Aroostook County Superior Court hears local cases

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Aroostook County Superior Court was busy Jan. 18 as several high-profile cases were reviewed by Justice E. Allen Hunter, including a Houlton man charged with possessing and distributing child pornography; a quartet who allegedly robbed a home in Linneus; a Canadian man who reportedly supplied drugs to a Houlton man; and a Houlton man charged with growing marijuana in his mother’s basement.
    David Russell, 57, of Houlton appeared with his attorney Jeff Pickering, according to Assistant District Attorney Kurt Kafferlin. Russell has yet to enter a plea to the charges that he possessed and disseminated sexually explicit material involving minors. Russell was arrested Dec. 14 by Houlton police after they were contacted by a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
    “There has been no grand jury indictment yet and consequently he has not been required to enter a plea either way,” Kafferlin said.
    Russell’s case was continued to March 21 for a scheduled status conference. He is currently free on bail.
    “A status conference checks the status of a case that is in the pre-indictment stage,” explained Kafferlin. “If the case is going to be resolved pre-indictment (by plea or by dismissal or any other sort of disposition) then that would happen at the status conference. If an indictment is handed down by the grand jury then an arraignment is held instead and the defendant enters a plea to the charges (almost always not guilty at arraignment). If the case is not ready for pre-indictment resolution and no indictment has been handed down then the case in continued for two months to give time for the case to be considered by the grand jury or for the parties to resolve it pre-indictment. If three regular sittings of the grand jury have passed (approximately six months) since the defendant was subjected to bail then the court would dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning that the state could re-initiate the charge later on.”
Drug trafficking charges
    Reginald Stockford, 39, of New Brunswick appeared in court with his retained counsel, Richard Rhoda. of Houlton.
    Stockford was arrested Dec, 10 when he was stopped and held at the Bridgewater Port of Entry by Customs and Border Patrol officials. He was wanted on an arrest warrant from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency for unlawful trafficking of methamphetamine.
    According to Kafferlin, Stockford waived his right to have his case presented to the grand jury and consented to being tried on the complaint filed by the District Attorney’s Office. He was arraigned and entered a plea of not guilty.
    “He is being held because he has been unable to meet the bail ($50,000 cash) that had been set,” Kafferlin said. “His attorney indicated that he would be filing a motion requesting a speedy trial.”
Basement marijuana charge
    Philip Salb, 24, of Houlton made an initial appearance in front of Justice Allen. According to Kafferlin, an initial appearance is where the judge advises the defendant that the DA’s Office has filed a felony complaint and that the case must next be presented to the grand jury before proceeding.
    Salb was charged with growing marijuana plants in his mother’s basement on State Street. Bail was also addressed at the initial appearance. In Salb’s case he had previously been bailed with the bail commissioner and the bail remained the same. David Edgar represents him.
    The state has charged in the felony complaint that he committed unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs (marijuana-Class C), cultivating marijuana (Class D), unlawful possession of scheduled drugs (marijuana Class C), and criminal forfeiture of a vehicle.
    His case is set for a status conference on May 23.
McGuire burglary
    Three individuals — Amanda Berry, 26, of Weston; Cheryl Sawyer, 32, of Linneus; and Halston Wiley II, 30, of Houlton — were called for a status conference. A fourth individual who was charged, Philip Buzzeo, was not called. A grand jury indictment has not yet been handed down for any of the individuals, Kafferlin said.
    “The state has filed a notice of joinder requesting that the cases be heard together,” he explained. “Matthew Hunter of Presque Isle has been appointed to represent Buzzeo. All of the joined cases will be heard in the future by Justice Kevin Cuddy rather than Justice E. Allen Hunter, because Justice Hunter regularly recuses himself from cases where his son, Matthew, is representing one of the defendants.”
    Sawyer, Wiley, and Buzzeo are presently free on bail, but Berry is still in custody. Michele Kenney of Houlton has been appointed to represent Sawyer. Cathy Lufkin of Millinocket has been appointed to represent Wiley. Pickering of Houlton has been appointed to represent Berry.
    On Oct. 3, Maine State Trooper Dennis Quint responded to a burglary at Barbara McGuire’s residence in Linneus. Mrs. McGuire and her family had just returned from attending her husband, local businessman, Darrell McGuire’s funeral, and while they were gone an unknown person or persons entered the home. Once inside, the intruders rummaged through the home, taking several items in the process, according to Sgt. Brian Harris of the Maine State Police.
    Harris said jewelry, coins and a handgun were among the items stolen from the McGuire property. The value was estimated in the thousands of dollars, he said. Police have recovered some of the jewelry and coins.