A South Portland man who fled the country after being indicted on multiple counts of gross sexual assault has been captured in Mexico and returned to the United States, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
The Maine Violent Offender Task Force announced Friday the arrest of Marc Assante, 37, in Hermosillo, Mexico, on a State of Maine warrant for seven counts of gross sexual assault.
Assante was indicted by a York County grand jury on March 6, 2023, following an investigation by the Healthcare Crimes Unit of the Maine Attorney General’s Office and the Buxton Police Department. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail.
On July 14, 2025, Assante failed to appear at a status conference to schedule his trial and for a hearing on the state’s motion to impose stricter bail conditions. The York County Superior Court then issued a warrant for his arrest, and his whereabouts were unknown. The Attorney General’s Office requested assistance from the Maine Violent Offender Task Force.
Investigators determined Assante had fled to Mexico. With help from the U.S. Marshals Service in Arizona and international liaisons, Assante was apprehended and extradited back to the United States on Sept. 12, 2025.
“This investigation demonstrates the far-reaching capabilities of the United States Marshals Service,” Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Josh Taylor said in the release. “Whether it is across town or across borders, fugitives cannot outrun the law. If you choose to flee, we will locate you, we will apprehend you, just know justice is coming.”
The Maine Violent Offender Task Force is made up of members of the Marshals Service, Maine Department of Corrections, Biddeford Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Maine National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
A source told the Maine Wire that Assante’s immigration status is currently being investigated by federal law enforcement to determine whether he was lawfully present in the U.S. at the time of his offenses.
