Acting U.S. Attorney and IRS Special Agent in Charge Present Equitable Sharing Funds from Township 37 Marijuana Grow Case to Maine Law Enforcement Partners

Contact: Donald E. Clark
Assistant United States Attorney
(207) 780-3257
             
Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, announced the distribution of more than $1.1 million of criminally forfeited funds to eight Maine law enforcement agencies for their participation in the successful federal prosecution of Malcolm French and Haynes Timberland, Inc. Pursuant to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Equitable Sharing Program, the funds have been distributed to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Maine State Police; the Maine Warden Service; the Washington County Sheriff; and the Brewer, Biddeford, Scarborough and Gorham police departments. 

The prosecution arose out of the September 22, 2009 seizure of 2,943 marijuana plants in Township 37, Washington County.  On January 24, 2014, following a jury trial, French was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture over 1000 marijuana plants, manufacturing over 1,000 marijuana plants, managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana, and harboring illegal aliens. His business, Haynes Timberland, Inc., was found guilty of managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana. 

On February 10, 2016, Haynes Timberland was sentenced to pay a $100,000 fine. On April 21, 2016, French was sentenced to 175 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Haynes Timberland and French were also ordered to forfeit $1,550,000, a warehouse compound in Township 31, and a hunting camp in LaGrange that facilitated drug trafficking.  The funds shared today were from the forfeiture of the $1,550,000.