During the longest-ever government shutdown, which lasted from October 1 to November 12, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine stopped posting its usual updates on notable prosecutions and convictions, but the wheels of justice nonetheless continued.
[RELATED: Trump Taps LePage Appointee Andrew Benson as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine…]
On Monday, the district posted a series of press releases detailing the notable cases that took place. Here’s a look at what has been happening in the federal prosecutor’s office since the start of last month.
Jason Brenner, 53, of New Jersey, was sentenced on September 30 to 115 days in prison for failing to report his arrival and present himself for inspection at the international port of entry in Calais. He drove into Canada, briefly interacted with Canadian officials, then drove back into the U.S. through the outbound lane without submitting to inspection. He then led police on a chase, traveling over 100 miles per hour. He eventually crashed and was found with multiple loaded firearms while wearing body armor.
Noah Sibole-Little, 29, of Bath, was sentenced on October 2 to 21 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm after he was found with three guns during a threatening incident following a prior felony robbery and assault conviction.
Kyle Lawless Pollar, 28, of Texas, was sentenced on October 7 to 21 months in prison after being convicted on four counts of wire fraud. He impersonated a Maine couple while they were on vacation and stole nearly $400,000 from their bank account via fraudulent transfers.
John Labbe, 44, of Greene, was sentenced on October 8 to 10 years in prison for possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a federal drug trafficking crime. He was discovered in Lewiston with a handgun, fentanyl, and cocaine base.
Derli Francisco De Souza, 59, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty on October 9 to illegally re-entering the U.S. after a 2011 deportation. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a fine of up to $250,000, and will likely face deportation.
Adam Gill, 31, of Peru, Maine, was sentenced on October 14 to 60 months in prison after he conspired with the Trinitarios gang to distribute illegal drugs in Maine.
Eric Ericson, 73, of Howland, was convicted on October 17 of making false statements on a passport application after failing to disclose that he had previously applied for a passport under an alias. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Lawrence Okeyo, 48, of Brunswick, was convicted on October 29 of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for others and of filing false tax returns for himself. He falsified numerous tax returns to illegally obtain tax refunds for himself and his clients. He faces up to three years of imprisonment for each of the 18 false tax returns he was convicted of preparing and filing.
Massimo Frangella, 25, of Illinois, was sentenced on October 30 to six months in prison after he sent emails to seven Maine officials threatening to murder them and their friends.
Keon Gaston, 36, of Portland, was sentenced on November 5 to 48 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm after he was discovered with a stolen firearm while police were investigating him for allegedly breaking a vehicle window with a rock.
Javier Amateco-Navarrette, 38, of Mexico, was sentenced on November 5 to time served after he pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the country after two prior deportations in 2018. Though he was sentenced to time served, he will likely be removed from the country again. He does not currently appear in the ICE detainee database, suggesting that he may have already been deported.
Jonathan Grant, 43, of Barrington, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty on November 6 to illegally possessing ammunition and a firearm as a felon, after police responded to a reported theft from the Kittery Trading Post. He faces a term of imprisonment of up to 15 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Darren Deorsey, 50, of Bradley, pleaded guilty on November 6 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He impersonated bank account holders and used false identities to withdraw funds and take out loans. He faces up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, with a mandatory two-year minimum sentence for the identity theft charge.
Rocky Buth, 32, of Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on November 12 to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distributing methamphetamine for his role in a months-long conspiracy to traffic drugs in Southern Maine. He faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, as well as a fine of up to $10 million.
