A Houlton court has dismissed felony charges against former Houlton town manager Cameron Clark and added a misdemeanor, for which he will pay a $660 fine.
Clark pleaded no contest in Aroostook County Superior Court on Tuesday morning to a new misdemeanor count of attempted obstruction of criminal prosecution.
Clark, 28, was arrested and jailed on Sept. 25, 2025, for felony Class B tampering with a victim and Class D domestic violence assault. A grand jury in December indicted Clark on those counts, plus a third charge, felony Class C obstructing criminal prosecution.
In court on Tuesday, as part of a plea agreement, the three counts were dismissed and replaced by a fourth count of misdemeanor obstruction of criminal prosecution, to which Clark pleaded no contest.
Before the three counts were dismissed, Clark faced up to 15 years behind bars. Justice Robert Langner said he could consider jail time for the new misdemeanor, but he did not.
The Court ordered Clark to pay a $660 fine.
According to the new count, “on or about Sept. 12, 2025, in New Limerick, Clark, with the intent to complete the commission of a crime of obstructing criminal prosecution did use force, violence or intimidation” to keep Madison Lilley, a romantic partner, from initiating a criminal prosecution.
Lilley identified herself in court and the judge approved use of her name.
Clark pleaded no contest but the court still finds him guilty of the charge, Langner said.
Tuesday’s hearing effectively ends an eight-month saga of public unrest that ensued in the aftermath of Clark’s September arrest. The Town Council’s decision to stand by Clark deepened a divide among residents and town officials. He was placed on paid administrative leave in October and dismissed from his position in December.
Before accepting Clark’s plea on Tuesday, Langner asked the state to explain why three counts, including two felonies, were replaced by a misdemeanor charge.
“I want to understand how we started with a couple of felonies and ended up with one misdemeanor,” Langner said.
Aroostook County Assistant District Attorney Mathew Hunter detailed the evidence obtained by the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, including testimony about Snapchat discussions between Clark and Lilley that allegedly included threats by Clark. Because several search warrants were unable to retrieve the actual Snapchat communication, which Hunter said was crucial in proving a tampering offense and it might be difficult to prove during a trial.
“Even if we had successfully obtained the content of those messages from Snapchat, we probably would still create a path for Mr. Clark to avoid a felony conviction based on his relatively young age and clean criminal history,” he said.
Langner accepted Clark’s plea, but before sentencing, asked to hear from the victim.
What happened that night had long-lasting physical and emotional effects, Lilley said in a written statement.
Beyond the physical pain, the emotional impact has been even more difficult, she said.
“I was left not only feeling shocked but humiliated by the violence especially because it happened in a place where I should have felt safe,” Lilley said.
Lilley, who was present via Zoom, asked that the victim advocate read her remarks during the hearing.
“You may have moved on from that night, Cameron, but I have not had the luxury. Since then, my sense of safety has been shaken. I think twice about situations that used to feel normal,” she said. “Trusting people doesn’t come easily anymore. I still carry the anxiety and the memories of what happened.”
Lilley found the courage to come forward because no one should be able to hurt someone and then try to intimidate them into silence, she said.
“Today I am reclaiming my voice. I stand here not as a victim but as someone who refused to stay silent,” she said.
