authority to set quotas and catch limits for commercial fishing vessels, and the vessels must complete a Fishing Vessel Trip Report (FVTR) at the end of each fishing trip reporting all species caught, the weight of each catch, and the dealers to whom the catch is sold.

According to court records, from June 2016 through September 2019, members of the Western Sea crew conspired to submit false FVTRs to NOAA. The Western Sea, acting through its owner, captains, and crew, sold Atlantic herring to purchasers who paid the crew directly via check or cash, including to some purchasers that were not federally permitted dealers of Atlantic herring. Members of the crew received shares of this money at the end of fishing weeks. Some sales were of unreported Atlantic herring, including when the vessel landed more than the quantity of herring allowed under weekly catch limits. False FVTRs were submitted to NOAA to conceal the conduct and Western Sea, Inc. issued inaccurate 1099 forms to crew members that failed to report all income.

>Sentenced this week:

• Glenn Robbins (77, Eliot; Owner Western Sea, Inc. & Captain R. Herring; Captain of the Western Sea)
  • Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
  • Sentenced on 07/11/24 to 2 years of probation, $25,000 fine.
• Western Sea, Inc. (Eliot)
  • Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to falsification of records.
  • Sentenced on 07/11/24 to 2 years of probation, $175,000 fine.
• Jason Parent (51, Owls Head; Crew member)
  • Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
  • Sentenced on 07/10/24 to 2 years of probation, $2,000 fine, 50 hours of community service, restitution of $28,685.58.
• Stephen Little (59, Warren; Crew member)
  • Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
  • Sentenced on 07/10/24 to 2 years of probation, $42,834.93 restitution.
• Neil Herrick (48, Rockland; Crew member)
  • Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
  • Sentenced on 07/10/24 to 2 years of probation, 50 hours of community service, $32,889.43 restitution.
• Ethan Chase (46, Portsmouth, NH; Part-time captain of the Western Sea)
  • Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
  • Sentenced on 07/09/24 to 2 years of probation, 50 hours of community service, $2,000 fine, $39,289.39 restitution.

Previously sentenced:

• Glenn Lawrence (70, Owls Head; Owner of fishing/transport vessel the Double Eagle)
  • Pleaded guilty on 11/07/23 to unlawful purchase of fish in interstate commerce, and aiding and abetting (Lacey Act Violation).
  • Sentenced on 05/03/24 to 2 years of probation, $9,500 fine, 50 hours community service.
• Duston Reed (42, Waldoboro; Owner New Moon Fisheries, Inc.)
  • Pleaded guilty on 12/27/23 to unlawful purchase of fish in interstate commerce, and aiding and abetting (Lacey Act Violation).
  • Sentenced on 04/29/24 to 2 years of probation, $25,000 fine, 100 hours community service.
• New Moon Fisheries, Inc. (Friendship)
  • Pleaded guilty on 12/27/23 to unlawful purchase of fish in interstate commerce, and aiding and abetting (Lacey Act Violation).
  • Sentenced on 04/29/24 to 2 years of probation, $15,000 fine.
• Samuel Olsen (73, Cushing; Owner Sam’s Seafood LLC)
  • Pleaded guilty on 10/17/23 to unlawful purchase of fish in interstate commerce, and aiding and abetting (Lacey Act Violation).
  • Sentenced on 04/12/24 to 1 year of probation, $9,500 fine, 50 hours community service.
• Andrew Banow (37, Rockport; Crew member)
  • Pleaded guilty on 03/14/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
  • Sentenced on 04/12/24 to 1 year of probation, $1,000 fine, $20,177 restitution.

“Atlantic herring is a vital resource in Maine, particularly to the thousands of people involved in the lobster industry in the state. Led by Glenn Robbins and Western Sea, the defendants in this case subverted regulations for the sole purpose of lining their own wallets – regulations that are in place to ensure Atlantic herring are not overfished and are available for future generations of fishermen and safeguard the viability of the marine ecosystem,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “I commend the investigators on this case, including those from NOAA, for their efforts to ensure the sustainable management of an industry so vital to all that is Maine.”

“Protecting our nation's honest fishermen is, and will always be, a top priority for NOAA.  Egregious acts that undermine the sustainable management of our fisheries resources and steal from those in the industry who follow the rules will not be tolerated,” said Michael Henry, Assistant Director for NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement's Northeast Division.

“The sentencing of all involved with the Western Sea investigations sends a powerful message to the commercial fishing industry,” said IRS CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis Jr. “This investigation demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting all those that violate the U.S. Tax Code, no matter who they are.”

NOAA, IRS – Criminal Investigation, and the Maine Marine Patrol investigated the case.

###

*Updated 07/12/24 to correct fine amount for defendant Glenn Lawrence 

BANGOR, Maine: A Carroll Plantation man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jason Levasseur, 48, to 15 months time served to be followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court records, in November 2022, a Maine State Police trooper arrested Levasseur for a state probation revocation after recognizing his pickup truck at a gas station in Danforth. The trooper ordered Levasseur to get on the ground and restrained him. The trooper removed a sheathed knife from Levasseur’s belt and asked whether he was carrying a gun. Levasseur indicated there was a firearm in the truck, and the officer retrieved a .458-caliber rifle wrapped in a blanket from the backseat. The rifle had two rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.

Levasseur is precluded from possessing firearms due to multiple prior convictions including three state convictions for illegal possession of a firearm.

The Maine State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Portland man pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to enticing a minor and possessing child sexual abuse material.

According to court records, in December 2022, Joshua Decker, 36, met the 16-year-old victim in an online chat forum and began regularly communicating with them despite knowing the victim was a minor. In April 2023, the conversations became graphic and sexual, and Decker discussed traveling to meet the victim. The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not identify victims of crime and is limiting identifying information, including gender and location, to protect the minor victim’s privacy. In July 2023, the Portland Police Department executed a search warrant on Decker’s vehicle and person, recovering a tablet. Examination of the tablet revealed child sexual abuse material. Decker was convicted in Androscoggin County Criminal Court in 2018 for possession of sexually explicit material of a minor under 12.

Decker faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the enticement charge and 10–20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the possession of child pornography charge. Any sentence would be followed by five years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case with assistance from the Portland Police Department.

Online enticement is increasing: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported an alarming 300% increase in online enticement reports between 2020 and 2023. “Online enticement” involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a child via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction. This type of victimization takes place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. Learn more about online enticement, including red flags and risk factors, at https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/onlineenticement. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

Project iGuardian program available to Maine communities: The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) program Project iGuardian is focused on keeping children and teens safe from online predators through education and awareness. The in-person educational outreach effort was created to share information about the dangers of online environments, how to stay safe online, and how to report abuse and suspicious activity. Schools, parent groups, and other community groups interested in bringing the program to their community can find more information at: https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect/training.

Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.

###

PORTLAND, Maine: A former resident of Atlanta, Georgia pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to committing wire fraud.

According to court records, from at least November 2019 through October 2021, Alexis Hodges, 39, fraudulently used the bank account of a Kennebunk business to pay expenses for herself, her family members, and her business. Hodges provided the bank account information to multiple vendors, causing more than $90,000 to be electronically paid out of the account to pay her rent, insurance policies, auto loans, and credit card bills, among others, without the victim’s consent or knowledge. In September 2021, the victim discovered that unauthorized payments were occurring and reported it to the Kennebunk Police Department, who referred the case to the U.S. Secret Service New England Cyber Fraud Task Force for investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not identify victims of crime and is limiting identifying information, including the name and type of business, to protect the victim’s privacy.

Hodges faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to the greater of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss.

The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from the Kennebunk Police Department.

###

PORTLAND, Maine:  United States Attorney Darcie N. McElwee today announced that Jamie P. Loggins, M.D. has agreed to pay $629,056.76 to settle allegations that he violated the federal False Claims Act (the “FCA”). The civil settlement agreement resolves allegations that Loggins prescribed orthotic braces that were not medically necessary to individuals with whom he had no valid prescriber-patient relationship.

Medicare statutes, regulations and guidelines make clear that participating providers may only bill for services actually provided and which are medically reasonable and necessary. As alleged by the Government, from September 2018 through November 2022, Loggins caused claims to be submitted to Medicare for payment for medical services that were not reasonably medically necessary or for which medical necessity could not be determined. More specifically, the Government alleges that Loggins worked with a telemedicine company to provide telemedicine consultations and consultation services. As part of those services, Loggins would review prepared intake forms, which included purported complaint information for a beneficiary and prepared prescriptions for orthotic braces. Frequently, the intake forms included multiple complaints and prescriptions for orthotic braces for each individual beneficiary. The Government alleges that Dr. Loggins would then electronically sign these prescriptions, despite there being no valid prescriber-patient relationship and no medical necessity for the claims.

The FCA provides that any person who “knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment or approval” or “knowingly makes, uses, or causes to be made or used, a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim” is liable to the United States for three times the amount of damages which the United States sustains, plus a civil penalty for each FCA violation. The Government alleges that by submitting claims for payment for medical services that were not medically reasonable or necessary, Loggins violated the FCA.

Loggins cooperated with this investigation and did not admit liability in the settlement agreement. Federal authorities encourage health care providers to cooperate with investigations involving the possible submission of false claims to federal programs. Entities or individuals that make proactive, timely and voluntary self-disclosures to the U.S. Attorney’s Office may receive credit during the resolution of a later FCA case.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

###

A federal jury convicted a Maine doctor today for unlawfully distributing controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Merideth Norris, 53, of Kennebunk, distributed controlled substances to patients at her practice without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice. Norris prescribed controlled substances despite the fact that some of these patients suffered from opioid use disorder, tested positive for addictive substances that were not prescribed to them, or appeared to be diverting the drugs into the community. Norris was warned about her prescribing on numerous occasions, including by way of pharmacists who refused to fill prescriptions she wrote and letters from an insurance company covering one of her patients. Walmart pharmacies also issued a “central block,” or a nationwide ban, on filling prescriptions written by Norris. When asked by Maine’s Board of Osteopathic Licensure (the “Board”) to justify her prescribing, Norris submitted an incomplete patient file to the Board, and otherwise deceived the Board about her prescribing practices.

The jury convicted Norris of 15 counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Division; Assistant Administrator Thomas Prevoznik of the DEA’s Diversion Control Division; and Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Boston Region made the announcement.

The FBI, DEA, and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Thomas Campbell and Danielle Sakowski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Scott for the District of Maine.

The Fraud Section partners with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Anyone needing access to opioid treatment services can contact HHS-OIG’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24/7 National Helpline for referrals to treatment services at 1-800-662-4359.