Mon, 01/30/2017 - 4:30pm

Sarah Shepherd

ROCKLAND — A Warren man pleaded guilty Jan. 26 to aggravated criminal mischief and theft for his involvement in the intentional sinking of a lobster boat over a trap dispute in Tenants Harbor in September 2016.

Devin Meklin, 21, was sentenced in Knox County Unified Court to two years in jail with all but three months suspended. He will also serve two years of probation following his release and must pay $16, 267 in restitution.

Vincent Hilt, 22, of Vinalhaven, and Alan Norwood, 47, of Tenants Harbor, were also charged for their alleged roles in the intentional sinking.

Hilt was charged by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office with felony criminal mischief and theft. The date for his court appearance has not yet been scheduled.

Norwood was charged by the Maine Marine Patrol with aggravated criminal mischief for allegedly paying Hilt $500 to sink the lobster boat. He will appear in Knox County Unified Court on Feb. 23.

According to the affidavit filed by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, a 36-foot lobster boat owned by Joshua Hupper sank in the early morning hours of Sept. 1, while it was moored in Tenants Harbor. The estimated damage to the boat is $50,000, which includes the motor gear, wiring and all of the on board electronic equipment.

Hilt and Meklin were identified by two witnesses they encountered on Mouse Island, located less than 200 yards from where Hupper’s boat was intentionally sunk. They had returned there later in the morning on Sept. 1 to retrieve the skiff they had stolen for transportation to the lobster boat, according to the court documents.

The witnesses identified Hilt and Meklin, in a photo lineup provided by police, as the two men they saw on Mouse Island.

Police located Hilt at his parents’ home in St. George. He admitted to police that he was approached by another lobsterman, later identified as Norwood, and was offered $500 to sink Hupper’s boat. He said the lobsterman had a dispute with Hupper about traps.

According to the affidavit, Hilt said that he contacted Meklin and they stole a skiff from a float at Wildcat Lobster in Tenants Harbor and motored out to the lobster boat, got on board, removed the engine cover box and cut the intake lines.

Meklin told police that he heard the water rushing in the boat afterwards.

After they left the lobster boat, they headed toward Mouse Island, where they grounded the skiff and left it. Hilt told police that they walked back to Meklin’s parked vehicle and left the area, according to the court documents.

When the men returned to Mouse Island to tow the stolen skiff out of the harbor, they removed the outboard motor and threw it overboard and cut it loose. The motor in the skiff they were operating failed so a passing fisherman towed them back to shore before they were apprehended by police.

The investigating officers for the case were Deputy John Hansen of the Knox County Sherriff’s Office and Brandon Bezio of the Maine Marine Patrol.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com

http://www.penbaypilot.com/article/third-man-arrested-charged-connection-tenants-harbor-lobster-boat-sinking-case