An Eastbrook man who exposed himself more than once at the drive-thru window of a Dunkin’ in Ellsworth has been convicted of a single charge of indecent conduct.
William E. Trowell, 71, was charged by Ellsworth police in June 2023 but pleaded no contest to the charge last week.
Trowell was expected to have a bench trial, without a jury, on the charge on Sept. 18 but instead abruptly decided to change his plea, according to the Hancock County district attorney’s office. Trowell is scheduled to be sentenced on the charge in March, according to court documents.
The misdemeanor Class E charge is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and a jail sentence of up to six months.
At the time Trowell was charged, local police said staff at the donut shop had contacted police repeatedly to complain about him.
“Trowell allegedly had been driving through the drive-thru unclothed, exposing himself to staff numerous times,” Ellsworth police wrote in an incident report.
Ellsworth police eventually sent a plainclothes officer to the doughnut shop — located near Ellsworth High School, next to the Mill Mall on State Street — to wait in the event that Trowell showed up again, police and other officials said. On June 30, 2023, he again showed up at the drive-thru, police said.
“Ellsworth Police Department was present in the business and witnessed similar conduct that was reported by staff,” police wrote in an incident report.
As part of his plea, Trowell was ordered by Judge Terrence Harrigan to stay away from all Dunkin’ locations in Ellsworth, and to get a mental health evaluation, according to court documents.
Robert Granger, district attorney for Hancock County, said Harrigan imposed the mental health evaluation requirement and is expected to consider the results of that evaluation at Trowell’s sentencing. Granger declined further comment.
Trowell’s defense attorney, Joe Baldacci of Bangor, did not respond to a request for comment.
Correction: An earlier version of this story inaccurately quoted Hancock County District Attorney Robert Granger about requirements imposed by the judge after Trowell changed his plea. The judge ordered a mental health evaluation of Trowell, not counseling.