The Office of the Maine Attorney General announced Wednesday that they have charged a deputy superintendent of two state correctional facilities with theft and bribery.
Gerald E. Merrill, Jr., Deputy Superintendent of the Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston and the Downeast Correctional Facility in Machiasport, is alleged to have engaged in a long-running scheme using state funds to purchase products from certain vendors in exchange for illegal kickback payments.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) launched an investigation after auditors noticed an “irregular volume of funds being spent on purchase cards under Merrill’s control.”
“These allegations that a public official who is entrusted with the stewardship of public money and the execution of essential government duties has abused that trust for personal gain are disturbing,” said Attorney General Aaron Frey. “While evidence of public corruption is thankfully rare in Maine, my office, Commissioner Liberty, and Auditor Dunlap take these allegations incredibly seriously.”
“I want to thank my team in the Office of the Attorney General, as well as the State Auditor for ensuring that Maine citizens are faithfully represented and responding swiftly to bring Mr. Merrill to account,” Frey said.
As a state employee, Merrill received compensation worth $111,844.77, according to state payroll data.
On July 25, AGO detectives and the Maine State Police executed a search warrant at Mountain View Correctional Facility and at Merrill’s residence.
Merrill was then arrested and transferred to the Penobscot County Jail pending the posting of his bail.
“I am deeply disturbed by these allegations and fully support the actions of the Attorney General’s Office,” said Randy Liberty, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Corrections. “The Maine Department of Corrections expects its employees, like all State employees, to adhere to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct and failure to do so is unacceptable. “
“The Department will fully support and assist the Attorney General’s Office in its work, and, working closely with the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, we will ensure appropriate action is taken in response to this serious matter,” Liberty added.
Merrill made his initial appearance in Bangor before the Unified Criminal Docket at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and is being held on $50,000 bail.
No way, really….. Guess he wasn’t sharing with the rest of the “group” . Smack that hand hard!
As they preach accountability, while our ag was involved in a sex scandal…. Ohhh the hipocracy.
The Dems look after their own (ex Frey and Dunlap), and Charlie Merrill is not one of them.
https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2021-10-02/matt-dunlap-leaving-state-auditor-job-after-narrowly-failing-two-accounting-testshttps://www.themainewire.com/2023/04/maine-ag-aaron-frey-caught-in-sex-scandal-error-in-judgement/
Randy Liberty, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Corrections. “The Maine Department of Corrections expects its employees, like all State employees, to adhere to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct and failure to do so is unacceptable. “
Looked in the mirror lately Randy? What about chasing some one down for flipping you off, or your little temper tantrum over the opening ceremonies of the veterans pod that LePage cancelled?
As for Jeff, daddy helped cover his sins years ago and helped him advance. Not a justification but crap like this has been standard practice for years within M.D.O.C. He is not nor has been the only one, and Randy knows it. He just don’t care as long as they march to his Hug-A-Thug tune. They are not Inmates, they are “Clients” and you can get reprimanded for calling an inmate an inmate. Oh and Randy, don’t go looking for me, so you can retaliate, ( yes you do, Me thinks he doth protest too much). I’m retired so FU2
Hell Randy liberty was told about alot of this stuff and other things that Jeff Morin and Gerry Merrill along with their buddies have done. Good Ole Scotty and Mark and many others that have only the ability to BS not actually complete a job right. They have already retaliated against me. But let’s hope I can get that squared up shortly.
Look for more information on these folks.
Have another drink and take a nap. Bitterness don’t look good on you.