March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Jury acquits Rome man of federal fraud charges

BANGOR — A Rome man on Wednesday escaped federal fraud charges for the second time this year.

Joseph E. Barbioni was injured in February 1986 while working for the U.S. Postal Service. After being diagnosed as fully disabled, Barbioni began to receive federal Workers’ Compensation benefits that August.

But the U.S. government alleged that from June 1993 to February 1994, Barbioni owned and operated a trading post in Rome. In his defense, Barbioni claimed the business was his wife’s, and that he only occasionally dropped off items on his way to the doctor’s office.

Indicted in November 1994 on charges that he defrauded the government, Barbioni’s first trial in U.S. District Court ended in a mistrial in March when the jury found itself deadlocked after 11 hours of deliberating.

Although the government decided to prosecute the case again, a jury on Wednesday acquitted Barbioni of all 13 counts.


Have feedback? Want to know more? Send us ideas for follow-up stories.

comments for this post are closed

You may also like