Lubec Home Invasion

On Wednesday evening, April 27, 2011, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from a Lubec resident reporting a residential burglary and assault. The male victim required medical attention and was transported to the Down East Community Hospital where he was treated and released.

Through the investigation two male suspects were arrested in connection with this incident. James Fitzgerald, 40, or Ellsworth and Michael Blanch, 35, of Silver Springs, Florida were each charged with Class B Burglary. More charges are expected in connection with the incident.

The suspects were transported to the Washington County Jail and bail was set at $5,000 cash. Arraignments are set for June 27, 2011 in Machias Superior Court for both suspects.

Deputy Keith York of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office is the investigating officer and he was assisted at the scene by Sheriff Donnie Smith, Sgt. Richard Rolfe, Deputy Ryan Allen and Down East EMS.

Sheriff Donnie Smith



PRESS RELEASE

OPERATION ROUND UP 2

On Thursday, April 22, 2011 the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and several other local law enforcement agencies conducted a joint operation in the western Washington County area.

Participating agencies from the Maine Forest Service, Maine State Police, Maine Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Milbridge Police and Probation/Parole conducted bail checks, probation checks, drug court checks along with warrants of arrest and general criminal information gathering.

Operation Round Up 2 was successful in charging several individuals who were booked into the Washington County Jail:

Nicholas Davis, 24, Harrington, Eluding/Attempting to Elude an Officer and Exceeding Posted Speed Limit by 30+ MPH, bail set at $750 cash; Jason Lisee, 36, Columbia Falls, Violation of Condition of Release, no bail; Larry Murphy, 37, Columbia, Warrant of Arrest, bail set at $480 cash; Kerry Nash, 50, Milbridge, Probation and Parole Charge, no bail allowed; Harry Newenham, 34, Steuben, Violation of Condition of Release, no bail allowed; Jamie Smith, 32, Addison, Violation of Condition of Release, no bail allowed.

The multi-agency operation continued to gather information into open investigations in numerous thefts, burglaries and other criminal conduct in the local area.

Anyone with information concerning criminal activities in Washington County are asked to contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 255-4422.

Sheriff Donnie Smith







OPERATION ROUND UP 2

Office of Maine State Fire Marshal

On April 14, 2011 Office of State Fire Marshal Investigators arrested two Washington County men on charges of Arson. The charges stemmed from the investigation of an April 3, 2010 fire which destroyed a seasonal dwelling on the Ox Cove Road in Pembroke, Maine.

Levi Woodman, 18, of Perry, was arrested without incident at his residence and transported to the Washington County Jail where bail was set at $25,000 cash. Jeremy Farley, 22, of Baring, was served at the Washington County Jail where he was being held on other charges. Both men remained in jail overnight awaiting their initial court appearances.

The arrests developed from intelligence gathered during Operation Round Up #1 conducted on April 7, 2011 (4:00 pm) into the early morning hours of April 8, 2011 (3:00 am) by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Maine Forest Service in the Town of Perry, Maine and surrounding areas. The operation was also assisted by the Maine State Police, the Pleasant Point Police Department and the Calais Police Department.

The purpose of Operation Round Up #1 was to gather intelligence to assist with the investigation of a rash of fires and burglaries in the Perry, Pembroke and Pleasant Point areas over the last two years. The Operation conducted bail checks, probation checks, drug court checks and warrant arrests for the targeted area.

Anyone with additional information is requested to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Senior Investigator Tim Lowell at (207) 532-5405 or 1-800-924-2261, the Maine Forest Service, Sergeant Courtney Hammond at 1-800-987-0257 or the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Lieutenant Travis Willey at (207) 255-4422.

THE WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND DOWNEAST COMMUNITY HOSPITAL ARE TAKING BACK UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS APRIL 30 AT HANNAFORD SUPER MARKET

Machias Maine– On April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Washington County Sheriff's along with DownEast Community Hospital ] and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications to Hannaford Super Market US Route one Machias, The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last September, Americans turned in 242,000 pounds—121 tons—of prescription drugs at nearly 4,100 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Four days after last fall’s event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA has begun drafting regulations to implement the Act, a process that can take as long as 24 months. Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies like The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months.


Sheriff Doniie Smith
Washington County Sheriff's Office

Operation Round Up #1

April 8, 2011
On April 7, 2011 (4:00 pm) into the early morning hours of April 8, 2011 (3:00 am) the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Maine Forest Service conducted Operation Round Up #1 in the Town of Perry, Maine. The operation was also assisted by the Maine State Police, the Pleasant Point Police Department, the Eastport Police Department and the Calais Police Department.

The purpose of Operation Round Up #1 was to gather intelligence to assist with the investigation of a rash of fires and burglaries in the Perry, Pembroke and Pleasant Point areas over the last two years. The Operation conducted bail checks, probation checks, drug court checks and warrant arrests for the targeted area.

A Incident Command was established at the Perry Fire Department with the assistance of the Office of the State Fire Marshal who provided the Mobile Command Vehicle and the Maine Forest Service. The Command Center included a information and intelligence gathering unit consisting of a mix of the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the Office of State Fire Marshal and the Maine Forest Service.

The operation was very successful with information provided by all subjects arrested and the general public. Information continues to be provided to the agencies into the afternoon of April 8, 2011. The Office of the Fire Marshal will continue the investigation with results expected from the information gathered during the operation.

The following subjects arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail as a result of the operation are as follows: Abel Burse, 31 years old from Eastport, violation of bail, no bail allowed; Carlton Cooper, 32 years old from Cooper, unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, bail set at $750.00 cash; Jeremy Farley, 22 years old from Baring, violation of bail, no bail allowed; Dylan Francis 30 years old from Pleasant Point, violation of bail, no bail allowed; James Lintott, 64 years old, from Eastport, violation of bail, no bail allowed; Crystal Roussel, 27 years old from Cooper, unlawful trafficking in schedule drugs, bail set at $750.00 cash; William Smith, 40 years old from Pleasant Point, violation of bail, no bail allowed; three other arrest were made with release at the Incident Command. The names and charges of the three are not being released to protect the information gathered.

Anyone with information is requested to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Senior Investigator Tim Lowell at (207) 532-5405 or 1-800-924-2261, the Maine Forest Service, Sergeant Courtney Hammond at 1-800-987-0257 or the the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Lieutenant Travis Willey at (207) 255-4422.

Sheriff Donnie Smith
Washington County Sheriff's Office.