AUGUSTA, Maine — A 40-year-old Gardiner man is facing a terrorizing charge for allegedly threatening to get a gun and shoot Gov. Paul LePage.

A Maine State Police affidavit says Richard Lee Andrews told staff at Kennebec Behavioral Health that he knew the governor’s routine and how his bodyguards worked and that he would wait for the right day to obtain a gun and shoot the governor “right between the eyes.”

The Kennebec Journal reported that the threat was made Thursday while Andrews was meeting with therapists and a psychiatric evaluator.

Judge Susan Sparaco on Friday ordered Andrews to undergo a competency examination. He is being held on $10,000 bail.

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201 Comments

  1. Never understood how this type of speech could be actually construed as a literal threat.

    Lots of people say lots of things all the time. I suppose when it is uttered to “people of authority,” they have no choice but to report it.

    I wonder though, would they have reacted the same way if he had said he dreams of one day shooting a non-pubic official, like his boss or someone else? That said, he’s in jail now instead of where he obviously belongs, in a mental hospital.

    Something is inherently wrong here.

    1. Excited utterance, threatening communications, threatening a public official, those are crimes punishable as felonies.  If I sent you a letter saying that I was going to kill you would you notify the police? If you did I would be arrested for committing a crime, if I sent that letter to you from an out of state location I would be arrested by the FBI.
      ts
      If I said it directly to your face then I would be committing a crime as well.

      It does not matter if it is said to you, me, Aunt Mildred, LePage or Obama. Its a crime and we all are protected from these threats under the law.

    2. Once again, IT’S THE LAW.  The Governor had nothing to do with it. 

       As a matter of fact it’s an EXTREMELY COMMON LAW, AND HAS BEEN FOR DECADES. 

       ANYONE FAMILIAR AND QUALIFIED TO COMMENT WILL TELL YOU THAT.

        And yes if it was the Gardner that was threatened the law STILL APPLIES . 

       In other words your assessment, as interesting as it may have been, is rooted in ignorance, and there is nothing Inherently wrong. Hopefully this man  will be assessed and the professional that w0rks with him currently will be involved in that assessment. Therefore hopefully getting a fair idea as to which direction to proceed, Hospital or Prison.

       Why does it matter which way he swings politically? IT DOESN’T”T

  2. I hope BDN will do the right thing and remove comments suggesting that it is too bad this man didnt carry out his threats.
     
    We can disagree on politics and have strong dislike for certain politicians but threats like these are not the least bit funny.

    1. I agree with you. I would much rather see LePage thrown out of office next election than have someone make him a martyr.

          1. As are you. And the nice thing is that neither of us feel the need to threaten, belittle or bully each other.

          2. All right, Chefcater and PDE, this amiability has to stop right now. Have you forgotten that in this day/age, it’s all about US vs. THEM?!?

      1. Or even worse; look what getting shot did for Reagan.  He was bravely cracking jokes and keeping everyone around him calm.  The incident made the man practically politically bulletproof.

    2. How would this guy be able to travel to Jamaica,Florida and Canada and still keep his therapy appointments?

      1. What is the difference of his vacations compared to Obama going on his vacations to Hawaii, Martha’s Vineyard, Chicago and his golf trips, and Michelle Obama and the kids going trips overseas.  The only difference LePage is doing it on his own dime while the Nobamas use taxpayers dollars and taxpayer funded jets to do it.

        1. http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18563_162-20093801.html

          “So far, President Obama has taken 61 vacation days after 31 months in office. At this point in their presidencies, George W. Bush had spent 180 days at his ranch… And Ronald Reagan had taken 112 vacation days at his ranch.

          Among recent presidents, Bill Clinton took the least time off — 28 days.”

          1. The facts won’t stop the same people from posting the same false statements.

            But, holy cow…  180 days ?  112 days ? Sheesh !

    3. Leave it up to gutless commentors on BDN to stand up for this lunatic. Governor LePage is doing what he can to help fix this state. You may not agree with everything he does but at least he is working to help get the state back on track. 

      1.  Veazie David, there are certain issues that an attending M.H. professional has what is called a “duty to warn”. In such cases the therapist has to be convinced that the client/patent/consumer has in fact a plan in place to do harm. Once that is determined, the appropriate agency is notified. Not notifying is a serious matter, especially if the threat is carried out. If in fact the client/patent/consumer is mentally ill and is only ranting, and is not serious, then treatment should be initiated. Obviously (I hope it was not the latter for the assessing individuals sake if this guy has a good lawyer) they had reason to believe this guy intended to carry out his stated intentions. If he was sick and they need to get him help, he may not be as forthcoming with the new assessment as ordered by the judge, hence my other comment. These are not my rules, just they way the law is written in most places.

        1.  PS, the therapist is supposed to inform  the patient/client/consumer, prior to the assessment of the reasons under which confidentiality can be broken without a signed release. So if the MH worker was following the law (and I have no reason to doubt this based on this story) the individual disclosed his plan with the full knowledge that what they were disclosing would/could be reported.

          1. RoostookGuy threats of physical violence are not protected and must be reported by LAW.

          2. If I walk past you on the street and hear you threaten to kill someone I have no legal duty to report it. None.

          3. Correct. But we aren’t talking about anyone. We are talking about mandated reporters. Just like I am mandated to report child and elder abuse that I come across in my official capacity. Or that I am allowed by law to report suspected drunk driver to police authorities.

          4. If you wish to participate in the conversation read all the posts.

            This particular conversation stated with Livia_D commenting on telling your therapist “your deepest thoughts”. After a few comments StuckinNorthCarolinaMainer made mention of “duty to warn”. I responded to RoostookGuy that ” threats of physical violence are not protected and must be reported by LAW.”

            Then you chime in about you walking by me while I make a threat towards someone and you have no duty to act. Your correct, you don’t. But MH professionals have a “duty to warn” which is a duty to act.

    1.  Note to self: Do not tell therapist about daily thoughts of taking over Earth and installing a utopian dictatorship. 

  3. I don’t think LePage is doing a very good job, but anyone wanting to kill him, is carrying things a bit too far.

  4. Murder is always a crime, even if you don’t like the victim. The real shame here is we probably lost one vote to take LePage out of the picture through legal means.

  5. So if someone threatened to “wait ’til the right time” and “obtain a gun” to shoot YOU between the eyes, would it be a crime then? No one has the right to say things like that no matter if you like or dislike who they’re threatening. Criminal threatening is and should be a crime.

  6. So verbally threaten the Governor $10,000 in bail……physically beat your wife and break multiple restraining orders $2000.00   REALLY?????  It should be the other way around.  I just LOVE our brilliant bail commissioners.   Pfffffffft.

    1. Both are a joke. The threats on a governor should put you under remand. Having a record of beating your wife and breaking restraining orders should put you under remand too.

      1. My point George…. that’s it’s NEVER ok to threaten or actually physically attack ANYONE…that being said being the governor does NOT make you anymore special than Amy Lake, Monica Lake or Cody Lake who were all threatened and eventually murdered for all of $2000.00’s worth of bail.  Do I think there is a problem regarding inconsistencies in determining bail in this state…..Yup I do.  Do I like LePlague nope.  Do I want anyone to harm him- of course not….try not to be quite so obtuse.

        1. My question was sincere.  When I hear about people threatening others, non-elected officials, they never go to jail.  But if you threaten a politician with harm you are charged and jailed.  So the implication in my question is this, why is there a double standard based strictly upon the position of who you threaten, not what the nature of the threat is.  I have always been quite verbose about how assault in any form should be taken much more seriously.  You and I are in complete agreement on the inequity of who gets charged, the amount of bail involved, and ultimately the failure of the system to protect Joe/Jane Q public.  By the way, your implication that I am stupid when actually it was you that did not understand me, well, that begs an apology my friend.

  7. How do you know he was receiving benifits from DHHS ? Did you know him from visiting the DHHS office yourself  ?

    1.  I don’t know that for a fact. One would assume that he is pissed off about something that affects him. You don’t threaten the Governor unless it is life changing for you or your family. I seriously doubt he threatened the Governor over the removing of the mural.

      1.  Maybe he has some mental issues and just wanted some attention ?  Maybe he is a Republican fed up with the Tea Party taking control over his political party ? Maybe he was on the wrong medication ?  etc. etc.

    2. Many conservatives seem to think that anyone who disagrees with him are
      jobless liberal hippie communists on welfare. The irony is that, in my
      experience, many of those on welfare are actually far more conservative and jingoistic than the average American.

      1. Many liberals seem to think that anyone who disagrees with them are corporate, poor hating, bible thumping, gun toting, racist members of the tea party extreme. In my expereicne, many on welfare vote liberal in order to presevere the welfare benefits they recieve. Another interesting fact is that Democrats who accuse Republicans of racism should do some research about the Civil War, the attempts to pass Civil Rights legislation under FDR, and the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

        1. History will also show you that Richard Nixon’s infamous Southern Strategy turned those Dixiecrats into the Republicans they are today.

          Facts are stubborn things.

        2. I find that all Conservatives and Liberals are human.  And all have a strong moral or ethical bond with their political affiliation based on a belief that they wish to see the country prosper and feel that their understanding is the only one that makes sense.  I am a Conservative Christian and I love all Liberals as angry as I feel about some of their ideas/ideals.  I love all homosexuals, even though I differ in my opinion of the moral decision they have made.  I have difficulties in my own life that I struggle with, so I am in no position to tell them not to have struggles of their own.  I love those from other faiths.  Nothing they do or say can effect my beliefs and I’m sure they feel the same about mine.  I can only act in accordance with my convictions and hope that my actions speak for them self.  It is my right to believe what I do, and it is your right not to.  That doesn’t mean that I hate you, and that I hope to elicit hate from you.  (“you” being used in general terms to refer to anyone who holds a contrary view).  I feel VERY VERY strongly about my convictions, so I understand how someone who does not share my line of thinking could be just as staunch in defense of theirs.  We will NEVER remain the greatest country in the world, if we divide ourselves by a letter.   R vs D must become R & D.  And it must start at the top.

      2. I find that many of those people CLAIM to be conservative, but once you actually start talking to them it is clear that by conservative they meant liberal.

        1. I find that a lot of people who claim to be “Conservative” are really just extremists in search of justification for being irrational, generalizing about people, and overall just being pig-headed.

  8. I don’t agree with many of the Governors political ideas, but I certainly don’t condone this type of behavior…Peace

  9. Judge Susan Sparaco on Friday ordered Andrews to undergo a competency examination.

    I am certain they will get an accurate assessment based on his last interaction with mental health professionals. I am not condoning threats of violence. Just curious as to how this individual will interact knowing what happened during his last “assessment”.

  10. Talk about patient privacy……unlucky for this guy the staff member voted for LePage. Now if this guy said something like “I felt like shooting my neighbors house” or “I wanted to shoot my dog” they wouldn’t be calling the  the police to let them know about his threat to destroy property or call animal control that this person had intent to kill a harmless animal.

    Politics first, Patient Privacy second. If you ever wondered why some people are not honest, this is a good reason.

    1. Specific threats against specific people have to be reported to law enforcement by mental health professionals. It is the law. It is the law do to the fact that we cannot allow people speaking specifically about committing violence to carry out those desires or threats.

      Dogs do not rate on the same scale as human beings.

      It is the same theory that if a pediatrician sees bruises on a child and does not get an acceptable answer about why they are on the body that results in a phone call to the proper authorities. 

      Rest assured nothappeningBN, if I told my therapist that I wanted to shoot you, named you and said I had your schedule studied and knew when I was going to do it, my therapist would be calling the police.

      1.  The therapist would be risking their license to practice, opening up their agency to massive lawsuits, and possibly prison time themselves if advised by their patient of a believable plan. I was a Mental Health practitioner in a correctional setting for decades and conducted thousands of such assessments, and never once did I ask an individuals political affiliation, as it would be unethical to do so. It is/was not germane to the task at hand. After initial assessment, an an individual is involved in the clinical process, it may arise in therapeutic dialogue , however it would be the patient mentioning it and would not play into any clinical decision making process.

      2. Yours might, not all of them do
        Dog is mans best friend, the animal humane groups pick up on your comment they are going to express their displeasure. In many they are on the same scale in some instances, this is one of them. People can know when their dog sleeps, eats, poops and hangs out with the tough Doberman next door to plan to shoot it without anyone knowing or seeing even.
        This guy does the right thing but saying what was going through his mind while seeking help and instead the state will craft a plan to send him to the gallows. A lot of people don’t admit to any thoughts like this.

        1. Saying “I want to shoot the Governor” is one thing. Saying I know “the governor’s routine” and “how his bodyguards worked” and
          I am waiting “for the right day to obtain a gun and shoot the
          governor “right between the eyes”” is completely different.

          The first is a general statement. The second is a plan, means and opportunity.

          1. Not seeing the proof of means from this article.

            This guy was arrested because of something “staff” heard him say, we don’t even know if it was a therapist or doctor that heard it.
            And an arrest is not a conviction or proof of guilt.

            Too much jumping to conclusions on this one, I have to wonder, has anyone here ever followed a news story before and been eventually surprised at how wrong their assumptions were and at how it eventually turned-out ?

            I guess not…

          2. Let me quote from the Kennebec Journal article which is referenced in the above article.

            “The threat was made on Thursday during a meeting with therapists and a psychiatric evaluator, according to the complaint.”

            So it wasn’t something “staff” heard him say but was a threat allegedly “during a meeting with therapists and a psychiatric evaluator”.

            And I never said he was convicted. Here is the link to the KJ article which has additional information.

            http://www.kjonline.com/news/man-threatens-to-shoot-lepagegardiner-resident-shared-plan-with-kennebec-behavioral-health-staff_2012-03-30.html

          3. Did the guy say specifically that he wanted to harm the Governor of Maine?

            If not, might his lawyer not argue that his client meant the governor of some other country? Or the governor on his combustion engine?

    2. WRONG, if a specific threat is made by a client towards themselves or someone else, it is the law that it be reported. This has nothing to do with politics. This isn’t new law, it been around for a long time. The same would have been done regardless of the politician.

      Why can’t people understand that transparently making a non political issue all about the other guy does not make you right. It makes you ignorant of the laws.

      1. WRONG I know for a fact this is not acted on and ignored in many instances. When someone makes a threat to themselves, they get put in a room, if someone makes a threat to a Gov’t official, calls are made, threaten to shoot at your neighbors house, you still get put in a room

  11. And Lepage wants to close down the mental health clinics. I bet he is rethinking that idea now that it effects him personally.

  12. you know people only have so much patience.Lepage is a bad cat who are treating the poor and disabled very badly and now his deal supporting banks on forclosures are pushing some people right to the edge. a letter went out from mainecare about all the cuts . that starts monday . i really understand his frustration and i sympathize 100 percent 

    1. I like how some people interpret things. The governor says “we need to reform welfare, and cutdown on the abuse and fraud.” A liberal hears “I hate poor people, disabled people, elderly people, and minorities” The governor says “this bill doesn’t do enough for Maine people, and doesn’t penalize the banks enough for their crooked behavior” A liberal hears “I hate poor people, and I only care for rich people.”

      Why is that? I have never understood this. Reading the literal quotes and ignoring the interpreted quotes, how are those bad things?

        1. Any person with any sort of bias hears whatever benefits them. In my case I am trying to be objective and analyze the facts, you claim that I am hearing whatever benefits me, maybe it is you that is hearing whatever benefits you? And please explain how my statement is not true.

          1. My comment was a direct reply to a comment which made such accusations, I don’t believe it is necessarily to give counter examples of the opposition everytimeI make a statement about liberals or conservatives. Notice how the first part of the comment said that I don’t understand how PEOPLE interpret things sometimes, going on to give examples of what is actually said vs. what a liberal hears.  I could just as easily give you examples of what is said vs. what a conservative hears, but since they didn’t apply to the situation I didn’t.

            That being said, what I said was true. I listen to both Liberal and Conservative talk radio, I hear examples of what I stated ALL the time on Liberal radio. Now before you get to excited, the same goes for Conservative radio as well. How often do you hear them accusing Obama of “class warfare?” All because he might want increase taxes on the wealthy as he feels it will increase revenues which may help him pay for various programs that he would like to implement. Or accusing Obama of trying to destroy America because they do not agree with his fiscal policies.
            Just because I make a generally true statement about a Liberal, does not mean I am conservative, and it does not mean that I am not being objective.

          2. OK, and how do you KNOW what a ‘liberal’ hears and that it always bad?  How do you KNOW that?  Making general statements like what someone else hears is very assumptive and judgemental.  We KNOW how that works out.

      1. Sounds like the rejecting the bill was an excuse . If he OKed it could he have presented a new bill that made penalties stringer latter on? It would have been a start. Some of these bank scams are just criminal.

        1. When people make statements like that you can make any person sound evil. The worse part is that you believe that, yet you have no evidence to support your claim. You simply do not like him, and thus you will say whatever.

          1. I have a lot of respect for him I just do not agree with everything he dose.  When my lady friend had her house though the program “Obama make homes more affordable”. She made her payments every month for 18 months The money was put into a suspense account. They sent a foreclosure notice saying she owed $21,000 or they would take her house.  Well anyways they did pay her taxes and insurance.  She got to keep her house buy giving them $8,000 . Mind you she mad her payments every month.  If you ask me that is down right criminal. Every time she would call she was giving the run around.    Someone should go to jail for stuff like that. A lot of people were mislead made the house payments every month and still lost thier houses. You do not know the whole story of some of these bank scams.  So Banks do not have to prove ownership? Show Papers . I wonder if I can go take someones house and just make up saying I own it? 

    2. Once again, lepage thinks he can trump federal law.  I would take it to the SCOTUS, he has no right but he doesn’t let that stop him.  He doesn’t know the law and if he doesn’t like them he doesn’t care about the process.  Is this Maine or Marden’s?

      1. some people are going to push back if lepage keeps doing what he is doing . if someone dies because of what he has done with mainecare. might be some lawsuits wait and see

    1. I tell you what, why dont you come down of your high horse and stop trying to tell people when and how to post and with what frequency? And while your at why dont you answer one of the specific questions that I ask. Its allright, Im sure you think its perfectly fine to threaten the life of a politician you dont like while having a history of chastising those who do it to politicians you do like.

      1. I know you are passionate about this topic,  and I never do this.  I just can’t take it anymore.  It’s alright.  ALRIGHT. Sorry,  I misspell,  or mostly mistype words, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. 

        1.  Laughing.  Some may wish to debate the issue that the it’s the right-wingers who are more prone to violence, but nobody would argue that they are more prone to the use of proper English or the clever turn of phrase. 

  13. “Gardiner man charged for threatening to shoot Paul LePage, police say.”.  Do they mean Governor LePage?
     
    When did BDN lose its journalistic manners?

  14. Kennebec Behavioral Health sounds like a great place for the mentally ill to seek treatment options !

  15. I completely agree that this man should have been arrested and charged, but here is my problem with this.  Why is it that when a husband threatens his wife the exact same way, nothing is done until he either beats her senseless or actually carries out the threat.  One doesnt need to look further than the tragedy in Dexter last year to understand my point.  Why is it that our political leaders of this country somehow are more important than women, children, or anyone else for that matter.  Once again, the right thing was done, but i just wish that it wasnt done because he was the Governor, rather because it was a violent threat against another human being.

    1. Actually Jeff the Dexter case is similar and different at the same time. The man in Dexter was arrested for “criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence criminal threatening” and was awaiting trial on those and two other charges. He was bailed and as part of his bail conditions, he was ordered not to have any contact with his wife. The wife also obtained a protection from abuse order. The rest of the story you already know.

      What this tells me are several things.

      1) When someone makes a threat to do bodily harm they should be taken seriously and if they have access to weapons (which the Dexter man did) then a very high bail is in order.

      2) When you violate your bail conditions you should go directly to jail and sit there until your trial date. THAT would have made a difference in Dexter.

      3) We (as a nation) have a very short memory. We think in 30 second sound bites. So do judges. That is why bail is given over and over even after someone violates their bail conditions.

  16. The guy is mentally ill and hopefully gets some help.  He is only a threat to himself.  Very sad.

  17. I can understand this guys anger but not his threats. I would like to see LePage thrown out of office and stripped of all benefits because he is a bully and a tyrant that likes to intimidate people.   He cares nothing about Maine or its people, and they are his employers!!

  18. He is doing what NO other governor has tried to do for a long time…balance the budget. Maybe he’s making some mistakes along the way, but I  a man who HAS TO WORK to get paid , so he gets my vote of approval.

  19. Ok. Conservatives, put away your six-shooters and Klan hats for a second.  Liberals, put down that Kool-Aid and stable your rainbow sparkle ponies.  Death threats against someone is serious business.  If someone is willing to kill LePage over his ideals, who is to say that if you disagree with this man, you aren’t going to be his next target?  I don’t agree with a lot of the things that LePage has done, but backing this guy and giving him support for choosing to kill a governor is really bad.  If anything, LePage just shot himself  (…in the foot) by making it clear that there are some very mentally disturbed individuals out there that need benefits to receive the sort of treatment that they need. 

  20. This article and some of the posts make me sad. Classless, tasteless and smell of a self righteousness of no hope.

  21. It’s in our best interests to keep folks like this would-be-shooter
    from obtaining firearms. But as concerned citizens it’s time for us to rally in
    support of our governor by limiting his liability in matters like this. Let’s
    all consider making him a lame duck on Nov, 7 making all concerned …. safer.

  22. Everyone got thoroughly bent out of shape on this little item.   

    However, there was one poster who made a extremely significant point.  That poster  acknowledged how cuts advocated by politicians would curtail such state-provided services, which provide valuable assistance to those with similar  psychological problems.

    The story does have another side, one that politicians obsessed with cutting and slashing programs of benefit to the public, should be wary.  

    Cutting a broad swath may eliminate many weeds, but also eliminate many good seeds. 

  23. It’s is asinine for anyone to think,(you would have to have a screw loose if you did).that assassinating any one of the elected officials whether state or federal would actually change anything about the dire current affairs that all states as well as the federal government face at this time.The states and federal government bureaucracy has been allowed to grow so large it took on a life of it’s own and is impossible to reign in without seriously impacting the very people that are targeted to keep funding it, which would be the working poor,the 99%

    1. Obama is currently on course to balloon the federal workstaff and does not care about anything but the expansion of government. We are headed for disaster with this baffoon.

          1. The sad part of the whole political picture is that some how the american public honestly believes that the president of the united states is the sole perpetrator of policy that adversely effects the american public as a whole.It is the house and senate that on a daily basis pass bills or block bills that not only effect us but our children and our children’ s children.Until all the faces change you will never see real change for us the american public.The same toilet bugs keep getting reelected and if not they get appointed to a cabinet position. term limits are the key,but that will never happen as the same toilet bugs get to say yea or nay.

          2.  The real sad part is that you write as though you believe you are some sort of expert. I know that the president is for the most part a mere figurehead, at least compared to the real ‘Powers that Be’ like the bankers, etc. When educated people refer to Bush, they are talking about his entire administration, many of whom were oil insiders and lobbyists. Collectively, they worked as a team to help the wealthy and destroy the middle class.

  24. Another Crazy-Nut-Full of Hate, thank God They got him before got near Governor LePage! The  Crazy Nuts with Guns who assassinated, President Kennedy, President Lincoln,Senator Robert Kennedy, Marin Luther King and tried to kill President Reagan, and the Crazy Nut who shot Congresswoman Gifford’s and killed six people ust last year!! No Crazy Nut should ever be able the Get his hands on a Gun!!! 

  25. If it were against a Democrat the BDN would be crying loud to hang the perpetrator. I believe the BDN is losing it and on its way out. We need a new paper which can report the news.

      1. Nothing cute about it. Yes, I am partisan and have to be to deal with Lepage’s enemies and people such as the likes of you. His enemies are mine, we cannot afford any more Democratic rule at this time. This was serious.

        1. You sound like you are threatening.  It also sounds like you’re as loony as LePlague.  He is a national embarrassment. 

  26. And what obama is doing is different how? Still plenty of lobbyists he promised not to have. No transparency and no accountability.

  27. That sounds about right for a lefty.  They cry and scream when they dont get their way, and if that doesnt fix it, a lil violence will!!  Good job donkeys show your true colors.  You’ll notice an uptick in left responses being the first of the month they were able to make payment on their canceled internet accounts.  (let the comments begin).

  28. This guy needs to get a new act…..this one has already been done…..Leroy Dunn did almost the same thing ,but at least Leroy mailed him a letter !

  29. When a person is threatened the person making the threat should be arrested.  Strange though if you make a threat on the POTUS or in this case Governor your arrested asap.  In Maine you threaten your wife or even beat her and nada.

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