BELFAST, Maine — Two brothers who impersonated police last fall to steal medical marijuana from a Winterport man have been sentenced to serve nine months in jail.
Jeffrey Hurd of Glenburn and Kerry Hurd of Bucksport pleaded guilty last week at Waldo County Superior Court to several counts related to the incident, though the most serious charges were dismissed by Justice Robert Murray.
Jeffrey Hurd, 47, donned a false Waldo County Sheriff’s Office uniform and brandished a gun during the theft last September. Two other police impersonators — Kerry Hurd, 45, and Scott Roberts, 35, of Glenburn — wore black SWAT team gear as the trio of men went to the Winterport property. The homeowner, a medical marijuana caregiver, asked them to leave. They did run away, but not without grabbing eight marijuana plants. When the homeowner contacted actual police to report the incident, they released high-quality game camera photos of the men to the public in order to identify them.
Both brothers previously pleaded not guilty but changed their minds last week. Each pleaded guilty to impersonating a public servant, criminal trespass and theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, a class C felony charge. Murray dismissed the class A charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon and a class D charge of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.
The brothers each were sentenced to three years in prison with all but nine months suspended and will spend two years on probation, with conditions that include not possessing illegal drugs, firearms or dangerous weapons, submitting to random search and testing for drugs and dangerous weapons and not having any contact with the victim.
Earlier in February, Roberts also was sentenced for his part in the cannabis caper after he pleaded guilty to the charges of theft, impersonating a public servant and criminal trespass. Murray sentenced him to four years in prison with all but 15 months suspended and two years of probation. It was not clear from the court documents why the Hurd brothers had shorter sentences than Roberts.
There will be one final chapter in the saga. Roberts’ girlfriend, April Jones, 28, of Glenburn, also is facing charges of robbery and theft by unauthorized taking in connection with the Winterport incident. She is scheduled to have a status conference on her case at Waldo County Superior Court on Feb. 26.