ELLSWORTH, Maine — Two men accused of intentionally setting fire to another man’s boat were among 26 people indicted Tuesday by the Hancock County grand jury.
Bradley D. Wilkinson, 39, and Avery A. Scott, 38, both of Gouldsboro, each were indicted on two counts of arson. They allegedly set fire to another man’s fishing boat around 10 p.m. last Sept. 3, while it was on its mooring in the Gouldsboro village of Bunker’s Harbor, according to investigators.
Wilkinson also was indicted on a charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Police said at the time that witnesses saw the two men swimming away from the burning boat. Wilkinson was arrested a short time later after Maine State Police found him soaking wet walking down a nearby road. Scott turned himself in to Gouldsboro police the next day and subsequently was treated for burns at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.
The boat, owned by Christopher Blanchette of Prospect Harbor, burned to the waterline and sank, according to police. It was insured for $38,000.
Three Trenton men accused of stealing metal in a string of thefts throughout Hancock County also were indicted Tuesday.
Devin G. Clark, 20, Brian K. Madore and Joseph L. White, both 19, are suspected of stealing metal with a total worth of more than $10,000 from several properties with locations ranging from Mount Desert Island to Dedham. The burglaries, which occurred last spring, primarily targeted storage structures at businesses, according to Hancock County Deputy District Attorney Carletta Bassano.
Clark, Madore and White each were indicted on three counts of burglary and five counts of theft.
A Stonington man was indicted on charges for crimes he allegedly committed more than 10 years ago.
Wallace Fifield, 61, is accused of sexually assaulting two children multiple times during the summer of 1998. It was years before the children, who were 6 and 9 years old at the time, told anybody about what had happened to them, according to Hancock County Assistant District Attorney Mary Kellett.
Wallace is an acquaintance of the two victims in the case, Kellett said Wednesday. He was indicted on four counts of unlawful sexual contact and one count of gross sexual assault.
Benjamin Buzzell, 25, of Bar Harbor, was indicted Tuesday on a charge of aggravated unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs. Bassano said Buzzell was caught last August in a drug-free zone in Bar Harbor with a certain amount of marijuana that law enforcement officials presumed was intended to be furnished to others. She said she did not know how much marijuana Buzzell was caught with or where in Bar Harbor he was found with the drugs.
Also indicted Tuesday were:
Autumn J. Bragdon, 20, Deer Isle, eluding, driving to endanger, criminal speed, failure to stop for an officer.
Chester Bunker, 41, Bucksport, assault, criminal threatening, terrorizing, obstructing report of a crime.
Georgena E. Comtois, 46, Deer Isle, criminal operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicants, operating a motor vehicle after license revocation.
Delwin R. Faulkingham, 39, Tremont, assault, terrorizing.
Donald C. Fish, 30, Bangor, theft.
Justin T. Frye, Ellsworth, 19, aggravated assault.
Jacob E. Gaspar, 19, Deer Isle, burglary, attempted theft, violating conditions of release.
Walker R. Gaspar, 20, Deer Isle, burglary, attempted theft, violating conditions of release.
Dustin Herbest, 25, Bucksport, burglary, aggravated criminal mischief, theft.
Kyle M. Kettell, 20, Bucksport, burglary, aggravated criminal mischief, theft.
Frank L. Miller, 49, Gouldsboro, burglary, assault, violating conditions of release, aggravated criminal trespass.
Jessica J. Pendleton, 22, Bucksport, theft.
Danielle S. Pratt, 24, Ellsworth, theft.
Bruce E. Sawyer, 54, Deer Isle, burglary, attempted theft.
Christopher W. Spurley, 26, Orland, unlawful sexual contact, assault.
Blaine M. Tate, 23, Bucksport, burglary, aggravated criminal mischief, theft, violating conditions of release.
Mark A. Wescott, 45, Orland, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Logan C. Will, 18, Ellsworth, gross sexual assault, assault.
Morris G. Young, 22, Franklin, domestic violence assault, violating conditions of release.