NEW SWEDEN, Maine — In the last week, police arrested two individuals for their alleged involvement in theft of money from a donation jar at North Star Variety in New Sweden.
The Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office received a report about the theft on Wednesday, Feb. 21, and Deputy Sheriff Corey Saucier soon was able to identify one of the males involved.
The next day, Saucier arrested Matthew Cocheran, 26, at his Fort Fairfield home, charging him with theft and violation of conditions of release, according to a press release issued Wednesday by Chief Deputy Sheriff Shawn Gillen.
Saucier later identified the second male involved in the incident as 41-year-old Jeffrey Thibodeau Jr. of Caribou, who was arrested Feb. 28 by Caribou Police Officer Keith Ouellette, according to Gillen. Thibodeau, who has multiple prior convictions, according to police, was charged with two counts of Class C theft and criminal trespass.
Police said the two men arrived at the store on a snowmobile and that one of them distracted the clerk while the other stole money from the jar that was set up to collect donations for a youth ice fishing tournament.
While investigating the donation jar theft, Saucier also determined that both men also had broken into an impound lot for a Limestone wrecker service and stolen a snowmobile, according to the sheriff’s office.
Both will be charged in connection with that theft as well, Gillen reported.
