March 28, 2024
Archive

Canadian man sentenced in Bangor

BANGOR – A Canadian man arrested last December as he attempted to cross the border into Maine at the Aroostook County town of Hamlin was sentenced to six months in prison recently for making a “false, fictitious and fraudulent” statement to immigration officials, according to a superseding indictment issued on him in April.

Francois Gauthier, 32, also known as Tony Divalerio, has a lengthy criminal history, according to court records. He was ordered to complete two years of supervised release following his prison term. He was remanded to jail and will be sent to a federal prison yet to be selected.

The sentencing took place July 31 at U.S. District Court in Bangor. U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal presided.

According to court papers, Gauthier approached the Hamlin border crossing at 10:45 a.m. on Dec. 21, 2000. He told an immigration inspector that the purpose of his visit to the United States was to go to Lawrence, Mass., to pick up his girlfriend’s parents and return to Canada the next day. He produced a Quebec driver’s license and a Canadian citizenship card both in the name of Tony Divalerio. When asked, the man told an immigration official that he had never been arrested, cited, indicted, convicted, fined or imprisoned for violating any law.

In fact, Gauthier has an extensive criminal history in Canada including a 1988 conviction in Quebec for robbery and other offenses, a 1991 conviction in Quebec for forcible confinement, theft over $1,000, attempted robbery, disguise with intent to rob, robbery, fraud and use of a firearm during the commission of an offense. His criminal history also includes a 1992 conviction in a Quebec court for robbery, disguise with intent to rob, conspiracy, kidnapping and pointing a firearm. Two drug-related counts were dismissed at sentencing. Judge Singal ordered Gauthier to be turned over to immigration officials upon his release.

Also sentenced July 31 was Daniel Parks, 25, of Fairfield, who was ordered to prison for 12 months after earlier pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Parks was jailed following the hearing but has filed an appeal in the matter.


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

comments for this post are closed

You may also like