March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Ex-County probation officer says he never stole funds

CARIBOU — As an Aroostoook County probation officer in the early 1990s, Francis Witts claimed Thursday he never stole any money during his four-year tenure supervising defendants.

Witts, 46, of Stockholm, is charged with taking $8,921 that 16 probationers paid as restitution when they reported to Witts from 1991 to 1995. If convicted of the Class B crime, Witts could spend up to 10 years in jail.

The Massachusetts native was the last witness in the Aroostook County Superior Court case. The trial was scheduled to end today, but was delayed when Justice Margaret Kravchuk developed a back problem during the morning session and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The trial resumed with Witts’ testimony in the afternoon and with Kravchuk presiding.

Under questioning by his attorney, Jefferson Ashby, Witts continuously claimed that he did not steal any funds.

Dressed in a gray suit, Witts was on the witness stand for about two hours, speaking in a clear, loud voice. Observing were his two high-school-age children and his minister. Witts’ wife, Lauren, heard the last part of his testimony. She had been sequestered as a defense witness, but didn’t testify.

As a probation officer in Presque Isle, Witts claimed he had the largest caseload in the district, which was composed of Aroostook and Washington counties.

The former probation officer said that he preferred to “work in the field,” meeting probationers in the community as opposed to in the office. He said that he was not very good at the paperwork end of the job, including filing receipts.

Money collected from district probation officers was to be forwarded to an office in Houlton for recording and depositing. When asked by Ashby what he did with the funds Witts received from probationers, the defendant replied, “It went to Houlton in every case.”

“Did you ever make mistakes?” Ashby asked.

“Of course I did,” Witts said.

The defense attorney asked if Witts ever forgot to file receipts. “Yes,” Witts replied.

“Did you steal any money?” Ashby continued.

“No, I didn’t,” Witts answered.

Witts said he filed a probationer’s payment of $700 cash for more than a year before it was delivered to the Caribou District Court on the day that the probationer was to appear in court to explain why the funds weren’t paid.

Witts also said he “screwed up” when an elderly probationer asked Witts to fill out a check of $500, and he then made the check out to himself. The check later was cashed.

Under cross-examination, Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin pointed out that the $500 check was cashed the day before Witts delivered the $700 in various denominations to the Caribou District Court.

Also during cross-examination, Witts denied that he told the District Court clerk that the probationer had just come in with the $700, contrary to the clerk’s testimony earlier this week. Witts said that the cash was found in the probationer’s file.

When confronted by his former supervisor regarding other missing restitution funds, Witts said at the time that he would pay it if it meant keeping his job.

Robbin also asked Witts about his job as an executive director of a mental health agency in Massachusetts in the late 1980s. However, Ashby objected to the line of questioning, and the jury did not learn that the agency was investigated by the state for financial improprieties.

Ashby also objected to Robbin’s questions about Witts’ financial problems in 1993. The jury did not hear that Witts had declared bankruptcy in that year.

Each attorney will address the jury this morning, followed by the judge’s instructions. The jury will retire for deliberations.


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