The indictments include four for forfeiture involving 12 properties, numerous vehicles and more than $1.3 million in cash and accounts in banks and credit unions.
BANGOR — A federal grand jury Tuesday indicted 11 defendants charged in an illegal marijuana distribution and money laundering scheme in the Franklin County area.
The 12th person, Kayla Alves of Farmington, a Franklin County assistant district attorney named in the case has had her case continued. She was not indicted Tuesday. She is charged by complaint with tampering with proceedings and tampering with documents.
There were four indictments for forfeiture in duplicated cases, with the same properties or bank accounts being attached to different people. There are a total of 12 properties in Farmington, Rangeley, Carrabassett Valley, Avon and Industry; seven vehicles, a boat, a motorcycle, a snowmobile and a trailer, with a total value of more than $295,000; and more than $1.3 million in cash and accounts in banks and credit unions.
Lucas Sirois, 41, of Farmington is alleged to have been the leader of the criminal organization, according U.S. Attorney’s Office release on Oct. 27. He and his co-conspirators are accused of realizing in excess of $13 million over six years through the illicit sale of marijuana. Sirois is said to have structured operations to appear as though they complied with Maine’s medical marijuana regime while he regularly sold bulk marijuana on the illicit market, including $1 million worth of marijuana for out-of-state distribution between 2018 and 2019, according to the release.
After an initial appearance in the Bangor court he was released on a $500,000 secured bond on Oct. 28.
Indicted on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance were: Sirois; his estranged wife, Alisa Sirois, 43, of Kingfield; his father, Robert Sirois, 68, of Farmington; former Rangeley Selectman David Burgess, 53, of Rangeley; former Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies Bradley Scovil, 33, of Rangeley and Derrick Doucette, 29, of Jay; Brandon Dagnese, 27, of Scarborough; and Ryan Nezol, 38, of Farmington.
Indicted on conspiracy to commit money laundering were Burgess and Lucas and Alisa Sirois. The three were also indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud.
Lucas Sirois was indicted on a second charge of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, along with Scovil and Doucette.
Alisa and Lucas Sirois were indicted on a charge of bank fraud that allegedly occurred between about Jan. 10, 2020, to July 21, 2020.
Lucas Sirois was indicted on a second charge of bank fraud, and Doucette and Scovil were also indicted on the charge for alleged actions between Sept. 11, 2019, to at least July 21, 2020.
Burgess was indicted on a charge of bank fraud for alleged actions between Oct. 16, 2019 to July 21, 2020.
Wilton police officer Kevin Lemay, 33, of Farmington was indicted on a charge of tampering with documents on July 21, 2020. Lemay is on administrative leave from the Wilton Police Department. He is accused of allegedly corruptly altering, destroying, concealing electronic messages between himself and Scovil and Doucette.
Former Oxford County Deputy James McLamb, 29, of Auburn was also indicted on a charge of tampering with documents for allegedly altering, destroying or concealing electronic messages between himself and Doucette on or about July 21, 2020. McLamb was fired from his job as Dixfield town manager last week for his alleged involvement in the case.
Lucas Sirois, Burgess and tax preparer Kenneth Allen, 48, of Farmington were indicted on conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and impede and impair the IRS between March 2019 and July 2019.
Lucas Sirois was indicted on one count of tax evasion from about March 2019 to at least July 2019 for having prepared or signed false tax documents for the calendar year 2017 and 2018.
Allen was indicted on a charge of tax fraud for his alleged involvement in preparing false documents between March 2019 to at least July 2019.
Also indicted were Sandy River Properties and Lakemont for allegedly maintaining a drug-involved premise beginning on but no later than 2016 and continuing through June 21, 2020, at 374 High St., a former shoe shop in Farmington. Property records reflect that it is owned by the Sandy River Properties, which is owned 50-50 by Sirois and Randal Cousineau, 69, of Farmington. The two are also members of Lakemont.
Spruce Valley was also indicted for allegedly maintaining a drug involved premise from about 2016 and continuing through June 2020 at 105 Avon Valley Road in Avon. Members are Lucas Sirois and William Brey believed to be of Franklin County, according to court documents.
Cousineau, 69, of Farmington pleaded guilty Oct. 27 in federal court to conspiring to possess and distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and 1,000 marijuana plants.
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