Three St. John Valley men have been charged in connection with a string of northern Maine burglaries, following a joint investigation by state and local law enforcement officials.
“State Police and the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office have been working on a string of burglaries and thefts in the St. John Valley, beginning last summer and continuing into the fall,” said Sgt. Josh Haines, MSP.
Haines said on Feb. 17, Trooper Dan Marquis charged 24-year-old Joshua Pelletier of St. John on three counts.
“Pelletier was charged with theft, operating after habitual offender status and violation of bail. These charges are stemming from a recent investigation of a stolen 2009 Arctic Cat snowmobile taken from the Slybrook Road in Eagle Lake at the end of October 2012. The sled was stripped and sold for parts,” said Haines.
Police also charged J.J. Levesque, 22, of Fort Kent, with theft. In addition, Cody Theriault, 18, of St. Francis, was charged with receiving stolen property.
“During the course of the investigation, Trooper Marquis learned that Pelletier and Levesque were involved in two other burglaries: one at the Hewes Brook Lodge in T14 R7, west of Portage, and another at a camp in Allagash. Several thousand dollars in property was stolen during each of those incidents,” Haines said.
Both camps were damaged during the break-ins. According to Haines, approximately half of the property has been recovered, but many items remain unaccounted for. Officials are asking for the public’s help in recovering additional stolen property.
“This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about these crimes or who may have purchased items from Pelletier, Levesque and Theriault is encouraged to contact the Maine State Police for Trooper Marquis at 532-5400,” said Haines.
