BANGOR, Maine–In a 14-count complaint, four people who were allegedly part of a 12-person criminal organization in Maine and who allegedly committed bank fraud and other crimes after opening credit union accounts that financed a $13 million illegal marijuana operation, have been indicted.
The credit unions allegedly targeted in the fraud include Franklin-Somerset FCU, Maine Family FCU, Evergreen Credit Union and University Credit Union.
According to 6park.news, the complaint, in U.S. District Court in Bangor last month charged 12 defendants, including a county prosecutor, with:
- Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
- Conspiracy to committing money laundering
- Conspiracy to commit honest services fraud
- Bank fraud
- Alteration of procedures
- Alteration of documents
- Conspiracy to defraud the United States and to impede and harm the IRS, tax evasion and tax fraud.
Not Guilty Pleas
All but one of the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges in the United States District Court in Bangor last week. Kayla Alves, Franklin County Assistant District Attorney, did not plead guilty, 6park.news reported. Alves faces charges of tampering with procedures and documents, 6park.news reported, adding “she allegedly warned one of the conspirators that federal authorities were investigating the illegal marijuana ring, court documents show.”
“According to a criminal complaint, Lucas Sirois, 41, of Farmington, was the leader of the alleged criminal organization. He and his co-conspirators generated more than $13 million over six years from the illegal sale of marijuana,” 6park.news reported. “Prosecutors allege that Sirois structured the marijuana operations to appear to comply with Maine’s medical marijuana regime, while regularly selling marijuana in bulk on the illicit market, including more than $1 million in marijuana for out-of-state distribution between 2018 and 2019…”
Prosecutors are further alleging that Sirois and four other conspirators, who have been charged with bank fraud for allegedly opening credit union accounts in 2019 and 2020, falsely claimed that none of the deposits would be derived directly or indirectly from the business related to marijuana.
The medical and recreational use of marijuana is legal under Maine law, 6park.news reminded.
The Four CUs & Accounts
“Although federal prosecutors do not list victimized credit unions, they do list four credit unions in which the criminal organization had accounts that included $479,390 at Franklin-Somerset Federal Credit Union; $46,819 at Maine Family Federal Credit Union; $25,277 at Evergreen Credit Union and $ 17,870 at University Credit Union,” 6park.news reported. In addition, the defendant had more than $232,000 in three accounts at the Skowhegan Savings Bank.
Federal authorities are expected to seize the accounts if the defendants plead guilty or are found guilty by a jury. What’s more, twelve properties, 11 vehicles, and more than $28,000 in cash can also be lost.