FARMINGTON — A Windham man who pleaded guilty March 24 to a federal charge connected to an illicit $13 million medical marijuana and money laundering scheme is required to forfeit a truck and $40,000.
Brandon Dagnese, a co-defendant in the case, admitted to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, after entering a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney Office.
The agreement requires him to spend no less 30 months and no more than three years in prison. If the government decides that Dagnese will serve less than 30 months, U.S. Attorney’s Office may withdraw from the agreement. If the court decides that a sentence of more than three years is appropriate, Dagnese can withdraw from the agreement, according to court documents.
Dagnese and his Portland attorney, Luke Rioux, signed the plea agreement Dec. 12, 2022. U.S. Attorney Darci N. McElwee signed the agreement March 22.
According to the prosecution, from at least 2018 through about the spring 2020, Dagnesse agreed with co-defendant Lucas Sirois, as well as other co-conspirators, to distribute quantities of marijuana on the illicit market in Maine and Massachusetts.
Dagnese would receive dozens of pounds at a time of various strains of marijuana. He would then sell the bulk marijuana to customers who were not participants in Maine medical marijuana program, including midlevel drug dealers in Massachusetts. Subsequently Dagnese paid Sirois from the proceeds from sales.
“At all times relevant to this course of conduct, Dagnese was not a registered medical marijuana caregiver with the state of Maine,” according to the prosecution.. “In total, during this time period, Dagnese sold approximately $1.3 million worth of marijuana on the illicit market.”
According to a notice of forfeiture from the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, an order was entered into the record that Dagnese is required to forfeit a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD truck and $40,000 in U.S. currency, which was seized from Brandi A. Champagne and Brandon J. Dagnese on July 21, 2020, in Windham.
In the past two weeks, four of the other 11 indicted in 2021 have pleaded guilty under agreements with the U.S. government.
Ryan Nezol of Farmington admitted Monday to a charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances before Judge Lance Walker in U.S. District Court in Bangor.
Prosecutors allege Nezol traded marijuana on the black market for more than 2.2 pounds of cocaine. According to the plea agreement with U.S. attorneys, Nezol will spend no more than 46 months in prison.
Two former Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies, Derrick Doucette of Jay and Brad Scovil of Rangeley, pleaded guilty June 22 to conspiracy to commit honest and faithful services fraud through bribery. The agreement calls for the men to spend not more than 57 months in prison.
Former Rangeley Selectman David Burgess pleaded guilty June 22 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and “impede and impair” the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the dismissal of seven charges. He will spend no more than nine years in prison under a plea agreement.
Kayla Alves, a former Franklin County prosecutor, who was not indicted in the case, pleaded guilty to tampering with documents in March 2022. Alves was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.
Randal Cousineau of Farmington pleaded guilty in 2021 to conspiring to possess and distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and 1,000 marijuana plants. He reached a plea agreement in April 2021 with federal prosecutors, who are recommending a sentence of up to 63 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics.
Lucas Sirois, his estranged wife, Alisa Sirois of Kingfield, and his father, Robert Sirois, filed motions in U.S. District Court in Bangor this week asking the court to drop charges, claiming the federal government cannot use federal money to prosecute people in states where medical marijuana is legal.
Several of those who have pleaded since June 22 were initially part of the dismissal motions but did not go forward with the Siroises.
The cases of Kenneth Allen of Farmington, Kevin Lemay of Farmington and James McLamb have not been resolved. Three properties co-owned by Lucas Sirois have also not been resolved. They and Alisa Sirois and Robert Sirois have all plead not guilty to charges.
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