Aroostook County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking BANGOR, Maine: A former Aroostook County resident pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. When clients in jail call his law office it is often his receptionist, Tabitha Haines, who picks up. Its not a laughing matter to us, at least.. A Houlton man, charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses, remains in the Aroostook County Jail following a court session Thursday. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Experienced ice drillers know that certain lakes and varied species of game fish require particular live bait to produce consistent action. Jeffery R. Thibodeau, Jr., 44, Limestone: theft by receiving stolen property, 3 years in prison, all but 1 year suspended, 2 years probation, $8,970.84 restitution; aggravated criminal mischief, 1 year in prison; violating condition of release, 30 days in jail. WebClerk: Danielle Blade Phone: (207) 764-2055 TTY: 711 Maine Relay Hours of Operation Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for Court Holidays, Administrative Weeks Aroostook County explained that recordings were made because Tebbetts and his clients didnt provide the jail his phone number to put on a do not record list. The bottom line is that no one at Aroostook has ever intentionally monitored, listened to or recorded any call that they knew to be privileged. Kayla Smith, 22, joined Thompson at the overnight campout for a seat inside the court. WebAroostook County Stay current with all the latest and breaking news about Aroostook County, compare headlines and perspectives between news sources on stories happening Lock To protect their calls, attorneys are supposed to request that their phone number be made private so they arent also recorded by the jails phone systems. Yet to borrowers following Tuesdays arguments, it felt isolating to hear such a personal subject reduced to cold legal language. Those attorney-client calls are supposed to be declared private and out of the reach of law enforcement investigators. A month later, agents statewide were ordered to get out of the jails phone systems completely. Court records showed Andrew Adams, 31, as well as others, trafficked meth and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook Counties between January 2018 and December Records submitted in the lawsuit list Morrison as playing back or, as Gillen describes, listening to one defendants call to Tebbetts in October 2019. Two teenage boys have been charged this week in a shooting in Calais that injured a 31-year-old man. This is a good reminder of how important it is to have your pets altered before any surprise litters can make an appearance. BANGOR, Maine: An Aroostook County man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Taylor Lovely, 34, to 158 months in prison and five years of supervised release. World Spay Day is always the fourth Tuesday in February, which this year falls on Feb. 28. Tebbetts Law Office, is typically how she starts a conversation when a new person calls. Lawyers hired to represent the company vehemently denied the claim and argued that even if the calls were recorded, there was no guarantee that the conversations were privileged and therefore protected. God help us if they were intentionally trying to listen to my phone calls, Tebbetts said. TTY:711 Maine Relay The caller ID shows its a call from Securus and theyve learned to recognize the extension for each county jail, he said. Justin C. Pinette, 40, Caribou: unlawful possession of scheduled drug, 30 days in jail, $400 fine. Usernames of jail administrators, county employees and even a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent assigned to the Maine drug enforcement task force appear repeatedly with the playback of 58 recordings and the download of 17 more recordings of calls jailed defendants made to Tebbetts, according to records Tebbetts received from the sheriffs office in August 2020. The following cases were heard under the Aroostook Criminal Docket at the Caribou Courthouse in March. Other News: 2023 BikeMaine Weekend registration opens tomorrow He is now on probation. Student loan payments have been on hold since the start of the pandemic, but theyare set to restart60 days after the court cases resolve regardless of the outcome. Its just a nightmare. His court-appointed attorney, John Tebbetts, advised him to speak softly so their conversation wouldnt be heard by the guards posted nearby. HOULTON, Maine After several months of not convening due to COVID-19, the Aroostook County grand jury has resumed its activities of reviewing criminal cases for An official website of the United States government. He had a very nice couple who were watching out for him. The same term playback appears in records Aroostook County provided to Tebbetts and that The Maine Monitor reviewed. According to court records, between approximately January 2017 and August 2018, a drug trafficking organization distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in northern Maine. Joel Casey,Assistant United States Attorney(207-945-0373). Neither I nor anyone at the County has any interest in knowing what criminal defendants are talking about with their lawyers, he added. Snowmobile Trail Report, March 3, 2023 - Fiddlehead Focus For Thompsons family, years of payments hang in the balance. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. There were personal things that I talked about with John [Tebbetts] and I didnt even like to share with a lot of people, Simon said. The Maine State Police Troop F barracks in Houlton responded to a number of calls for service during the period of Dec. 19, 2022-Jan. 1, 2023, including the following. 2 local buyers express interest in Aroostook Centre Mall. Art pieces by Mackenzie Vigue (grade 6) and Liam Morrison (grade 2) will be on display at Wintergreen throughout the month of March. Judge sets bond for 76-year-old woman accused of killing Paul Bagnall March 1, 2023. When asked to confirm the names of those who downloaded the calls, Gillen said in an email to The Maine Monitor in November that, It would be safe to say they [Gaddis and Dudley] had access for drug investigations, considering they worked for MDEA [Maine Drug Enforcement Agency] at the time. Other officials wouldnt confirm the names of the agents who had access to Tebbetts calls. Devin Tracy, 28, Washburn: domestic violence terrorizing, priors domestic violence, 24 months in prison. State and local prosecutors insist they do not have a practice of listening to attorney calls. Securus Technologies installed the phone system in Aroostook and 13 other Maine county jails. Aroostook County officials insisted they hadnt intentionally recorded or monitored any attorney calls at the jail. In the same year the lawsuit was filed, Aroostook County Sheriff Gillen revoked access to the jails recordings to all but a few employees among them Support Sgt. For example, The Maine Monitor learned that three agents assigned to a statewide drug task force in Aroostook County identified recordings of attorneys during their investigations. Next year's Caribou City Council will include a new member and a longtime councilor thanks to Tuesday's election. Two new town councilors and a new school board member will help Fort Fairfield determine its future in the new year. Caribou. A few weeks ago we were contacted by Paws Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Fort Kent asking if we could help them with two cats. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated these cases with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies. When a new woman came into his life, he got sober and baptized into the church again, he said. (Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry 2 It's going to be a very busy weekend. Without the lawsuit, Tebbetts said he sees no way now to find out what law enforcement may have gleaned from his calls. Jeffery R. Thibodeau, Jr., 44, Limestone: operating after habitual offender revocation, 30 days in jail, $500 fine. The calls were professional and about his case, Simon said. All non-privileged inmate calls are recorded, may be monitored, may be played back, and may be used for law enforcement purposes. Carlos Bravo, 26, Limestone: aggravated operation of a methamphetamine laboratory by a school, dismissed; operation of a methamphetamine laboratory, 6 years and 6 months in prison, all but 6 months suspended, 3 years probation, $4,110 restitution. Aroostook County Julian was out on his own in the bitter cold. Tebbetts and his jailed clients had good reason to believe their calls were private. Figures compiled by H. F. McGlauflin, Secretary of the local Cooperative Marketing Campaign Committee, showed the aggregate of signers in the County to be a fraction over 54,000. Joseph J. Landry, 64, St. Agatha: theft of services, 30 days in jail. Corey Hebert of Wallagrass with his truck by the Maine Turnpike in Cumberland County. Devon Espling, 31, Washburn: aggravated assault, 5 years in prison all but 18 months suspended, 2 years probation, $120,000 restitution; violating condition of release, 90 days in jail. Central Aroostook Snowmobile club: Reporting trails are all groomed and holding up nicely. This is a good reminder of how important it is to have your pets altered before any surprise litters can make an appearance. The complaint was dismissed in November 2021 by Chief Judge Jon Levy of the U.S. District Court District of Maine. For specific information regarding accessibility at this court location contact: Court Access Coordinator They trapped him and brought him to the sanctuary. Brandin P. Bouchard, 33, Presque Isle: unlawful possession of scheduled drug, 30 days in jail, $400 fine; violating condition of release, 15 days in jail. Gillens efforts to limit who could access the jails recordings in 2020 came too late for Hebert. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS This week the County has received another foot of snow within several small storms. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries. The drive between Tebbetts law office and the jail in Houlton takes under an hour. Jail staff have no way to know if a call is between an attorney and client if the phone number isnt registered as private, according to Gillen. One agent was reportedly told by his superiors to stop listening and delete the recorded call if he believed it was with an attorney, an email from August 2020 shows. Carlos Bravo, 26, Limestone: theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, 10 days in jail; refusing to submit to arrest or detention, physical force, 7 days in jail. Houlton District Court: State of Maine Judicial Branch WebNewsBreak provides latest and breaking Aroostook County, ME local news, weather forecast, crime and safety reports, traffic updates, event notices, sports, entertainment, Monitoring calls between inmates and their friends and family are not uncommon. Thompson was among a few dozen borrowers who camped out in drizzle overnight to get seats at the court for Tuesdays hearing. Its going to have that same chilling effect, Heiden said. Kristin LeBlanc, 39, Limestone: use of drug paraphernalia, $300 fine. Learn about accessibility in Maine courts or request an accommodation. When calls between Tebbetts and clients at the Aroostook County Jail were downloaded, the call was downloaded and either saved to a disc or a computer, according to Gillen. The Maine State Police Troop F barracks in Houlton responded to a number of calls for service during the period of Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2023, including the following. With the ups and downs of temperatures it has made grooming very challenging. When it comes to running a tight ship, staff at the Aroostook County Jail has once again risen to the challenge. 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. Wintergreen Arts Center is featuring two local young artists during March, Youth Art Month. Caribou Criminal Docket, March 2021 - The County For the first time, WFKTV Channel 4 will provide a livestream of New England's longest sled dog race. AROOSTOOK COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT et al ADAMS v. AROOSTOOK COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT et al RSS Track this Docket Docket Report This docket was last retrieved on February 28, 2023. Data show that the same individual users repeatedly selected playback on calls to Tebbetts phone number. The agents who said they knew of those privileged calls were Special Agent Forrest Dudley, Supervisory Special Agent Peter Johnson and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent John Gaddis, Risler wrote in an email. This is a good reminder of how important it is to have your pets altered before any surprise litters can make an appearance. Snowmobile Trail Report, March 3, 2023 - Fiddlehead Focus PRESQUE ISLE, Maine A deal for the purchase of the Aroostook Centre Mall may Drug law enforcement personnel working in Aroostook County also found recordings of attorney-client calls in some cases they were investigating, according to records and interviews. Paul Bagnall March 1, 2023. Some of my clients are refusing to talk on the phone with me even today.. WebAroostook County Jail scores perfect marks on biennial inspection When it comes to running a tight ship, staff at the Aroostook County Jail has once again risen to the challenge. Access additional case information on PACER He remembers the calls vividly. Whether Aroostook County employees intended to listen to these calls or not, it has likely stymied communication between many lawyers and jailed clients in Maine, said Zach Heiden, the chief counsel of the ACLU of Maine. There, law enforcement can save, burn CDs, download and playback recordings.. Gillen put Morrison in charge of reviewing and fulfilling future requests for recordings of inmates jail calls, he said in an interview. More than 60 mushers are registered for the Irving Woodlands Can-Am Crown 250. Lovely pleaded guilty in December 2020. Bangor, ME 04401, Portland: Many U.S. jails record all calls, and non-attorney calls are routinely listened to by law enforcement in criminal investigations. It means the call was listened to by the user with the name beside it, according to Aroostook County Sheriff Shawn Gillen. There was just enough time in the basketball season this year for Carsen Cyr of Madawaska to squeeze in his 1,000th career high school basketball point. Justin C. Pinette, 40, Caribou: assault, 20 days in jail, $300 fine; violating condition of release, 7 days in jail, $250 fine. Carlos Bravo, 27, Caribou: theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, 48 hours in jail, $3.22 restitution; operating vehicle without license, 48 hours in jail. November Indictments for Aroostook County Alexander MacDougall March 5, 2021 A Presque Isle man charged with burglary of the Braden Theater last August and Julian came to us a little over a year ago, emaciated and covered in wounds. Kristopher Labreck, 42, Limestone: operating while license suspended or revoked, filed on unspecified costs. TTY:711 Maine Relay. Suggest one. State of Maine Judicial Branch According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Andrew Adams, 31, along with others, trafficked methamphetamine and The Aroostook Centre Mall on Sunday. Caribou District Court, 144 Sweden Street, Suite 104. But their marital bliss rapidly ended. Get the latest Maines Total Weather video forecast from Chief Meteorologist Roger Griswold. Aroostook @media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.block_6402f7d6517c1{min-height: 100px;}}, A news reporter in coastal Maine for more than 20 years, Bill Trotter writes about how the Atlantic Ocean and the state's iconic coastline help to shape the lives of coastal Maine residents and visitors. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The exhibition will feature a selection from its large collection of original artworks by Maine native and internationally renowned artist Bernard Langlais, including sculptures, paintings, drawings, constructions, and sketchbooks. I wanted to be like, Yall dont understand. Tia J. Mowers, 38, Caribou: criminal mischief, dismissed; violating condition of release, dismissed. Brandin P. Bouchard, 33, Presque Isle: violating condition of release, 30 days in jail. District Attorney Todd Collins, in a statement late last year, said his office in Aroostook County has not knowingly used privileged communications between a defendant and his / her attorney in a prosecution.. Aroostook recorded 304 calls to Tebbetts law office from 49 jailed clients in a year, more than any other attorney in the county, records show. A lock ( Snowmobile Trail Report, March 3, 2023 - Fiddlehead Focus Simon blames his family for his repeat violations and substance use. Law enforcement personnel didnt contact Tebbetts about those recordings. In response, conservatives asked if those who passed up college should pay for those who borrowed money to attend. Aroostook law enforcement are investigating an allegedly suspicious device found at an abandoned home in New Sweden. Ice harvesting on the stream, brooks, lakes, ponds and rivers of Maine in the days before modern day refrigeration techniques was the norm. In collaboration with the Attorney Generals Office, Daigle was indicted by an Aroostook County Grand Jury on one count of murder and an arrest warrant was issued. Julian was out on his own in the bitter cold. World Spay Day is always the fourth Tuesday in February, which this year falls on Feb. 28. Its not unusual for Supreme Court cases to hang on legal technicalities, even in cases of great public interest. Copyright 2023 Earlier this year, The Maine Monitor published the first articles in a continuing investigation showing how six Maine county jails recorded attorney calls and shared some of those calls with police and prosecutors. A few weeks ago we were contacted by Paws Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Fort Kent asking if we could help them with two cats. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. BANGOR, ME - An Aroostook County man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in two separate cases for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, DEA New England Division Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle and Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced. Aroostook Shell casings were found by police where the shooting happened. The playback and download of calls to Tebbetts reveal another layer of problems with how Maine county jails have operated their inmate phone systems. Adams faces up to 20 years imprisonment. 75 Years Ago, February 26, 1948 Edward S. Trombley, 62, Caribou: criminal mischief, $150 fine. Jeffery R. Thibodeau, Jr., 44, Limestone: theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, priors, 1 year in prison, $100 restitution; violating condition of release, 30 days in jail; burglary of a motor vehicle, 9 months in jail; operating after habitual offender revocation, 30 days in jail, $500 fine. Thank you for reading your 4 free articles this month. Anyone with information about the altercation is asked to contact the Washington County Sheriffs Office at 207-255-8308. One was leukemia positive and the other has feline AIDS. He disagrees with the sheriff that it was his or his clients fault that the jail recorded hundreds of confidential calls and law enforcement personnel listened to dozens of those recordings. It is the largest mass recording of attorney-client phone calls in a Maine jail disclosed to date. Kayla Smith, 22, joined Thompson at Once a call is recorded, it lives on Securus online call platform. He had a very nice couple who were watching out for him. My dad has no plans to retire. Portland In a landmark decision, a federal judge has ordered the Aroostook County Jail to provide a Madawaska woman with access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for her opioid use disorder during her 40-day jail Jailers can legally record and listen to phone calls of people in their custody and frequently do but are explicitly barredby state law from interfering with attorney calls. After his multiple-year first marriage fell apart, he began drinking and using cocaine before turning to methamphetamines, he said. PRESQUE ISLE, Maine A deal for the purchase of the Aroostook Centre Mall may be imminent as mall tenants wait in limbo. Two new town councilors and a new school board member will help Fort Fairfield determine its future in the new year. I was very happy to receive the [state relief payment of] $450, or $900 for my wife and I. Law enforcement listen to the recordings for details that the inmates may tell friends and family that could help them prosecute the case. He had a very nice couple who were watching out for him. But when we talked over the phone we were more free because these calls we were told were not supposed to be recorded, Hebert said. They were focused on small, minuscule details, Smith, of Atlanta, said of the justices. Initial funding for this project was provided by The Pulitzer Center. I want to talk to you about a cat named Julian. Aroostook County is an example of the worst that can happen when jails record phone calls to attorneys, a Maine Monitor investigation found, and the calls to attorney Tebbetts particularly stand out. As court debates student loans, borrowers see disconnect, Several conservative justices appeared skeptical of his authority to cancel millions of dollars in loans. The jail has deleted all information about the users and it cannot be recovered, Gillen told The Maine Monitor. The meeting will be held at noon on Friday, March 10 at the Par and Grill Restaurant in Caribou. Next year's Caribou City Council will include a new member and a longtime councilor thanks to Tuesday's election. It will be the companys headquarters in Northern Maine. Presque Isle voters had a steady turnout at the polls during Nov. 8s midterm elections. The Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle will be closed "until further notice" because the building's owners haven't paid utility bills. Justin C. Pinette, 40, Caribou: domestic violence assault, 42 days in jail; violating condition of release, 30 days in jail. Bill would require drivers to clear snow and ice vehicles within 48-hour grace period following a storm. court Julian was out on his own in the bitter cold. We agreed to take both so they wouldnt have to live out their days in a cage.. Calls with the same jailed client on different days were sometimes listened to by the same user. Joshua Martin, the then general counsel for the company, provided a similar definition of the term playback, while testifying in 2018 as part of a federal lawsuit in Kansas. In collaboration with the Attorney Generals Office, Daigle was indicted by an Aroostook County Grand Jury on one count of murder and an arrest warrant was issued. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). 2 local buyers express interest in Aroostook Centre Mall. Please slow down on the plowed section of 83/ Plowed section in Between June 2019 and May 2020, the Aroostook County Jail recorded 622 calls that defendants made to 20 attorneys, including Tebbetts, according to records obtained by The Maine Monitor.