Police have arrested four local men and a Palermo man on charges of aggravated forgery, a class B felony, as a result of a cooperative investigation on the part of several county and municipal departments and state police.
Frank Arbour, Jr., of Palermo, Daroyl Wilson, 20, of Jefferson, Nathan Brewer, 21, of Nobleboro and Tom Hourihan and John Hourihan, all of Damariscotta, face charges in the case, which is “still an active, joint investigation,” Chief Steven Drake of the Damariscotta Police Department said.
According to staff at Two Bridges Regional Jail, Tom Hourihan and John Hourihan posted bail and were released Aug. 6. Wilson, Brewer and Arbour remain at the jail.
Agencies including the Maine State Police, the Lincoln, Knox, Androscoggin and Waldo county sheriff’s offices, and the Damariscotta, Bath and Lewiston police departments contributed to the investigation.
Drake said police suspect the group of possessing about $5000 in $20 and $50 bills as well as $4500 in counterfeit payroll checks.
“We think we’ve got most of [the bills],” Drake said. Store owners turned in some bills, Drake said. According to an affidavit from Drake, filed Aug. 11 for a search warrant request, Wilson burned some of the bills.
Drake called the investigation an “excellent example of police cooperation and coordination.”
“Everyone did their part,” he said.
Drake said police might create a task force to continue the investigation.
