ROCKLAND —  A Washington man was convicted in Knox Superior Court, Sept. 6, on three counts of illegally hunting a deer during the night. 

Ronald Mole, 58, was convicted of night hunting, placing bait to entice deer and discharging a firearm or crossbow near a dwelling. The fourth charge of aggravated cruelty to animals was dismissed.

A deferred disposition agreement was reached with Mole and the state at the hearing on Sept. 6. He will be fined $1,000 as one of the terms of the agreement over the next 12 months. The terms also require him to obey all laws during the next year, including abiding by hunting and fishing laws and paying a $10 administrative fee.

If he is successful with following the terms over the year, he will pay the $1,000 fine. If he is unsuccessful and commits any new offenses, he will face opening sentencing on all three counts.

According to the court document filed in Knox County Unified Court by Maine Game Warden Joey Lefebvre, of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the offenses allegedly occurred on Nov. 6 and 7, 2016, on the Old Union Road in Washington. The hunting occurred on Nov. 6 around 8 p.m. after sunset which was 4:20 p.m. on that day.

The charge of felony aggravated cruelty alleges that “Mole acted in a manner that manifested a depraved indifference to animal life or suffering, did intentionally, knowingly or recklessly cause extreme physical pain to an animal, cause the death of an animal, or physically torture an animal,” according to the court document.  

State laws prohibit the discharging of a firearm with 100 yards of a residential dwelling without the permission of the owner. Hunting is also prohibited from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise the following day.

Attorney Christopher MacLean, of Camden, is representing Mole. He initially entered a plea of not guilty to all of the charges in the complaint. Based on the filing, both MacLean and Mole did not attend the arraignment on March 20 in Knox County Unified Court.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com