Joshua W. Bonenfant
A local business owner faces a felony theft charge after allegedly stealing a camper from Lake Pemaquid Campground in Damariscotta earlier this week, but said he purchased the camper in what he believed to be a legitimate transaction.
Joshua W. Bonenfant, 37, of Bristol, was arrested Saturday, July 8 on a charge of class C theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, according to Damariscotta Police Officer Erick Halpin.
Bonenfant co-owns Bonus Redemption LLC, with locations in Damariscotta, Newcastle, and Waldoboro.
The Damariscotta Police Department received a call reporting the theft of a camper Saturday afternoon, Halpin said. The owners of the camper had returned to their site to find the camper missing.
The owners of the camper also reported the theft in a Facebook post, posting a photo of the camper and asking people to share the post so “maybe the jerk will be found.” The post was shared more than 10,000 times. Shortly after the post, a tip came in about the possible location of the camper, Halpin said.
Police located the stolen camper at Bonenfant’s residence in Bristol later that day, Halpin said. Bonenfant was subsequently arrested and brought to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset. He has since been released.
In a public Facebook post, Bonenfant said the situation was a “huge misunderstanding.” He said he purchased the trailer from a man at the campground and has a bill of sale for the transaction.
“I believed that I was purchasing the camper with good intentions for me and my family,” Bonenfant told The Lincoln County News.
In his Facebook post and in an interview, Bonenfant apologized to the owners of the camper and to his family, friends, employees, and the community at large for the misunderstanding. He said he “had no idea” that the camper did not belong to the man who sold it to him.
“Anybody that knows me and is close to me knows that this is not something I would do. I truly bought the camper, went camping in it, and it’s been parked in the driveway in front of my house,” Bonenfant said on Facebook.
Bonenfant also faces a charge of class E violation of condition of release, a misdemeanor. He is free on bail in another case with bail conditions prohibiting the possession of alcohol, but police found alcohol at his residence, Halpin said.
After further investigation, police summonsed Jacenta Sencabaugh, 36, of Gardiner, on a class C charge of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, a felony, on Monday, July 10. Halpin said Sencabaugh was not taken into custody. Bonenfant referred to Sencabaugh as his girlfriend in his Facebook post.
Both charges are class C felonies because the camper is valued at $5,000, Halpin said. Any amount over $1,000 elevates a theft charge to a felony.
The camper is impounded and the police department is in the process of returning it to its owners.
The investigation is ongoing, Halpin said. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the police department at 563-1909.
(Editor’s note: Chris and Paula Roberts lease space to Bonus Redemption LLC at 116 Mills Road in Newcastle. The Roberts family owns Lincoln County Publishing Co., which publishes The Lincoln County News.)
