ROCKLAND, Maine — A plea agreement has been reached between the state prosecutor and defense attorney in a case involving a 33-year-old Rockland woman accused of stealing more than $20,000 in public assistance.
But the hearing scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Knox County Superior Court for Margaret Robinson to plead to the offenses was postponed after Justice William Stokes recused himself at the request of Robinson. Until August, Stokes had been head of the Maine Attorney General’s Office’s criminal division which is prosecuting the case.
Assistant Attorney General Darcy Mitchell told the court that the defense and prosecution had reached an agreement in which Robinson would serve up to 18 months in jail. The 18 months would be a cap for which the defense could argue for less jail time.
Robinson was indicted in April 2013 on two counts of felony theft, two counts of aggravated forgery, 10 counts of unsworn falsification and one count of attempted theft by deception.
According to the indictment, Robinson received more than $10,000 in housing assistance from the Maine State Housing Authority from September 2008 through December 2011. She falsely claimed in paperwork filed with the housing authority that her husband was not living in the household and that he was not contributing income, according to the charges.
Robinson also received more than $10,000 in food stamp benefits during that period by giving the false statements about her husband and household income, according to the indictment.
The indictment further claims that she forged paperwork — false discharge paperwork from Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport and a letter from a local restaurant that she had been hired for a job — to help her retain benefits.
A new hearing on the deal now will be held in January. Robinson is represented by attorney Lawrence Frier. Frier said an extension also was needed because his client had yet to read all the evidence the state has against her.