By J.W. Oliver
From left: Jeremy J. Geroux stands in court with his court-appointed defense attorney, Justin Andrus, and Assistant District Attorney Andrew Wright Feb. 26. Geroux will avoid jail time despite his guilty plea to the theft of more than $10,000 from a Jefferson home. (D. Lobkowicz photo) |
A local man will avoid jail and repay only $5,000 despite his guilty plea to the theft of more than $10,000 from a Jefferson home.
Jeremy J. Geroux, 36, will serve three years of probation for a class B count of theft by unauthorized taking.
The Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office dismissed eight other charges: class B burglary, a second count of class B theft by unauthorized taking, class C
possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, class D counts of criminal mischief and cruelty to animals – criminal, and class E counts of leaving the scene of an accident
involving an attended vehicle, operating after suspension, and violation of condition of release.
The district attorney’s office previously dismissed all charges against Geroux’s co-defendants: Janice E. Bachelder, 37, of Edgecomb; and Jeffrey H. Lucas Jr., 39,
of Augusta.
The state dismissed three charges against Bachelder Feb. 27: class B receiving stolen property, class D hindering apprehension or prosecution, and class D refusing
to submit to arrest.
The state dismissed four charges against Lucas Jan. 29: class B burglary, two counts of class B theft by unauthorized taking, and class E operating after suspension.
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Wright said Geroux was going to take full responsibility for the burglary and theft when he dismissed the charges against Lucas.
Geroux pleaded guilty to the theft charge in Lincoln County Superior Court in Wiscasset Feb. 26.
“This is very much a compromise plea,” Wright said at the outset of the 20-minute hearing.
Wright outlined the state’s evidence against Geroux.
The victim of the theft is an elver fisherman who had hidden $20,000 in $100 bills inside his home, according to Wright. He returned home March 12, 2014 to find his
home had been broken into and the money and a shotgun taken.
The victim immediately suspected Geroux, who had borrowed money from the victim and knew he had a large amount of cash somewhere in his home, Wright said.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Detective Scott Hayden investigated the case. Hayden obtained cellphone records that placed Geroux in the area of the residence at
the date and time of the burglary.
Hayden discovered that Geroux – who was otherwise “cash-strapped” – spent more than $2,000 in $100 bills at a Brunswick pawn shop after the theft and his girlfriend
paid her rent with $1,000 in $100 bills, Wright said.
Geroux’s court-appointed defense attorney, Justin Andrus, rebutted some of Wright’s claims.
“The problem with this case, from the state’s perspective, is that it’s entirely circumstantial,” Andrus said. He called the cellphone location evidence unreliable
and said he would have called an expert to testify on the matter.
Andrus said the occupants of a nearby residence told law enforcement Geroux visited them that day, which would explain his presence in the area regardless of the
cellphone data.
Andrus said he would have challenged “the existence of the money” and shown that Geroux “had an alternative source” for money.
“There is no evidence” that the victim “ever actually possessed either the money or the firearm,” Andrus had said in a motion.
“All of that put together would have created serious issues for the state,” Andrus said during the hearing.
Justice Daniel Billings sentenced Geroux to a fully suspended three years in prison plus three years of probation.
If Geroux violates his probation conditions, he could go to prison for up to the full three years. His probation conditions prohibit contact with the victim or his
family and require Geroux to pay $5,000 toward restitution.
Billings said Geroux would likely face a much more severe sentence if convicted at trial, but noted the uncertainty of the outcome.
The end result is “one of those sentences that may look weird on the face of it, but given all the uncertainty, is appropriate,” Billings said.
The sentence takes into account the fact that Geroux served at least 45 days in jail after his arrest, although the jail did not credit him with the time for reasons
unknown, Wright said.
The animal cruelty, leaving the scene of an accident, and operating after suspension charges stemmed from separate incidents.
According to court documents and a July 3, 2014 press release from the sheriff’s office, the animal cruelty charge followed the discovery of cellphone photos during
the burglary investigation that allegedly showed Geroux “commit bestiality” with a dog.
The other charges stemmed from an Aug. 9, 2013 accident in Bristol.
Class B and C crimes are felonies and carry maximum penalties of 10 and five years in prison, respectively. Class D and E crimes are misdemeanors with maximum
penalties of 364 days and six months in jail, respectively.
The burglary and theft was in Whitefield, according to the press release from the sheriff’s office. Court documents and the prosecutor’s statements in court,
however, indicate the incident was in Jefferson.
Recent court documents list addresses for Geroux in Dresden and Newcastle, while court documents from the time of his arrest list an address in Wiscasset. It was not
clear where he currently resides.
(Dominik Lobkowicz contributed to this article.)
