Jason T. Blackler
A Jefferson couple faces felony forgery and theft charges after allegedly stealing $42,203.14 from relatives from 2013-2016, according to police.
Jason T. Blackler, 40, and Justine A. Blackler, 31, face one charge each of class B forgery and class B theft by unauthorized taking, according to their July 12 indictments. A class B crime carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Jason Blackler allegedly confessed and said he forged a relative’s signature on checks and cashed the checks to fund the couple’s drug addiction, according to an affidavit by Maine State Police Trooper Christopher Rogers. Rogers arrested him June 5.
“He was very remorseful and said he needed help. … Jason said over the past few weeks he was writing a lot of checks in hopes of being caught,” Rogers said in the affidavit.
Justine Blackler did not confess to police, but allegedly acknowledged her participation in recorded phone calls with Jason Blackler when he was at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset shortly after his arrest, according to the affidavit. Rogers arrested her June 16.
“I listened to approximately 10 phone calls and, in the calls, Justine and Jason made it clear Justine had written some, if not a majority, of the checks in the theft case. … Justine acknowledged she did fill out checks to Jason over the past three years and forged (a relative’s) name,” Rogers said.
Justine Blackler pleaded not guilty at her arraignment June 17, according to court documents.
A theft charge rises to class B when the dollar amount of the alleged theft exceeds $10,000. Rogers reviewed copies of the checks involved and calculated the amount of the theft at $42,203.14, according to his affidavit.
Jason Blackler is on probation for a 2015 conviction of class D theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, a misdemeanor, in a case involving the theft of inspection stickers, according to court documents and the Maine Department of Corrections.
In the 2015 case, Blackler was sentenced to 364 days in custody with all but seven days suspended, plus a year of probation, according to the Department of Corrections.
Jason Blackler will make his next court appearance at 8:30 a.m., Monday, July 25. As of Monday, July 18, he remains at Two Bridges on a probation hold.
Justine Blackler was not at the jail as of Monday. A judge approved her attorney’s motion to amend bail June 23 in order to allow her transfer to an inpatient treatment facility. She must return to jail when she leaves the treatment facility, according to court documents. She will make her next court appearance at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 8.
Brunswick attorney Justin W. Andrus is representing Jason Blackler. Andrus was not available for comment.
Waldoboro attorney Philip Cohen is representing Justine Blackler. Cohen did not respond to a request for comment.
