Det. Calaman
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
Houlton Police Detective Kris Calaman was officially named a deputy federal agent last Thursday.
Calaman, along with 17 other Maine law enforcement officers, were sworn in by U.S. Marshal Noel March at the U.S. District Attorney’s office in Portland.
He is the only law enforcement officer in Aroostook County with this designation.
In February, Calaman was contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as they were going to put a task force together. The initiative was directed to help prevent pharmaceutical robbery and curb opiate use in Maine. Being deputized as a federal agent, under Title 18, allows Calaman the right to enforce federal laws in these cases.
“As selected law officers, we are able to prosecute and charge under the Hobbs Act,” Calaman explained.
The Hobbs Act was passed in 1946 as an amendment to the 1934 Anti-Racketeering Act. However, the Hobbs Act has been used in recent years against armed robbers who victimize businesses, according to the FBI website.
“The law criminalizes obstruction, delay or impact on interstate commerce by robbery or extortion with the use of actual or threatened violence,” the website stated.
According to the FBI website, there are three advantages to the Hobbs Act: 1, penalties are hasher than in local prosecutions. Sentences of 20, 30 or 50 years, and even life sentences, have already been handed out by federal courts around the country; 2, since the federal system has no parole, anyone receiving a federal sentence serves out the full term (no early-out for good behavior) and 3, faced with long prison sentences, some of the suspects in these cases will cooperate with law enforcement and prosecutors — giving up names and knowledge of other crimes — in return for reduced sentences.
The other part of the equation is stopping criminal prescribers such as doctors, family or nurse practioners. As a deputized special agent, Calaman can take a closer look at someone who may be writing more than a normal amount of scripts to help combat the opiate problem.
“I am not aware of any cases like this in Maine,” he added.
Last year, Calaman noted that pharmacy robberies had risen in Maine and luckily only one pharmacy robbery attempt has been made in The County.
“This is something we worry about,” said Calaman. “If you were to look at a map of Maine and see where pharmacy robberies have taken place, like post-2011, you will see a really large cluster in southern Maine. Then, it starts to fan north to Bangor. Though there is only one incident in The County, it is fanning out.”
“It hasn’t happened here yet, and I hope it doesn’t,” he added.
Calaman is taking his new role seriously, as he wants to see the initiative thrive through the state. Calaman noted that the opiate problem in the state of Maine has become huge problem. And, most of it, is prescribed.
“I hope to put this [federal designation] to good use in preventing things from happening locally,” he added. “It opens up another door for us to take part in combating drugs.”
