A woman from the Oxford County town of Mexico who has a long criminal history will spend a year behind bars for trafficking crack cocaine. Sara Paquette, 31, accepted a plea deal this week, pleading guilty to unlawful trafficking in crack cocaine, a class B crime. She was sentenced to three years in prison with all but one year suspended, followed by two years of supervised probation.She will also forfeit $1,573 that she got from selling drugs. That money will go to the Rumford Police Department.The court agreed to give Paquette time to get some things taken care of and ordered her to begin serving her sentence on Aug. 25.Paquette was arrested in May 2020 in Rumford after police spotted her driving with a suspended license. When police searched her car, they found 25 individual doses of crack cocaine in plastic bags, packaged and ready for sale, along with $1,573 in suspected drug money.In 2019, Paquette was convicted of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs and was ordered to pay a $200 fine. In 2018, she was convicted of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs and was sentenced to two years in prison with all but six months suspended, plus two years of probation. She was also convicted in a separate case of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs and was sentenced to serve four days in jail.In 2015, she was convicted of unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs and was sentenced to 60 days in jail.
Sex Crimes
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Friday giving decisions on the prosecution of serious military crimes, including sexual assault, to independent military attorneys, taking that power away from victims' commanders.
Theft
Drug Crimes
Assault
A man accused of killing four people, including his parents, before opening fire on Interstate 95 in Yarmouth has pleaded not guilty, not criminally responsible. Joseph Eaton faced a judge Friday afternoon for all charges against him in both Sagadahoc and Cumberland County.In Sagadahoc County, Eaton faced four counts of intentional or knowing murder in the deaths of Robert and Patricia Eger and David and Cynthia Eaton, aggravated cruelty to animals, nine counts of theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and theft.Eaton's charges out of Cumberland County include aggravated attempted murder, six counts of attempted murder with a firearm, three counts of elevated aggravated assault with a firearm and another count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.Outside the courtroom, Patricia Eger's brother Peter G. DeRaps shared an emotional testimony and a handwritten note, calling Eaton a "evil, selfish coward."The note continues: "We can only hope that justice is served and my heart goes to all those effected by this needless tragedy." On April 19, around 9:21 a.m. police were called to the home on Augusta Road in Bowdoin, where they found the bodies of Eaton's parents and Robert and Patricia Eger.All four had been shot. RELATED: A look into Joseph Eaton's past, the Bowdoin murders and the highway shootingA Sagadahoc County Grand Jury Indictment alleged Eaton stole nine guns from the home where he is accused of all four.Prosecutors add Eaton stole credit cards, money and property valued between $1,000 to $10,000 from the Egers. The documents, however, do not say what was stolen or why.After the discovery of the bodies in Bowdoin, reports began to come in of cars being hit by gunfire on I-295 near exits 15 and 17/East Main Street in Yarmouth.The southbound section of the interstate was quickly shut down in the area as a large police presence descended upon the scene.Sean Halsey, 51, and his two children, Justin Halsey and Paige Halsey, were all taken to Maine Medical Center for various injuries. RELATED: Joseph Eaton facing attempted murder for I-295 shootingFollowing the shooting, Gov. Janet Mills made a statement: "Like people across Maine, I am shocked and deeply saddened – acts of violence like we experienced to shake our state and our communities to the core," Mills stated.The governor continues, adding her thoughts are with families, friends and loved ones of those impacted by the tragedy: "I am praying for the quick recovery of those who are hospitalized."In a final tweet, Mills adds: "There is still much to learn, but I'm grateful to the quick response of State, county, and local law enforcement to protect Maine people."
Murder
In Sagadahoc County, Eaton faced four counts of intentional or knowing murder in the deaths of Robert and Patricia Eger and David and Cynthia Eaton, aggravated cruelty to animals, nine counts of theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and theft.
The Pentagon had already been moving forward with the change. A year ago, the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force set up the new special trial counsel offices, which will assume authority over prosecution decisions by the end of this year. Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, that prosecution authority will expand to include sexual harassment cases.