A lieutenant with the Cumberland County Jail was indicted March 10 on five class B felony theft charges in what police are calling a case of elder abuse against his own father.
Scott M. Jordan Jr., 36, of Standish, faces four counts of theft by unauthorized taking and one charge of theft by misapplication of property.
According to Waldoboro Police Officer Larry Hesseltine, Waldoboro resident Scott Jordan Sr. was admitted to the hospital in May 2014 with medical issues and signed power of attorney over to his son, Jordan Jr.
During the time he held power of attorney, Jordan Jr. allegedly “sold thousands of dollars of his father’s property,” including items from Jordan Sr.’s antique shop on Old Route 1, Hesseltine said.
Jordan Sr. rescinded the power of attorney from his son in July, but Jordan Jr. still had possession of his father’s 2003 Chevrolet pickup and three firearms and allegedly refused to return them, Hesseltine said.
The son had signed the truck over to himself while he still held power of attorney, and maintained Jordan Sr. was not in the right state of mind to possess the firearms, Hesseltine said.
Police found the son had listed the truck for sale on Craigslist for $7,900, Hesseltine said.
In November 2014, assisted by the Maine State Police, Waldoboro Police Department executed a search warrant on Jordan Jr.’s Standish home and recovered the vehicle and firearms, Hesseltine said.
Jordan Jr. was arrested without incident and charged with felony theft, Hesseltine said.
The indictment against Jordan Jr. lists firearms or explosive devices as the subject of three of the theft charges; over $10,000 of property or services for the fourth charge; and currency, a vehicle, antiques, and personal belongings valued in excess of $10,000 as the subject of the fifth charge.
Chief of Police Bill Labombarde described the case against Jordan Jr. as “a classic scenario of elder abuse.”
According to Hesseltine, anyone holding power of attorney is obliged to make decisions that are in the best interest of the person they’re representing.
“There is no statute for elder abuse, it falls under theft,” Hesseltine said, describing it in another manner as “financial exploitation of the elderly.”
A call to Jordan Jr.’s attorney, Kent Murdick, was not returned by press time.
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Naldo Gagnon confirmed Jordan is a lieutenant for the county’s jail, and that he has been on paid administrative leave since November due to the pending criminal charges.
Jordan is due to be arraigned on the charges in Lincoln County Superior Court on April 27 at 8:30 a.m.
If convicted, Jordan could face up to 10 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine for each class B charge, according to the Maine Criminal Code.
