Criminal Mischief - February 12th, 2014

CORINTH - A former volunteer firefighter is in the hot seat. Nineteen-year-old James Mitchell is facing charges after allegedly setting fire to a vehicle in a Corinth gravel pit last summer. The Stetson resident was indicted last week by the Penobscot County Grand Jury and charged with arson, aggravated criminal mischief and failure to report a fire.

Wired up

GREENBUSH - Three men were recently arrested and charged with theft after allegedly attempting to steal utility wire from Fair Point Communications along Route 2 in Greenbush. According to the Penobscot County Sheriff's Office, several hundred feet of telephone wire was cut during the early morning hours of Dec. 10, 2013; Jan. 6, 2014; and Jan. 21, 2014. The theft left over 200 Greenbush residents without telephone service, impeding the ability to access 9-1-1 for extended periods of time. Search warrants were issued following an investigation of the thefts which resulted in the arrests of 27-year-old Jesse Buxton of Greenbush, 20-year-old Darrian Daye of West Baldwin and 27-year-old Sean McCurdy of Greenbush. Besides causing a disruption in service for the public, the loss and replacement costs of the stolen wire is valued at over $30,000.

Police investigate string of burglaries

ORONO/OLD TOWN Police in Orono and Old Town are investigating a string of burglaries and seeking information from the public.

On Feb. 3, employees from the Daybreak Bakery on Main Street in Old Town reported that they had been burglarized. Officer Jim Fearon responded and learned that that an unknown person had entered in the rear. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken.

On Feb. 8, police responded to an alarm that sounded at Mike's Pizza around 1:50 a.m.. A rear window had been forced open, but no one was found inside and nothing appeared to be missing. Police suspect the alarm scared them off.

On Feb. 9 into the 10, two more Old Town businesses showed signs of further attempted burglary. The unknown person attempted the break into the Daybreak Bakery once more and Johnny's Pizza next door, but were not successful.

During the overnight hours of Feb. 7, 8, and 9 three businesses in Orono were also burglarized. The China Garden on Stillwater Avenue, The Thai Kitchen on Park St., and the Family Dog on Mill St.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Orono Police Department at 866-4000 or anonymously through the website police.orono.org/crimewatch; or the Old Town Police Department 827-3984.

Two people face charges after driving in dark

BANGOR Two people are facing charges after being stopped for driving in the dark with no headlights.

On Feb. 2, around 1:38 a.m., Officer Jermaine Walker stopped a vehicle for driving with no headlights on. The driver was identified as Maureen Clark, 41, of Bangor. After speaking with her, the officer administered field sobriety tests and then arrested Clark for operating under the influence.

The passenger was identified as Edwin Marrero, 47, of Bangor. Police learned there was an active warrant for his arrest for unpaid fines and he was placed under arrest.

Clark was taken to the Bangor Police Department and evaluated by drug recognition expert Officer Taylor Bagley, who determined Clark was under the influence of drugs.

A search incident to the arrest of Clark uncovered small baggies of marijuana and other baggies that contained substances that field tested presumptively as crack/cocaine and heroin. Clark was transported to Penobscot County Jail and was charged with operating under the influence of drugs, unlawful possession of schedule W drugs (class C for heroin), unlawful possession of schedule W drugs (class D for crack/cocaine) and a civil offense for possession of marijuana.

After Clark was transported to jail, police searched her vehicle and officers found additional quantities of crack and powdered cocaine. As a result of this and other evidence developed during the investigation the passenger, Marrero was also charged with unlawful possession of schedule W drugs (class D crack/cocaine).

Multiple meth labs found in Oxford County

OXFORD COUNTY The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency announced the arrests of eight people for trafficking/ manufacturing methamphetamine.

For the past three months, agents assigned to the Western District Task Force Office of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted an investigation into the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine throughout Oxford County.

The investigation revealed an organized group of individuals who routinely purchased components used to manufacture meth. The group was systematic in their methods of acquiring many of the components, particularly Pseudoephedrine, a common cold decongestant essential to the manufacturing process. The methamphetamine produced was then sold throughout Oxford County.

Agents, with the assistance of the Oxford County Sheriff's Department, Oxford Police Department, Maine State Police, secured residences in Oxford, Greenwood, Albany, Gilead and Mason Township pending the execution of search warrants. A total of six search warrants were executed throughout the day to include one of a vehicle belonging to Rodney Levesque, 35, of Oxford. This vehicle along with two residences in Mason Township and Gilead required the use of the Maine Drug Enforcement Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team (CDLET).

Due to the extremely toxic and explosive nature of methamphetamine manufacturing, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency's Clandestine Drug Laboratory Enforcement Team (CDLET) was activated and responded in order to safely dismantle and seize the clandestine laboratories.

Specially trained agents from around the state along with two State of Maine Chemists, utilizing specialized equipment and protective gear dismantled five 'One Pot' laboratories in the vehicle and residences. They also retained samples of the laboratories for criminal prosecution in the future. Assisting MDEA CDLET were specially trained members of the US Drug Enforcement Administration's Clandestine Laboratory Team. The State's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) assisted in the safe disposal of the hazardous waste products related to the laboratories.

Arrested were:

David Thompson, 52 of Gilead, for class A trafficking/manufacturing methamphetamine;

All eight were also charged with class C conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine.

All eight arrests were transported to and are presently being held at the Oxford County Jail. Bail has been set at $100,000 dollars, surety or $75,000 dollars cash for David Thompson. Bail was set at $75,000 dollars, surety or $50,000 dollars cash for the other seven. Hart is also being held on a probation violation.

These arrests and search warrants have dismantled an organized group responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine throughout Oxford County. Similar investigations are ongoing, and additional arrests are expected.