CAMDEN, Maine — A 57-year-old Camden businessman who was sentenced three months ago to serve two years behind bars for cocaine dealing is being sought by police after he failed to report to jail.
Edward Tosswill was scheduled to report to authorities on June 1 as ordered during his sentencing hearing March 14 in Knox County Superior Court. The warrant for his arrest was issued by the court on June 7.
Tosswill is described by Knox County Jail as 6 feet, 1 inch tall, 170 pounds with blue eyes and blond hair.
Tosswill faces deportation from the United States after he completes his jail term. He is a native of the United Kingdom but has lived in the United States since 1985.
He pleaded no contest March 14 to three counts of trafficking in cocaine in June and July 2010. A confidential informant was used by police and on one occasion Tosswill met with the woman and provided her cocaine in the parking lot of a Camden restaurant.
Drug agents followed the Camden man to his home after that transaction and searched his home. Police arrested Tosswill and seized both his station wagon and $15,683 in cash found at the home.
Superior Court Justice Jeffrey Hjelm sentenced Tosswill to four years in prison with all but two years suspended, placed him on probation for another two years and fined him $400 for each drug conviction.
At the sentencing hearing, Tosswill’s attorney, Steven Peterson, said his client would have difficulty paying either the fine or $1,680 in restitution for drug money used by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the cost of testing the substance that later was confirmed as cocaine.
Peterson noted Tosswill was no longer working but had a financial interest in a local landscaping business that he had helped run.
The judge agreed to allow Tosswill to remain free after sentencing until June 1 because Tosswill said he has personal matters to deal with before he began the jail term.
Gosh what ever happened to the good ol’ days when if you were convicted of a crime you went straight to jail. Usually there is plenty of time between being arrested and tried to get your affairs in order. Why was there a three month period between his conviction and his going to jail. I mean really it isn’t like making a reservation for Club Med where you have to wait for an available room.
He is long gone, never to be seen in Maine again. Dunno whether it is a good thing he is gone or if he should be caught and we pay for his housing for the next four years. The article didn’t mention anything about any bail being set.
He needed and was granted time for personal matters? Isn’t that special! Probably hadn’t confiscated his passport either.