FARMINGTON — A Jay woman entered into a one-year delayed sentencing agreement Monday in connection with stealing nearly $5,000 from a C.N. Brown convenience store in Farmington.

Lisa Parent, 49, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony theft in December in Franklin County Superior Court.

Sentencing was delayed to provide time for Parent to pay back the nearly $5,000.

Deputy District Attorney James Andrews told the court Monday that Parent had paid restitution in full.

In December, Andrews said if the case went to trial, testimony would have been heard that Parent was a manager at the Route 4 store and the only one who had access and the combination to the safe. Only a manager is authorized to make deposits for the store

There would also be testimony that only a partial deposit was made Feb. 2, $2,331 short of what was supposed to be deposited. No deposit was made on Feb. 9, which should have been $2,558, Andrews said.

A district manager for the store called the Farmington police after money’s absence was discovered. Officer Darin Gilbert conducted an investigation before arresting Parent.

If Parent completes the conditions in the deferred sentencing agreement, she will be able to withdraw her pleas to felony charges and plead to a misdemeanor and there would be a discharge in the case, Andrews said.

If she is unsuccessful, she faces up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

WEST BATH — A Richmond woman who pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of forgery and taking money from a member account at the credit union where she worked was sentenced Wednesday to serve 45 days in jail.

Clarissa Hurley, 51, who had worked at the Down East Credit Union in Richmond, was sentenced to 18 months, with all but 45 days suspended, and two years of probation. She also will be required to pay back the $8,500 that she stole.

At West Bath District Court, Justice Daniel Billings said a sentence of six to nine months could be justified easily, but he considered mitigating factors. In announcing Hurley’s sentence, Billings said the start of it would be stayed until April 6 because Hurley has medical appointments scheduled.

“In this case, although you started from meager circumstances in life, you overcame that,” Billings said. “You had the American success story and the system worked for you. You have been able to live a good life and achieve reasonable economic success. You threw that all away when you committed that crime.”

In her statement to the court, Hurley acknowledged she had betrayed the trust of her co-workers at the credit union.

“I was so very stupid,” Hurley said.

“If any good can come from this,” she said, ” it’s the many conversations I’ve had with my daughters about how in one second, your integrity can completely disappear and you may never get that back.”

Hurley said small-town rumors flew after the charges against her became public that were hurtful to her, her husband and her two daughters, including allegations that the cause of a fire that broke out in their home was arson. The state fire marshal’s office determined the cause was a faulty dryer.

Assistant District Attorney A.J. Chalifour likened Hurley’s crime to a bank robbery, and said she had abused a level of trust that she had built up over her life when she twice took money from a member’s account — first $4,000 and then $4,500 — and forged the account holder’s name on the receipt.

What sets the case apart, he said, is that Hurley accused the members of the credit union of setting her up, putting the credit union in the difficult position because its employees could not respond to questions from members and residents or defend themselves because of the pending court case.

“There was no real reason for this to happen and no real reason for her to lash out at her co-workers,” Chalifour said.

Leonard Sharon, an attorney with Andrucki & King, of Lewiston, said in pleading guilty, Hurley accepted responsibility for actions. He asked Billings to take into consideration the “totality of circumstances,” including Hurley’s health.

In addition to being injured in a crash shortly after she was fired, she has been diagnosed with a seizure order with an unknown cause.

Billings said because there was no threat of violence, the crime could not be compared to bank robbery.

While employees of the credit union were the court room Wednesday, they declined to speak. Two credit union officials, Daniel Daggett and Carol Hoopingarner, submitted victim impact statements. In the statements, they said they were surprised at the accusations Hurley had leveled at the credit union, whose reputation was damaged in the wake of the charges becoming known.

Daggett said in 25 years, during which there was one other count of embezzlement, two armed robberies repossessions, foreclosures and employee terminations, he had never had so many questions about what had happened at the credit union.

Three town residents submitted comments supporting Hurley and attesting to her character: O’Neil LaPlante, chairman of the Richmond Selectboard; David Thompson, former selectman; and Sherry Loon.

Jessica Lowell — 621-5632

jlowell@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @JLowellKJ

IN AUGUSTA, Tuesday at 7:43 a.m., a traffic accident causing an injury was reported on New England Road.

10:41 a.m., burglary from a motor vehicle was reported on Stone Street.

10:45 a.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Bennett Street.

10:54 a.m., simple assault was reported on Summer Street.

11:42 a.m., theft was reported on Cony Street.

11:42 a.m., criminal mischief was reported on Lees Court.

12:11 p.m., shoplifting was reported on Stephen King Drive.

1:01 p.m., theft was reported on Sewall Street.

4:33 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Stephen King Drive.

4:35 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Chapel Street.

4:40 p.m., counterfeiting was reported on Western Avenue.

5 p.m., a mental health and well-being check was performed on Capitol Street.

5:19 p.m., harassment was reported on Newland Avenue.

5:42 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Summer Haven Road.

7:06 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Jefferson Street.

7:48 p.m., a mental health and well-being check was done on Old Winthrop Road.

7:53 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Winthrop Street.

8:22 p.m., shoplifting was reported on Western Avenue.

9:35 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Bennett Street.

10:21 p.m., a mental health and well-being check was done on Winthrop Street.

10:23 p.m., harassment was reported on Water Street.

10:26 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Hospital Street.

10:34 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Chapel Street.

Wednesday at 12:49 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Northern Avenue.

1:46 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Northern Avenue.

IN FARMINGDALE, Tuesday at 3:17 p.m., assault was reported on Sheldon Street.

IN GARDINER, Tuesday at 1:58 p.m., a suspicious person was reported on Cobbosee Avenue.

IN HALLOWELL, Tuesday at 9:54 p.m., property was recovered on Maple Street.

11:14 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Water Street.

Wednesday at 4:29 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Water Street.

IN MONMOUTH, Tuesday at 5:07 p.m., a well-being check was done on Blue Road.

ARRESTS

IN AUGUSTA, Tuesday at 7:21 a.m., Scott Forest Holbrook, 53, of Augusta, was arrested on charges of burglary, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, and criminal mischief, after theft was reported on Capitol Street.

11:37 a.m., Gerald Richard Sounier, 41, of Augusta, was arrested on a charge of operating a vehicle with an expired temporary registration, during a traffic stop on Water Street.

5:08 p.m., Nichole Joline Bowie, 44, of Augusta, was arrested on a warrant, on Page Street.

SUMMONSES

IN AUGUSTA, Tuesday at 7:57 a.m., a 32-year-old Augusta woman was summoned on a charge of failure to register a vehicle, during a traffic stop on Washington Street.

IN HALLOWELL, Tuesday at 8:20 a.m., a 35-year-old South Gardiner woman was summoned on a charge of attaching false plates, during a traffic stop on North Street.

For the first time, the Portland Police Department will consider new officer recruits who are non-citizens and recent marijuana users – people who had been automatically disqualified in the past.

Non-citizen officer candidates can qualify as long as they have been granted a permanent right to work in the United States. Applicants who have recently used marijuana will be considered on a case-by-case basis, the department said in a release.

The changes in Portland are among several initiatives to fill vacant jobs at a time when police departments in Maine and around the country are struggling to recruit new officers. The softening of hiring policies came about after the City Council recently approved several updates to Portland’s Civil Service ordinance.

“It was an incredibly antiquated document that not only didn’t match what we were doing, but (did not match) our needs,” Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck said.

Sauschuck said that for years the city would automatically disqualify candidates who had used drugs, including marijuana, during the five years before their application. That standard has been relaxed with applicants now being considered on a case by case basis in context with a candidate’s entire background.

“There was a five-year hard line that automatically eliminated you from the hiring process,” Sauschuck said in an interview. “I want to look at frequency and recency stuff. If you smoke a joint in a parking lot before you come in to take a test, it’s probably not going to go good.”

Allowing non-citizen applicants also was an outdated holdover. Sauschuck said other agencies, including the Maine State Police and the Portland Fire Department, allow non-citizen applicants with permanent work status.

Mayor Ethan Strimling said he fully supports the changes affecting non-citizens and candidates who have used marijuana.

“I’ve never been a believer that mistakes a person made in the past should hinder that person from getting a job,” Strimling said. “I hope this will bring in more officers. We have the best police department in the state of Maine.”

The city of South Portland is looking to fill two full-time police officer positions so that the candidates can attend the police officer training academy in August. Lt. Frank Clark said his department has done away with the five-year marijuana-use rule as well.

Clark said South Portland gets a lot of candidates who are fresh out or college or in their early 20s. It’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t at least smoked pot occasionally.

“(Marijuana use) is only a sliver of what is looked at,” Clark said. “The totality of a candidate’s qualifications are more important.”

Robert M. Schwartz, who served as executive director of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, has opposed past efforts to legalize marijuana, but said the changes proposed by Portland make sense to him.

“The people you get today, who want to become a police officer, very seldom will you find someone who has not tried marijuana,” Schwartz said. “It has to be decided on a case-by-case basis.”

Portland police also announced Wednesday that they are dedicating an existing officer to be a full-time recruiter and are increasing cash bonuses for employees who bring in new recruits.

Officer Kate Phelan is the department’s new recruitment officer. Phelan will concentrate on recruiting at schools, universities and meetings, and on social media.

The new more-relaxed qualification standards were part of a broader rewrite of the city’s civil service ordinance passed in February that governs a range of police officer and firefighter hiring policies that were described as “badly outdated” in a letter Sauschuck sent to the city council.

Removing the marijuana prohibition reflects a larger shift in attitudes toward the drug, including a 2012 referendum in which city voters made the largely symbolic gesture of declaring it legal for adults to use marijuana recreationally. Portland was the first Maine city to do so, and four years later, voters statewide followed suit in November 2016.

Portland is not alone in its loosening its pot policy. The United States Army is granting more waivers for new recruits who have smoked pot, according to the Army Time. Other police departments, including in some cities in Colorado, Maryland and elsewhere, are following suit.

Altering citizenship requirements also comes at a time when Portland police are facing the additional challenge of hiring new officers from the growing immigrant and refugee communities they often must police.

The struggle to staff police departments has been called a national crisis and is widely considered to be the result of relatively low pay, rigorous physical demands and the possibility of getting killed on duty, all while their conduct is under intense public scrutiny. Some departments in other states also have been easing hiring standards, including by forgiving some prior drug use. There is no national hiring standard for police officers, but prior drug use or past brushes with the law have historically rendered candidates ineligible.

A number of police departments in Maine also have stepped up recruiting efforts and now are offering bonuses, sometimes competing for the same pool of prospective officers.

For the second year in a row, the Portland Police Department has not spent all of it salary budget, but is overspending on overtime, said Jessica Grondin, the city’s communications director.

The new and revised policies will be incorporated into the department’s second year of a hiring blitz. In a statement issued Wednesday, the city said it would continue to offer a $10,000 signing bonus for new officers, and would increase the bounty it pays to current police employees who help recruit a new officer to $3,000 from $2,000.

Last May, Sauschuck announced a $10,000 signing bonus for up to 10 new police recruits. That effort brought nine police recruits and six dispatchers, who are in the process of receiving the bonuses in installments paid after recruits reach training benchmarks. For police officers, the first $2,500 is paid at their swearing in, a second $2,500 is released after completion of the state police academy and 14 weeks of training in the field in Portland. The remaining $5,000 is disbursed after two years of employment.

Dispatchers receive $2,500 on their first day of employment, $2,500 after completing a six-month field training program, and $5,000 after two years on the job.

Both officers and dispatchers who sign up for the bonus agree to repay the money if they leave before reaching five years of employment.

In 2017, new officers averaged an annual salary of $54,000 plus benefits, and the city recently agreed to union contracts that will give all sworn officers a 10 percent raise over the next three years.

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com

IN AUGUSTA, Wednesday at 7:07 a.m., property was recovered on Stephen King Drive.

11:13 a.m., harassment was reported on Summer Street.

11:17 a.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Green Street.

11:46 a.m., an accident causing an injury was reported on Interstate 95.

11:46 a.m., a well-being check was done on Parkwood Drive.

11:54 a.m., a mental health and well-being check was done on Weston Street.

12:13 p.m., needles were recovered on Water Street.

1:49 p.m., a well-being check was done on Drew Street.

2:02 p.m., a mental health and well-being check was done on Spruce Street.

3 p.m., a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Marketplace Drive.

3:17 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Winthrop Street.

4:29 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Water Street.

4:37 p.m., harassment was reported on Glenridge Drive.

4:40 p.m., property was recovered on Powhattan Street.

4:50 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Washington Street.

5:04 p.m., a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Leighton and Old Winthrop roads.

5:07 p.m., simple assault was reported on Civic Center Drive.

6:33 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Gray Birch Drive.

8:14 p.m., property was recovered on Cony Street.

8:48 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on New England Road.

8:53 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Bridge Street.

10:29 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Chapel Street.

Thursday at 12:20 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Glenridge Drive.

1:04 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Glenridge Drive.

2 a.m., a mental health and well-being check was done on Drew Street.

IN BELGRADE, Wednesday at 9:24 a.m., theft was reported on Dalton Road.

IN GARDINER, Wednesday at 8:32 a.m., theft was reported on Maple Street.

12:29 p.m., harassment was reported on Highland Avenue.

4:23 p.m., a late report of theft was made on Maine Avenue.

IN MONMOUTH, Wednesday at 1:05 p.m., criminal mischief was reported on U.S. Route 202.

IN MOUNT VERNON, Wednesday at 10:04 a.m., a computer crime was reported by a caller on South Taylor Road.

IN WEST GARDINER, Wednesday at 8:35 a.m., a well-being check was done on Melissa Drive.

AUGUSTA — A Gardiner man was ordered to serve an initial year behind bars for unlawful trafficking in heroin and cocaine that occurred two years ago in Augusta.

Edwin Lazarus Lawrence, 25, also known as Eli, who had an address in Manhattan, New York, when he was indicted on those charges, had pleaded guilty Jan. 9 at the Capital Judicial Center to the two drug-trafficking charges. He also had pleaded guilty to an additional charge of refusing to submit to arrest or detention based on an incident that occurred March 7, 2017, also in Augusta.

In exchange for those pleas, other drug trafficking charges were dismissed. He was sentenced Thursday during a brief hearing in the same court and he agreed to forfeit $688 that had been seized from him in March. The drug charges were filed July 14, 2016.

Judge Eric Walker suspended the remainder of the five-year sentence while Lawrence spends two years on probation and fined him $400.

Assistant Attorney General Katie Sibley listed conditions of Lawrence’s probation, which prohibit him from using illegal drugs and from associating with anyone on probation without the permission of his probation officer.

Lawrence’s attorney, Kevin Sullivan, told the judge that Lawrence is scheduled to be back at the Augusta court next month for docket call on other charges.

They stem from an incident Jan. 13, when he was accused of threatening to shoot people in Gardiner. Lawrence is accused of burglary, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and violation of condition of release.

At the time, Gardiner police said he entered a residence and held three people there with what was later determined to be a replica of a gun.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

Police in Greater Portland communities are investigating eight armed robberies in the past week that appear to have been carried out by the same man, described by witnesses as white, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall, with a thin to medium build.

IN AUGUSTA, Monday at 12:45 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Civic Center Drive.

2:54 p.m., a mental health and well-being check was performed on Green Street.

3:10 p.m., a mental health and well-being check was performed on Stone Street.

3:45 p.m., a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Cony Street.

4:14 p.m., harassment was reported on Old Belgrade Road.

4:37 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on State Street.

5:59 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Civic Center Drive.

6:11 p.m., a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Fowler Street.

6:37 p.m., a mental health and well-being check was performed on Weston Street.

7:55 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Western Avenue.

8:03 p.m., harassment was reported on Crosby Street Place.

8:55 p.m., a well-being check was performed on Western Avenue.

9:49 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Airport Road.

IN GARDINER, Monday at 11:26 a.m., a well-being check was performed on Highland Avenue.

IN HALLOWELL, Monday at 4:35 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Lincoln Street.

IN PITTSTON, Monday at 12:48 p.m., assault was reported on East Stage Road.

ARRESTS

IN AUGUSTA, Monday at 11:57 a.m., Miguel Antonio Martinez, 35, of Augusta, was arrested on a warrant on Water Street, after a traffic stop was performed on Water Street.

9:44 p.m., Nickolas Don Grivois, 29, of Augusta, was arrested on two warrants, after suspicious activity was reported on Tall Pines Way.

IN WHITEFIELD, Wednesday, March 21, at an unidentified time, Kimberly McKenna, 53, of Whitefield, was arrested on a charge of domestic violence assault, on Lilac Lane.

IN ANSON, Monday at 3:01 p.m., a caller from Wilson Street reported a scam.

IN CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Monday at 2:22 p.m., a traffic accident causing injury was reported on Carrabassett Drive.

IN CLINTON, Monday at 7:54 a.m., a caller from Johnson Flat Road reported receiving harassing or obscene phone calls.

Tuesday at 7:29 a.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Roderick Road.

IN CORNVILLE, Monday at 9:37 a.m., a disturbance was reported on East Ridge Road.

IN MADISON, Monday at 11:09 a.m., mischief was reported on Brown Street.

4:21 p.m., a caller from White School House Road reported a scam.

IN MERCER, Monday at 7:53 p.m. a structure fire was reported on Mercer Road.

IN FAIRFIELD, Monday at 7:44 p.m., an intoxicated person was reported on Skowhegan Road.

IN HARTLAND, Monday at 6:02 p.m., a theft was reported on Pleasant Street.

8:33 p.m., a burglary was reported on Great Moose Drive.

IN OAKLAND, Monday at 8:28 a.m., an assault was reported on Heath Street.

12:50 p.m., a caller from Buddies Groceries reported receiving bad checks.

IN PITTSFIELD, Monday at 10:38 a.m., a case involving larceny, forgery or fraud was reported on Greeley Street.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Monday at 11:07 a.m., a case involving forgery, larceny or fraud was reported on Dr. Mann Road.

9:48 p.m., threatening was reported on North Avenue.

10:56 p.m., a disturbance was reported on North Avenue.

IN SOLON, Monday at 12:09 p.m., a caller from North Main Street reported a scam.

IN WATERVILLE, Monday at 7:47 a.m., a caller from Dalton Street reported an unwanted person on the premises.

7:59 a.m., harassment was reported on Water Street.

8:17 a.m., a domestic dispute was reported on College Avenue.

10:45 a.m., a case involving forgery or fraud was reported on Roosevelt Avenue.

12:16 p.m., an assault was reported on Chaplin Street.

12:23 p.m., threatening was reported at Waterville Junior High School on West River Road.

1:42 p.m., a theft was reported on Kennebec Street.

2:02 p.m., a theft was reported at Elm Towers Apartments on Elm Street.

2:33 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported at Home Place Inn on College Avenue.

5:46 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported near Summer and Grove streets.

5:51 p.m., a caller from Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter reported an unwanted person on the premises.

6:50 p.m., an assault was reported on Main Street.

Tuesday at 5:50 a.m., a caller from Elm Court reported an unwanted person on the premises.

ARRESTS

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, Monday at 7:40 a.m., Kenneth F. Upson, 33, of Augusta, was arrested on a probation hold and charged with operating while license suspended or revoked and unlawful possession of a scheduled drug.

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Monday at 11:12 a.m., Lucas Mark Judkins, 34, of Palmyra, was arrested on three warrants.

9:56 p.m., Whitney Chappelle Logan, 30, of Hartland, was arrested on a warrant.

8:20 p.m., Jacob G. Brochu, 24, of Fairfield, was arrested on a charge of operating after suspension.

10:01 p.m., Whitney Chappelle Logan, 30, of Hartland, was arrested on a warrant.

11:49 p.m., Kevin Jay Butler, 21, of Hartland, was arrested and charged with four counts of burglary, two counts of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and stealing drugs.

IN WINSLOW, Monday at 9:18 p.m., Joni Elaine Hamilton, 55, of Winslow, was arrested on two warrants.

AUGUSTA — A Pennsylvania woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to burglary and four other charges related to a series of bizarre events last December in China.

Jessica Rose Rohwer, 38, of Scott Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 10 months in jail for the burglary and concurrent 30-day sentences for assault, theft, criminal mischief and criminal trespass and ordered to pay restitution of $1,358 for damages. The hearing took place at the Capital Judicial Center.

The state agreed to return the $38,200 in cash seized from Jessica Rohwer’s purse on Dec. 21, 2017.

After some discussion with the attorneys, Justice William Stokes ordered the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office to turn over the money to Tom Nale, the attorney for Robert Rohwer, Jessica’s husband.

Stokes ordered the money turned over and ordered Jessica Rohwer’s restitution, court fees and attorney’s fees to be paid from that.

It was not made clear in the courtroom why the couple would have been carrying that much money.

The vehicle the couple was traveling in was the subject of a high-speed chase through Vassalboro, Winslow and China, and it later caught fire.

The chase began on Riverside Drive in Vassalboro, according to an affidavit by Deputy Jeffrey Boudreau, of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy said he saw a white Ford Expedition pass him going north at an estimated 100 mph and then almost collide with a southbound vehicle while passing another motorist.

Jessica Rohwer told police at the time that she and her husband fled because “people are after them.” She was a passenger in the vehicle.

The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Tracy DeVoll, said Tuesday that both Rohwers fled the scene, and Jessica Rowher was bleeding when she entered a stranger’s home on Lakeview Drive in China and demanded keys to a vehicle.

DeVoll said Rohwer was able to grab keys and got into a Jeep when the homeowner pulled her out of it, getting her blood on him. She apparently had cut her hand trying to open a window.

In exchange for Jessica Rohwer’s guilty pleas, the state dismissed a second burglary charge involving a different home.

Jessica Rohwer started crying as the judge explained some of the collateral consequences of having a burglary conviction, such as being prohibited from having firearms.

He asked her if she wanted a break in the proceedings, and she declined.

Rohwer, whose long, dark hair was hanging almost to her waist, wore a dark green jail uniform, and spoke softly, saying “guilty” five times in response to the judge’s questions.

Rohwer’s attorney, Lisa Whittier, has asked for the return of the money and two gold chains also removed from the vehicle.

The state has failed to show any nexus between the property seized and the criminal offenses.

DeVoll said the victims were consulted about the plea deal.

The case against Robert E. Rohwer, also known as Robert Oien and Ashley Smith, is set for a docket call on May 9.

Two different dates of birth were listed for him, making him either 33 or 35, and indicating he is from Peckville, Pennsylvania.

He was indicted on charges of eluding an officer, driving to endanger and criminal speed, all dated Dec. 21, 2017, in Vassalboro.

Previously, another assistant district attorney said there were non-extraditable warrants for Rohwer’s arrest from Washington state and from Oregon.

Both Rohwers have been held at the Kennebec County jail in lieu of bail since their arrest Dec. 21, 2017.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

IN AUGUSTA, Tuesday at 11:19 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Civic Center Drive.

1:27 p.m., shoplifting was reported on Whitten Road.

2:34 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Green Street.

3:26 p.m., terrorizing was reported on Fig Vallee Lane.

3:46 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Weston Street.

4:46 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Weston Street.

6:03 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Cony Street.

7:57 p.m., property was recovered on Cony Street.

10:28 p.m., a well-being check was done on Edison Drive.

Wednesday at 2:54 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Civic Center Drive.

IN HALLOWELL, Tuesday at 7:35 p.m., a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Water Street.

IN MONMOUTH, Wednesday at 7:46 a.m., suspicious activity was reported near Route 135.

IN PITTSTON, Tuesday at 2:21 p.m., a well-being check was done on Brookside Drive.

ARRESTS

IN AUGUSTA, Tuesday at 5:21 p.m., Amy Lynn Toman, 37, of Augusta, was arrested on a warrant, after police tried to find someone on Green Street.

10:15 p.m., Stacey L. Macintyre, 42, of Augusta, was arrested on a warrant, after police tried to find someone on Water Street.

SUMMONS

IN AUGUSTA, Tuesday at 6:54 p.m., Robert E. Webber, 48, of Wiscasset, was summoned on a charge of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, after a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Pleasant Street.

IN BINGHAM, Tuesday at 1:22 p.m., an assault was investigated on Main Street.

IN CANAAN, Tuesday at 10:25 a.m., a harassment complaint was investigated on Hinckley Road.

IN CLINTON, Tuesday at 7:29 a.m., a domestic dispute was investigated on Roderick Road.

4:16 p.m., a civil issue was reported on Silver Street.

5:08 p.m., a warrant arrest was made on Baker Street.

7:26 p.m., a fight was reported at Clinton Elementary School on Morrison Avenue.

IN CORNVILLE, Tuesday at 8:46 a.m., a complaint was taken on Beckwith Road.

IN FAIRFIELD, Tuesday at 10:49 a.m., a complaint was taken on High Street.

1:15 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Police Plaza.

3:52 p.m., a complaint was taken on High Street.

IN FARMINGTON, Tuesday at 2:44 p.m., a report of threatening was taken on Fairbanks Road.

3:47 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Main Street.

4:49 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Wilton Road.

Wednesday at 8:31 a.m., a report of harassment was taken on Whittier Road.

8:35 a.m., a report of threatening was taken on Wilton Road.

IN JAY, Tuesday at 12:19 p.m., a report of harassment was taken on Pleasant Drive.

IN MADISON, Wednesday at 5:39 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on East Madison Road.

IN NEW SHARON, Tuesday at 10:54 a.m., a theft was reported on Farmington Falls Road.

2:15 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Mercer Road.

IN NORRIDGEWOCK, Wednesday at 6:09 a.m., a civil complaint was investigated on River Road.

IN OAKLAND, Tuesday at 11:45 a.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Water Street.

3 p.m., juvenile offenses were reported on Oak Street.

IN PALMYRA, Tuesday at 4:50 p.m., a theft was reported on Main Street.

IN PITTSFIELD, Tuesday at 2:03 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Leighton Street.

2:36 p.m., a theft was reported on Main Street.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., a report of threatening was taken on Red Bridge Road.

9:46 a.m., a complaint was taken on Poplar Street.

1:46 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Bridge Street.

5:46 p.m., a scam complaint was taken on Main Street.

5:49 p.m., a scam complaint was investigated on Water Street.

8 p.m., a domestic disturbance was investigated on West Front Street.

9:32 p.m., a domestic disturbance was investigated on Norton Lane.

11:26 p.m., an individual was taken to the hospital following a report of suspicious activity on Waterville Road.

Wednesday at 7:20 a.m., a civil complaint was investigated on Walnut Street.

7:55 a.m., a harassment complaint was investigated on Middle Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Tuesday at 8:40 a.m., a report of harassment was taken on Main Street.

10:15 a.m., a report of truancy was investigated on Oxford Street.

1:33 p.m., an arrest was made following a report of juvenile offenses.

2:11 p.m., a theft was reported on Messalonskee Avenue.

2:53 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Main Place.

3:43 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Greenwood Street.

4:17 p.m., a drug offense was reported on Boutelle Avenue.

4:26 p.m., shoplifting was reported at Marden’s Surplus & Salvage on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

4:32 p.m., juvenile offenses were investigated at Kennebec Behavioral Health Center on Eustis Parkway.

4:34 p.m., a theft was reported on College Avenue.

4:42 p.m., a theft was reported on Silver Street.

6:24 p.m., a report of fraud was investigated at Ruby Tuesday Restaurant on Waterville Commons Drive.

8:55 p.m., a domestic dispute was investigated on Elm Court.

9:52 p.m., a domestic dispute was investigated at Goodwill Industries on The Concourse.

10:51 p.m., a report of a missing person was taken on Colby Street.

11:01 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Hathaway Street.

Wednesday at 2:10 a.m., a missing person was investigated on Edwards Street.

5:32 a.m., a noise complaint was taken on North Street.

IN WINSLOW, Tuesday at 8:49 a.m., suspicious activity was investigated at St. John School on South Ground Street.

10:11 a.m., a disturbance was investigated on Smiley Avenue.

12:36 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Eames Road.

12:52 p.m., a civil issue was reported on Whitefish Road.

4:14 p.m., a report of harassment was taken on Clinton Avenue.

4:20 p.m., suspicious activity was reported at Joe’s Storage on Augusta Road.

9:07 p.m., suspicious activity was reported at the Kennebec Walking Trail on Benton Avenue.

9:19 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Millennium Drive.

IN WILTON, Tuesday at 8:25 a.m., a theft was reported on Depot Street.

11:10 a.m., a vehicle accident involving an injury was reported on U.S. Route 2.

ARRESTS

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, Tuesday at 3:04 p.m., Courtney Jalbert, 23, of Wilton, was arrested on a charge of assault.

7:50 p.m., Eric W. Cook, 37, of Freeman Township, was arrested on a warrant for burglary.

IN KENNEBEC COUNTY, Tuesday at 4:32 p.m., William H. Manley, 57, of Windsor, was arrested on a warrant.

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Wednesday at 7:32 a.m., Isaac S. Miller, 37, of Solon, was arrested on charges of operating under the influence and operating after suspension.

IN WATERVILLE, Tuesday at 12:31 a.m., Natasha D. Perkins, 34, of Waterville, was arrested on a warrant.

SUMMONS

IN WINSLOW, Tuesday at 10:14 p.m., Andrew J. Rewa, 18, of Winslow, was summonsed on a charge of possession of marijuana.

SKOWHEGAN — Jury selection is set to begin Thursday morning in the murder trial of a Fairfield man charged with killing his wife in August 2016 and burying her body in a shallow grave behind his parents’ house, where the couple had been living.

Luc Tieman, 34, a disabled Army veteran, is charged with intentional or knowing murder in the death of his wife, Valerie Tieman, who was 34.

Valerie Tieman Contributed photo

Valerie Tieman’s body was discovered by state police detectives on Sept. 20, 2016, wrapped in a blanket with a bag of potato chips, a bottle of perfume and a note that reportedly had an “apologetic tone,” according to the autopsy report. She had been shot twice, in the head and neck.

Luc Tieman, who served in Iraq and reportedly suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Monday in Somerset County Superior Court. Justice Robert Mullen is assigned to the case.

Through his defense attorney, Stephen Smith, of the Augusta law firm Lipman & Katz, Luc Tieman contends that his wife died of a drug overdose from heroin that he had given her and watched as she injected herself and smiled at him as she died.

An autopsy conducted by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was “gunshot wounds of head and neck,” and she was “shot by other person(s).”

When her body was found, it was “clad in damp clothing consisting of brown boots, bright yellow/green socks, a grey T-shirt, blue jeans and a navy shirt,” according to the report, which is dated Oct. 5, 2016. The report was signed by Clare Bryce, a medical doctor and deputy chief medical examiner who performed the autopsy Sept. 21, the day after Tieman’s body was found.

Fragments consistent with bullet fragments were retrieved from her skull, according to the affidavit for Luc Tieman’s arrest filed by Maine State Police Detective Hugh Landry.

Sept. 21 also was the day that Luc Tieman was arrested and charged with murdering her and burying her about 400 yards from where they had lived with his parents at 628 Norridgewock Road in Fairfield.

Assistant Attorney General Leanne Zainea and Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin are the prosecutors.

Zainea and Robbin said they were prepared for trial.

“Trial it is,” Smith said in an email.

In interviews with the Morning Sentinel, Luc Tieman’s friends said he had been unfaithful to his wife and sought companionship with other women, telling them his marriage was ending around the time she disappeared.

According to the court affidavit filed at the Unified Criminal Court in Skowhegan, Fairfield police provided state police detectives with reports and a recording of Luc Tieman’s call to the dispatch center just after 5 p.m. Sept. 12, 2016, saying he and his wife Valerie had gone to the Walmart store in Skowhegan to buy food.

Luc Tieman told Fairfield police that he had gone into the store and had taken the keys to his truck with him. When he returned to the truck, Valerie was gone, according to the document.

Fairfield police Sgt. Matthew Bard told state police investigators that they had received a call from Valerie’s parents, in South Carolina, who told them that Luc Tieman had called them on Sept. 8, 2016, saying that Valerie had left him and that he had not heard from her in some time. Valerie was reported missing the following day, Sept. 9, 2016.

Luc Tieman had not reported her missing.

On the morning of Sept. 13, 2016, Detective Landry went to the Skowhegan Walmart, where he saw a red pickup truck that matched a photo of Luc Tieman’s truck given to him by Fairfield police. Luc Tieman was driving the truck.

Landry told Tieman that he had gone to Walmart to review video footage as part of the investigation into Valerie’s reported disappearance. Tieman said he had gone to the store because that was the last place he had seen his wife and repeated his story about Valerie having left the truck and not returned.

Luc Tieman is led into court to face a murder charge in October 2016. Morning Sentinel file photo

Luc Tieman told Landry that he and Valerie had been staying with a friend on Main Street in Norridgewock, but he soon changed his story, noting that his wife was not staying there and that it was the home of a “rebound girl.”

Video from the Walmart parking lot observed by state police did not show Luc Tieman’s truck on any days between Aug. 21, 2016, and Aug. 31, 2016, according to the affidavit. A detective with the state police Cell Phone Analysis Unit determined that the last call Valerie Tieman made to Luc was on Aug. 24, 2016. The call lasted 13 minutes and 33 seconds.

Police think she was murdered on Aug. 25, 2016.

On Sept. 20, 2016 Maine State Police and the Maine Warden Service executed a search warrant at 628 Norridgewock Road in Fairfield, where Luc Tieman’s parents lived, and found Valerie’s body partially buried in a wooded area behind the house.

Luc Tieman initially denied any knowledge of the body, but later changed his statement, saying Valerie had a drug addiction and that he had witnessed her overdose and die.

“Luc said he brought home heroin for Valerie and loaded a needle for her,” Landry writes in the court affidavit. “Luc said Valerie took the needle and injected herself with the heroin. Luc said Valerie smiled at him and then stopped breathing. Luc stated he left her in the bed until late at night and then took her outside and dug the trench and buried her.”

The autopsy was performed the next day, Sept. 21, 2016, when it was determined that Valerie Tieman had died from two gunshot wounds to the head and neck.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

IN ANSON, Wednesday at 6:34 p.m., a structure fire was reported on Valley Road.

IN CAMBRIDGE, Wednesday at 6:57 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Ham Hill Road.

IN CANAAN, Thursday at 1:53 a.m., an intoxicated person was reported on Main Street.

3:14 a.m., an intoxicated person was reported on Main Street.

IN DEXTER, Wednesday at 4:44 p.m., a structure fire was reported on Goff Road.

IN FAIRFIELD, Wednesday at 2:31 p.m., an assault was reported on Newhall Street.

Thursday at 12:42 a.m., a complaint about shots being fired was taken on Bear Mountain Road.

IN FARMINGTON, Wednesday at 8:31 a.m., harassment was reported on Whittier Road.

8:35 a.m., threatening was reported on Wilton Road.

3:54 p.m., theft was reported on Main Street.

IN INDUSTRY, Wednesday at 11:01 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on French Falls Lane.

IN MADISON, Wednesday at 4:28 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Madison Avenue.

9:13 p.m., a shots fired complaint was taken on East Madison Road.

IN NEW VINEYARD, Wednesday at 12:06 a.m., harassment was reported on Brahmer Road.

IN NORRIDGEWOCK, Wednesday at 8:01 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Bridge Street.

IN OAKLAND, Wednesday at 3:28 p.m., criminal mischief was reported on Libby Hill Road.

IN PALMYRA, Wednesday at 6:38 p.m., theft was reported on Madawaska Road.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Wednesday at 7:11 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Fairgrounds Market Place.

Thursday at 12:07 a.m., an assault was reported on Dartmouth Street.

IN ST. ALBANS, Wednesday at 10:09 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Webb Ridge Road.

IN STARKS, Thursday at 3:55 a.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on New Sharon Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Wednesday at 9:01 a.m., theft was reported on Main Street.

9:07 a.m., threatening was reported on North Street.

10:25 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Collette Street.

1:52 p.m., theft was reported on Main Street.

2:01 p.m., an unwanted person was reported on Waterville Commons Drive.

2:21 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Waterville Commons Drive.

3:17 p.m., theft was reported on Highwood Street.

3:23 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Front Place.

3:28 p.m., an intoxicated person was reported on Front Street.

3:43 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Carver Street.

3:57 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Poolers Park Way.

3:59 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Summer Street.

4:22 p.m., shoplifting was reported on Waterville Commons Drive.

5:03 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Western Avenue.

5:14 p.m., shoplifting was reported at JFK Plaza.

6:50 p.m., sex offenses were reported on Summer Street.

9:34 p.m., theft was reported on High Street.

9:42 p.m., an assault was reported on Colby Street.

10:55 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Boutelle Avenue.

Thursday at 1:41 a.m., criminal mischief was reported on Summer Street.

1:57 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Dalton Street.

3:14 a.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Myrtle Street.

4:24 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on College Avenue.

IN WINSLOW, Wednesday at 2:42 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Millennium Drive.

4:22 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Benton Avenue.

8:26 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Garland Road.

11:26 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on China Road.

ARRESTS

IN CLINTON, Wednesday at 1:05 p.m., Kari Hartley, 19, of Waterville, was arrested on a warrant.

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, Wednesday at 12:25 a.m., Audrey Condon, 30, of Jay, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

9 a.m., Jacob Jay Tilton, 20, of Farmington, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

2:56 p.m., Rick Laweryson, 32, of North Anson, was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a scheduled drug and operating after habitual offender revocation.

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Wednesday at 9:39 a.m., Jennifer Sandoval, 31, of Solon, was arrested on warrants.

11:54 a.m., Nathaniel James Lancaster, 20, of Pittsfield, was arrested on a warrant.

8:11 a.m., Christopher Allen Thwing, 30, of Athens, was arrested on a warrant.

8:47 p.m., Mindy LaCasse, 30, of Skowhegan, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

IN WATERVILLE, Wednesday at 6:50 p.m., Timothy Baker, 23, of Waterville, was arrested on a warrant.

7:09 p.m., Sierra-Dawn Bailey, 20, of Waterville, was arrested on warrants.

SUMMONS

IN WATERVILLE, Wednesday at 2:01 p.m., Theresa Lynn Hebert, 50, of Fairfield, was summoned on a charge of violating conditions of release.

IN AUGUSTA, Wednesday at 9 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Green Street.

11 a.m., a city ordinance violation was reported on Lyon Lane and West River Road.

2 p.m., criminal threatening was reported on Medical Center Parkway.

2:31 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Western Avenue.

2:33 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Winthrop Street.

3:24 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Western Avenue.

3:38 p.m., simple assault was reported on Kennedy Road.

4:22 p.m., a traffic accident involving injury was reported on Western Avenue.

5:11 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Water Street.

10:19 p.m., theft of a motor vehicle was reported on Western Avenue.

Thursday at 4:10 a.m., burglary from a motor vehicle was reported on Stony Brook Road.

4:33 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Winthrop Street.

IN HALLOWELL, Wednesday at 7:11 p.m., a mental health and well-being check was performed on Water Street.

IN MONMOUTH, Wednesday at 12:09 p.m., a well-being check was performed on Perkins Road.

SUMMONS

IN AUGUSTA, Wednesday at 9:10 a.m., Nancy A. Boutot, 61, of Fort Kent, was summoned on charges of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer ($1,000 to $10,000) and forgery, after an investigation was performed on Union Street. Police say Boutot allegedly wrote about $2,000 worth of bad checks.

SKOWHEGAN — Luc Tieman sat quietly Thursday afternoon in the judge’s chambers as Justice Robert Mullen questioned potential jurors, one by one, some of whom will be empaneled for Tieman’s murder trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday in Somerset County Superior Court.

Tieman; his lawyer, Stephen Smith; and Assistant Attorneys General Leanne Zainea and Leanne Robbin pored over questionnaires from just under half of the original jury pool of 109 people. The other half was released earlier in the day after defense and prosecution attorneys examined questionnaires filled out by each prospective juror.

Valerie Tieman Contributed photo

Both sides wanted jurors who were not swayed by media coverage of the 2016 disappearance of Tieman’s wife, Valerie Tieman, in August 2016. Her body was found later, buried behind Luc Tieman’s parents’ house in Fairfield.

She had been shot twice in the head.

Luc Tieman, dressed in a gray-green coat and tie in chambers Thursday, is charged with her murder. He faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Jury selection got underway Thursday morning and will continue Friday with a new batch of possible jurors in the morning and final jury selection at 1 p.m.

Luc Tieman, 34, a disabled Army veteran, is charged with intentional or knowing murder in the death of his wife, who was 34. Police think the woman was murdered on or about Aug. 25, 2016.

Mullen, absent the black judicial robe, spoke to each potential juror in chambers, a small office off the corridor of Superior Court. The room has a brick fireplace with birch logs in it and a wooden mantel with personal photos, an hourglass and a mock gavel on it. Law books line shelves, and there is baseball memorabilia on the wall.

The jury pool Thursday morning was shown videos explaining the importance of a trial by jury. Potential jurors are selected randomly from Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicle rosters and given to the court system. They were told that once the trial begins, they must make a decision of guilt or innocence based solely on the evidence presented. Their determination must be beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jury selection involves a two-step process called “voir dire,” Latin for “to say what is true,” Mullen explained. The first step is a general review using the questionnaires. The second step is speaking to each candidate individually to discover whether any of them know the parties involved or any witnesses who might be called to testify or are familiar with the case at hand.

In the privacy of the judge’s chambers, each potential juror — called by number, not by name — was spoken to individually.

Based on their answers on the questionnaires distributed earlier in the day, jurors were asked questions about their ability to preside over the trial. The two main questions covered whether reports in newspapers, television, radio and social media would affect their impartiality and if an extended trial and the investment of time in it would be a hardship on them.

Many said they had heard the story of Valerie Tieman, some remembering reported details that included her body being found in a shallow grave 400 feet behind the house on Norridgewock Road in Fairfield.

A court reporter typed away on a stenotype machine, recording every word while a court clerk collected the finished questionnaires. Most of the potential jurors told Mullen they knew of the story, but would not be convinced of guilt or innocence until they heard all of the evidence in the case.

“People share it on social media and it goes viral quick,” one potential juror said.

“Everybody on social media has assumptions,” another said.

Mullen said the trial, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Monday in Skowhegan, could last five days, but he also has set aside the week of April 9 in case it goes longer.

The murder is alleged to have taken place 15 days before Valerie Tieman’s parents reported her missing on Sept. 9, 2016, and five days before Tieman claimed his wife disappeared from the Walmart parking lot in Skowhegan. Video footage from surveillance cameras at Walmart did not show Tieman’s truck at the store on any day from Aug. 21, 2016, to Aug. 31, 2016.

He did not report her missing.

Luc Tieman later said she died of a drug overdose.

According to the autopsy report, Valerie Tieman’s cause of death was gunshot wounds to head and neck — by someone else, meaning it was not a suicide. A police affidavit says she was shot twice.

Investigators with the Maine State Police and Maine Warden’s Service look for evidence in the death of Valerie Tieman, whose body was found Sept. 20, 2016, in the woods behind 628 Norridgewock Road in Fairfield. Staff file photo by Michael G. Seamans

Evidence of controlled substances also were found in Valerie Tieman’s system, according to a toxicology report that accompanied the autopsy report. They include Buprenorphine, a schedule III synthetic opioid medication used to treat opioid addiction. Buprenorphine can be dispensed for take-home use by prescription, according to a website called The National Alliance of Advocates of Buprenorphine Treatment.

The autopsy also found the presence of Tramadol, a synthetic opioid painkiller that is frequently prescribed to manage moderate to severe levels of pain, such as that experienced after surgery or in chronic conditions such as arthritis.

Valerie Tieman’s body was discovered by state police detectives on Sept. 20, 2016, wrapped in a blanket with a bag of potato chips, a bottle of perfume and a note that reportedly had an “apologetic tone,” according to the autopsy report.

Luc Tieman served in Iraq and reportedly suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

When Valerie Tieman’s body was found, it was “clad in damp clothing consisting of brown boots, bright yellow/green socks, a grey T-shirt, blue jeans and a navy shirt,” according to the autopsy report, which is dated Oct. 5. The report was signed by Clare Bryce, a medical doctor and deputy chief medical examiner who performed the autopsy Sept. 21, the day after Tieman’s body was found.

Sept. 21 also is the day that Luc Tieman was arrested and charged with murdering Valerie and burying her about 400 feet from where they had lived with his parents at 628 Norridgewock Road in Fairfield.

A detective with the state police Cell Phone Analysis Unit determined that the last call Valerie Tieman made to Luc Tieman was on Aug. 24, 2016.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

An Athens couple was arrested by state police Thursday for allegedly possessing crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

According to a Maine State Police release, troopers went to a residence in Athens to assist probation officers and check on 26-year-old Tyler Watson. When police arrived, Watson’s wife, Tara Watson, 28, and two of the couple’s four children were also home. Police found 12 small plastic bags of what they suspected was crack cocaine, weighing 7 grams and valued at $1,500.

Police also seized nearly 60 hypodermic needles, crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia, such as scales and nearly $250 in suspected drug proceeds.

The Department of Health and Human Services took custody of the children.

The couple was charged with unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, endangering the welfare of a child, possession of hypodermic apparatuses and sale and use of drug paraphernalia.

The two were taken to the Somerset County Jail, and bail was set at $50,000.

IN ANSON, Thursday at 12:46 p.m., a disturbance was reported. No location was given.

IN ATHENS, Friday at 9:23 a.m., threatening was reported on Boothby Road.

IN CANAAN, Thursday at 1:53 a.m., an intoxicated person was reported on Main Street.

3:14 a.m., a second report of an intoxicated person was taken from Main Street.

1:12 p.m., a harassment complaint was taken from Mud Run.

Friday at 7:37 a.m., fire and rescue personnel responded to a report of a vehicle on the ice at Lake George Regional Park.

IN CORNVILLE, Thursday at 6:06 p.m., a report of a burglary was investigated on Beckwith Road.

IN FAIRFIELD, Thursday at 12:42 a.m., a complaint about shots being fired was taken on Bear Mountain Road.

6:41 p.m., trespassing was reported on Covell Road.

Friday at 7:40 a.m., a harassment complaint was taken on Water Street.

IN FARMINGTON, Thursday at 11:54 a.m., vandalism was reported on Main Street.

10:53 p.m., a noise complaint was taken on Main Street.

Friday at 9:30 a.m., vandalism was reported on Franklin Avenue.

IN JAY, Thursday at noon, threatening was reported on Community Drive.

2:14 p.m., an assault was reported on Community Drive.

2:42 p.m., an assault was reported on Jay Plaza Lane.

IN MADISON, Thursday at 12:23 p.m., a complaint was taken from Martins Road.

6:22 p.m., vandalism was reported on Longley Road.

10:22 p.m., a theft was reported on Nichols Street.

IN MOOSE RIVER, Friday at 8:14 a.m., a structure fire was reported on Main Street.

IN NEW VINEYARD, Thursday at 12:06 a.m., harassment was reported on Brahmer Road.

10:42 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Basin Road.

IN NORRIDGEWOCK, Friday at 8:23 a.m., a harassment complaint was taken from Walnut Street.

IN OAKLAND, Thursday at 9:25 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Church Street.

1 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Oak Street.

IN PALMYRA, Thursday at 12:04 p.m., a traffic accident with injuries was reported on Main Street.

Friday at 6:36 a.m., criminal mischief was reported on Madawaska Road.

IN PITTSFIELD, Thursday at 3:22 p.m., a complaint was investigated on School Street.

4:05 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Livingston Street.

Friday at 7:24 a.m., criminal mischief was reported on School Street.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Thursday at 4:43 p.m., fire units were sent to assist in an investigation on Waterville Road.

5:03 p.m., a complaint was taken from Waterville Road.

5:36 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Water Street.

Friday at 6:10 a.m., a harassment complaint was taken from West Front Street. Police determined it to be unfounded.

IN STARKS, Thursday at 3:55 a.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on New Sharon Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Thursday at 4:23 p.m., burglary of a motor vehicle was reported on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

4:52 p.m., theft was reported on Noyes Avenue.

5:23 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported on College Avenue.

6:11 p.m., an assault was reported on Terry Street.

8:59 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Elm Street.

Friday at 2:08 a.m., an unwanted person was reported on Elm Street.

IN WILTON, Thursday at 8:30 a.m., harassment was reported on Thompson Street.

5:48 p.m., harassment was reported on Route 133.

Friday at 1:17 a.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Cameron Street.

IN WINSLOW, Thursday at 11:55 a.m., theft was reported on Halifax Street.

6:28 p.m., sex offenses were reported on Benton Avenue.

7:56 p.m., drug offenses were reported on Clinton Avenue.

ARRESTS

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, Thursday at 12:10 p.m., Vance Gilbert Billings, 41, of Rumford, was arrested on several warrants.

2:30 p.m., Torey Seymour-Russell, 57, of Farmington, was arrested on a charge of theft by deception.

11:42 p.m., Alexandra Noelle Rainey, 19, of Farmington, was arrested on a charge of operating after suspension.

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Thursday at 12:31 p.m., Tyler Chadroy Watson, 26, of Athens, was arrested on charges of trafficking in drugs, possession of hypodermic apparatuses, endangering the welfare of a child, sale and use of drug paraphernalia and on a probation hold.

1:34 p.m., Tara Lee Watson, 29, of Athens, was arrested on charges of trafficking in drugs, possession of hypodermic apparatuses, endangering the welfare of a child and sale and use of drug paraphernalia.

8:19 p.m., Joni E. Hamilton, 55, of Winslow, was charged on a warrant for violation of bail.

IN WATERVILLE, Thursday at 3:22 p.m., Joseph Varricchio, 35, of Fairfield, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

8:59 p.m., Jared Colby, 26, of Waterville, was arrested on charges of violating conditions of release and aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs.

8:59 p.m., Nicholas Goodwin, 33, of Waterville, was arrested on warrants.

IN WINSLOW, Thursday 10:07 a.m., Darrell Phillip Williams Jr., 38, of Bangor, was arrested on warrants.

2:12 p.m., James Marshall Brown, 55, of Waterville, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

SUMMONSES

IN OAKLAND, Thursday at 7:45 a.m., Ethan Macomber, 20, of Waterville, was summoned on a charge of operating with suspended registration.

IN WINSLOW, Thursday at 9:25 a.m., Sherry Marie Gray, 37, of Benton, was summoned on a charge of operating with an expired license for more than 90 days.

10:07 a.m., Brittany Naomi Gray, 26, of Bangor, was summoned on a charge of operating with a suspended or revoked license.

9:22 p.m., Taylor Lewis, 24, of Waterville, was summoned on a charge of operating after suspension.

A Wales man has been charged with felony drunken driving after a crash Tuesday on Buker Road in Litchfield that left him with neck injuries.

Felix W. Hamel, 57, who appeared in court Friday at the Capital Judicial Center via video from the Kennebec County jail for his initial appearance, was charged with criminal operating under the influence, operating after suspension and operating beyond license condition or restriction.

When he appeared, Hamel was in a wheelchair and wore a neck brace. Because the operating under the influence charge is a felony, no pleas were entered Friday.

As Hamel’s prior record of convictions was read, he said, “What the hell is all this?”

“It’s your record,” said Stephen Bourget, serving as defense attorney for the day.

During the proceeding, Hamel held his hands to his face and sighed heavily several times.

On Hamel’s behalf, Bourget requested unsecured bond.

“He is obviously in pain,” Bourget said, saying the crash caused the injuries. “He has a cast on his leg and staples in his skull. He has a neck brace on. Essentially, he’s going to be on house arrest because of his injuries.”

Assistant District Attorney David Spencer requested $1,000 cash bail, with the conditions that Hamel not consume any alcohol and that he not drive.

“As you can see, Mr. Hamel is not a flight risk. I just want to make sure he gets out of jail so he can get proper medical treatment,” Bourget said.

Superior Court Justice William Stokes set bail at $1,000.

“His record is pretty bad in terms of operation of a motor vehicle,” Stokes said, noting that this is Hamel’s fifth charge of operating under the influence.

Most recently, Hamel was convicted in 2015 and 2013 of operating under the influence in Penobscot County.

Hamel’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 15.

Maine State Police received a call shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday reporting that a man who appeared to be intoxicated was trying to buy alcohol at the South Monmouth Market and had been turned away.

Trooper Ian Dunn said the caller saw that the man left in a blue sedan but didn’t see which way he was headed.

Four minutes later, Dunn said, a second call came in reporting a single-vehicle crash on Buker Road, to which he, two other state police troopers and Gardiner Ambulance responded. Hamel was not wearing a seat belt and he was the only person in the vehicle.

“There was a sharp S-turn to the right, and he went off to the left down an embankment,” Dunn said, adding that the car slid 30 or 40 feet before becoming hung up in some trees.

Hamel initially was taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston for evaluation, then to the Kennebec County jail.

On Wednesday morning, Hamel was taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center for further evaluation, according to Capt. Rich Wurpel, Kennnebec County jail administrator.

Staff Writer Betty Adams contributed to this report.

Jessica Lowell — 621-5632

jlowell@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @JLowellKJ

SKOWHEGAN — It wasn’t heroin that killed 34-year-old Valerie Tieman in 2016, as her husband, Luc, claims; it was two shots from a semi-automatic pistol found by police in Luc Tieman’s parents’ home in Fairfield.

That assertion was part of opening statements by Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin on Monday, the first day of Luc Tieman’s murder trial.

Valerie Tieman

“That’s a very fine story, but it’s only a story,” Tieman’s defense attorney, Stephen Smith, told the jury of eight men and six women, including two alternates. “Each story is like a brick in a brick wall — you will find him not guilty” when the wall is complete.

Tieman, 34, faces 25 years to life in prison if he is found guilty of murder.

A disabled U.S. Army veteran who reportedly suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, Tieman has pleaded not guilty to the charge of intentional or knowing murder in the death of his wife, Valerie Tieman.

Valerie Tieman’s body was discovered by state police detectives and game wardens on Sept. 20, 2016, wrapped in a blanket with a bag of potato chips, a bottle of perfume and a note that reportedly had an “apologetic tone,” according to the autopsy report from the state medical examiner’s office. She had been shot twice, once in the head and once in the neck. The report says opiates were found in Valerie’s blood, but that she died of the two gunshot wounds and was found buried in Luc Tieman’s parents’ backyard off Norridgewock Road in Fairfield.

The murder is alleged to have taken place Aug. 25 — 15 days before her parents reported her missing and five days before Tieman claimed his wife disappeared Aug. 30 from the Walmart parking lot in Skowhegan.

Luc Tieman initially told police Valerie had disappeared from his pickup truck outside Walmart, but later said she died of a drug overdose.

Robbin, who is assisting Assistant Attorney General Leanne Zainea with the prosecution, called Valerie Tieman’s parents, Sarajean and Allen Harmon, to the stand Monday morning, piecing together details leading to the discovery of Valerie’s body about 400 feet behind Luc Tieman’s parents’ home.

The couple, who live in South Carolina, had become concerned when they had not heard from Valerie for about 10 days.

Sarajean Harmon told the jury that Valerie moved to Maine in June 2014 after she married Luc. The Tiemans visited in June and July 2016 for a month, and that was the last time Sarajean Harmon saw her daughter. They spoke one last time on the mother’s birthday, Aug. 10, 2016.

“She told me she loved me and wished me a happy birthday,” Sarajean said.

She tried texting her daughter in the days that followed but got no reply, Sarajean testified, but there were disturbing notes on Luc’s Facebook page — a possible relationship with another woman whom he was “thinking about loving.”

Fairfield police Sgt. Matthew Bard had told state police investigators about a call to police from Valerie’s parents, who told them that Luc Tieman had called them on Sept. 8, 2016, saying that Valerie had left him and that he had not heard from her in some time, the Morning Sentinel reported. Valerie was reported missing the following day, Sept. 9, 2016, by her parents, according to Monday’s testimony.

Luc Tieman had not reported her missing.

Earlier in the day Monday, Justice Robert Mullen had denied a motion advanced by defense attorney Stephen Smith to exclude use of the expression “rebound girl” to describe the woman Luc Tieman was staying with in Norridgewock at the time Valerie Tieman was reported missing, arguing that the words were spoken casually and could be demeaning to women.

Smith said Justice Robert Mullen also had denied his motion to use an alternate suspect theory as part of Tieman’s defense.

Tieman, in text messages to Allen Harmon in mid-September, according to Monday’s testimony, stuck to the Walmart story — perhaps knowing that his wife already had been dead for going on two weeks.

In text exchanges, Valerie’s father and Luc Tieman both spoke of their trust in God and their love of Valerie.

Investigators with the Maine State Police and Maine Warden’s Service look for evidence in the death of Valerie Tieman, whose body was found Sept. 20, 2016, in the woods behind 628 Norridgewock Road in Fairfield. Staff file photo by Michael G. Seamans

“Husbands love their wives like Christ loves the church,” Luc Tieman texted to Allen Harmon in the days leading up to her being reported missing to Fairfield police.

There was talk of drug use on Valerie’s part, the possibility of there being another man in her life and also a question of whether Luc Tieman already had been seeing another woman.

“We need some answers,” Harmon texted, telling Zainea under direct examination in court Monday that his concern that Luc Tieman was living with another woman was upsetting because “he was supposed to be married to our daughter.”

Smith did not cross-examine the Harmons, who maintained a cheerful appearance during questioning by the state prosecutor.

The state also called three Fairfield police officers to the stand Monday, building the time line of the missing person report filed Sept. 12, 2016, and the investigation, which later was turned over to the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit.

In extended questioning of Maine State Police Detective Hugh Landry on Monday afternoon in court, Robbin detailed police suspicion that Valerie Tieman had been murdered.

Robbin played taped conversations between state police and Luc Tieman. The detective could be heard saying that there were two options in the investigation — either Valerie was somewhere and didn’t want to be found, or that “she’s dead somewhere — either you killed her or suicide.”

“Did you do anything to harm Valerie?” the detective asks.

“No,” Luc Tieman says. “I would never do that.”

Tieman maintained his story about Valerie leaving the Walmart parking lot.

“I’ve been looking for her every day,” he told police. “Are there any developments?”

Robbin pressed Landry on the stand, playing audio tapes and reading texts of conversations between him and Luc Tieman from Sept. 13 to Sept. 19, a day before Maine State Police and the Maine Warden Service executed a search warrant at 628 Norridgewock Road in Fairfield, where Luc Tieman’s parents lived, and found Valerie Tieman’s body partially buried in a wooded area behind the house.

Tieman was arrested the next day and charged with intentional or knowing murder.

The prosecution also brought state police Trooper David Powser to the stand Monday. The trooper had been called to Welch Street on Sept. 18, 2016, in Norridgewock, close to an apartment where Luc Tieman had been staying with his “rebound girl.”

Powser testified that a local man had found Valerie Tieman’s driver’s license laying face down in some grass in a parking lot off Main Street.

The trial is scheduled to continue at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow