An Old Orchard Beach man accused of bigamy was returned to Maine last week after he made his first court appearance in New Hampshire.
Michael Middleton, 43, was transferred to the York County Jail in Alfred on March 20, and he made his initial Maine court appearance Friday via video conference, according to the Journal Tribune. His bail was set at $50,000.
Middleton faces charges of domestic violence assault, violation of conditions of release and violation of a protective order. Middleton is also wanted on a 2015 warrant out of Presque Isle for allegedly failing to pay a fine for operating under the influence and operating without a license.
Prosecutors have accused Middleton of marrying women he met online and then vanishing after gaining control of their assets. He is accused of marrying a New Hampshire woman while being married to women in Alabama and Georgia.
Middleton was arrested in Ohio last month after he failed to show up for a court date in Strafford Superior Court in Dover, New Hampshire.
He was transferred from the Franklin County Jail in Ohio to New Hampshire, where he appeared in Strafford Superior Court on March 8, the Tribune reports. A New Hampshire judge set his bail at $1,000.
He will next appear in York County Superior Court on July 10. Before that, Middleton will make appearances on April 22 in Hillsborough Superior Court in Manchester, New Hampshire, and on April 29 at Strafford Superior Court, according to the Tribune.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.