ROCKLAND – A Winthrop man was arrested by Rockland Police May 4 for allegedly defrauding a Rockland resident of more than $10,000.

Matthew Shellman, 43, was charged with theft by unauthorized taking and violating a condition of release.

Shellman made his initial court appearance in Knox County Court May 6 before Judge John Martin. He had been held at the Knox County Jail since his arrest.

At the hearing, the judge ordered Shellman’s release from jail with supervision and on his own personal recognizance. He will be on house arrest and the only exceptions are medical and legal appointments and employment as approved by Maine Pretrial.

According to the affidavit filed in court by Detective Alex Gaylor, the victim reported to police that between Oct. 13 to Nov. 17, 2021, thousands of dollars in unauthorized transactions were made using his debit card and bank account information. Police obtained financial records from the victim’s bank and Netspend to verify the fraudulent transactions.

The alleged transactions included a transfer of $9, 015 from the victim’s bank account to a Netspend account of Shellman, an online purchase at Best Buy for $1,247 and online gaming purchases totaling $3069.

The victim told police that Shellman had access to his computer while he was at work which contained a folder with his banking information and password. Shellman also had access to the victim’s debit card and wallet, according to the court document.

Shellman will appear in court again on July 14 for a dispositional conference.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com