ROCKLAND – The following cases were closed in Knox County Unified Court from Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

Steven Alfreds, 30, of South Portland, assault in Warren Nov. 6, 2019, guilty.

Ty Babb, 51, of Tenants Harbor, disorderly conduct, offensive words, gestures in St. George Aug. 31, 2023, $200 fine.

Beau D. Belajonas, 44, of Thomaston, domestic violence assault in Owls Head July 27, 2022, guilty.

Caleb R. Brewer, 22, of Waldoboro, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer in Thomaston Dec. 3, 2022, dismissed; theft by unauthorized taking or transfer in Thomaston Dec. 3, 2022, unconditional discharge.

Kaleb R. Campbell, 25, of North Haven, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and violation of condition of release both on North Haven Sept. 8, 2022, both dismissed; molesting or disturbing lobster gear on North Haven Sept. 8, 2022, $500 fine; setting or moving unmarked lobster trap on North Haven Sept. 9, 2022, $100 fine.

Karl S. Crute Jr., 51, of Cushing, domestic violence assault, obstructing report of a crime and criminal mischief all in Cushing Sept. 17, 2022, all dismissed; disorderly conduct, offensive words, gestures in Cushing Sept. 17, $250 fine; operating while license suspended or revoked and motor vehicle speeding 30 plus miles per hour over the speed limit both in Cushing Sept. 10, 2022, both dismissed.

Joseph Dinapoli, 35, of Thomaston, assault and criminal mischief in Rockland March 31, both dismissed; disorderly conduct, offensive words, gesture in Rockland March 31, $100 fine; driving to endanger in Rockland May 28, dismissed.

Michael T. Doucette, 46, of Warren, disorderly conduct, offensive words, gestures in Thomaston July 7, $150 fine.

Benjamin A. Fernald, 41, of St. George, operating under the influence (alcohol), criminal trespass, failing to make oral or written accident report, and failing to stop, remain, provide information all in St. George June 3, all dismissed; driving to endanger in St.George June 3, $1,000 fine.

Dustin Kimball, 29, of Cushing, domestic violence assault, with priors, and criminal mischief in Warren March 26, both guilty; obstructing report of a crime in Warren March 26, dismissed.

Christopher Everett Larrabee, 41, of Rockland, domestic violence assault in Rockland Aug. 5, 2023, guilty; unlawful sexual touching in Rockland Aug. 5, 2023, dismissed.

Erica B. Lebert, 40, of Camden, failing to make oral or written accident report in Camden Feb. 17, dismissed; failing to stop, remain, provide information in Camden Feb. 17, $250 fine.

Anthony M. Leo, 49, of Thomaston. On Oct. 31, the state and defense agreed to a plea deal on a single count of sexual abuse of a minor before Justice Jeffrey Hjelm. Under the plea deal, Leo will be on a deferred disposition for two years and the charges of gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact were dismissed as part of the agreement.

The victim was 14 years old when the offense occurred in Thomaston in January 2003. She disclosed the incident to police during the summer of 2023. Leo was indicted by a Knox County grand jury in February 2024.

The stipulations of the agreement include that Leo must undergo sex offender counseling and have no contact with females younger than 18 unless supervised as part of his employment. If Leo does not follow the terms of the agreement, then he will undergo an open plea to sexual abuse of a minor and could result in serving a jail sentence.

Matthew Shoudy, 39, of Union, assault in Rockland April 12, 2024, $300 fine; criminal mischief in Rockland April 12, 2024, $250 fine.

Malcolm Stewart, 58, of South Carolina, who had pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by deception in August, was sentenced by Justice Daniel Billings Oct. 31 after a two-day hearing held in Knox County Court. 

Stewart pleaded guilty in August before a jury trial was scheduled to begin in Knox County Court.

Justice Daniel Billings sentenced Stewart, who resides in South Carolina, to seven years in prison all suspended. He will serve three years of probation and is ordered to make restitution of $385,000 to the victims.

The state had recommended that Stewart serve seven years in prison with all but 30 months suspended, serve three years of probation and pay a total of value of $487,906 to the victims.

Stewart has end stage kidney failure and has been receiving dialysis, according to the court document.

Stewart, the owner of Castle Builders in Union, closed his business without notice to his customers in September 2019 after he collected deposits of over $400,000 from 57 consumers for home construction projects that he knew he did not have the capacity to complete, Maine Attorney General Aaron M. Frey said in a previous news release.  

Stewart closed the business without notice to the consumers after he collected his last deposit on September 6, 2019 and left Maine for Pelzer, South Carolina.

He has been free on $50,000 cash bail after the state issued a warrant for his arrest on March 25, 2021.

The state said in its indictment that Stewart induced two consumers to advance him a loan of $50,000 in December 2018 by falsely claiming he had cash flow problems because customers were not paying him and he had the capacity to repay the loan, beginning the following month. Stewart never made a single payment on the so-called loan. In most of the transactions listed in the indictment, Stewart performed no work in return for the money and in a few cases, he performed only a minimal amount of substandard work, the state also said.

Victoria Vanasse, 33, of Rockport, operating under the influence (alcohol) in Rockland Nov. 19, 2022, $500 fine, 48 hours jail, license suspended 150 days; failing to notify of a motor vehicle accident and failing to make oral or written accident report both in Rockland, 48 hours jail; operating while license suspended or revoked in Rockland Nov. 19, 2022, $250 fine, 48 hours in jail.

Sarah C. Vokey, 56, of Rockport, operating under the influence (alcohol) in Rockport July 19, 2023, $500 fine, 72 hours in jail, license suspended 150 days.

Wesley Wentworth, 48, of Vinalhaven, operating under the influence (alcohol) on Vinalhaven June 15, $500 fine, license suspended 150 days.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com