State orders Warren man to pay almost $129,000 in back taxes

Sat, 11/16/2019 - 6:30pm

    ROCKLAND — A Warren man who was convicted in October of failing to pay back takes to the state of almost $129,000, was ordered by the court to begin paying back his debt by Nov. 15.

    Travis E. Cline, 39, was initially charged in April with 11 counts with failure to pay Maine State income tax, dating back to 2012. Counts one through six included failure to pay Maine state income tax and the remaining counts were for failure to file Maine state income tax returns.

    Cline appeared in Knox County Unified Court before Judge Patricia Worth Oct. 31. The state and defense agreed to a deferred disposition where Cline paid $1,000 on Oct. 31 and then will pay at least $1,000 per month towards the current restitution balance of $128,986.74.

    The additional terms of the agreement order Cline to truthfully and timely file his 2019 personal income tax return and pay any Maine income liability timely or with a payment plan agreeable to the Maine Revenue Services, according to the court document.

    If Cline meets the conditions of the agreement, he will be sentenced in October 2020 to 364 days in jail with all but 14 days suspended and one year of administrative release. If he is not compliant, he will be sentenced to 364 days in jail, with all but 45 days suspended, and one year of administrative release.

    Cline is a fisherman who works on a scallop boat based in New Bedford, Mass., according to the court document.

    The case was prosecuted by Elizabeth T. Weyl of the Attorney General’s Office. Cline was represented by Attorney Eric Morse of Rockland.

    Sarah Shepherd can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com.