Sumner "Power Couple" Indicted

They insist they didn't steal money and gear from the Volunteer Fire Department.

Gotta wonder if the recent grand jury indictment of the ex-fire chief and his ex-select board member wife in the western Maine community of Sumner means the ATF is coming to shut down their gun shop and shooting range? Also wondering if the gun raffle held yesterday by the shop’s owner (who also happens to be the Forensic Outpatient Services Director at the state’s Riverview Psychiatric Hospital) was illegal under federal law?

I didn’t intend to report, this week, on Bob Stewart and Kelly Stewart’s indictments on felony charges of “theft by deception.” I’m super busy finishing up a three-part Crash Report, called No Hugs for Chuds and don’t have time to write about a small town scandal in my neighborhood in the western foothills. (The Stewarts live the next town over and, as the crow flies, not far from my home.)

However, a tip came in and because I’ve been following the Stewart’s case since last July, I made a couple calls. The DA’s office confirmed the rumor. Both Bob (ex-fire chief) and Kelly (ex-select board member and currently a bigwig at the state’s Riverview Psychiatric Hospital) were indicted in mid-February on “theft by deception” charges about seven months after the pair delivered over a dozen garbage bags filled with fire department equipment, gloves and miscellanea to town hall, then resigned from their positions. A week later, they were arrested, finger-printed, mug shot then charged with “theft by unauthorized taking.”

Mugshots courtesy of Oxford County.

Here’s the background: The alleged crimes came to light after volunteer firefighters noticed severe deficiencies in Sumner’s fire department equipment, safety gear and vehicles that put firefighters, the general public and property at risk. An investigation (costing local taxpayers at least $60k) discovered even more shenanigans. According to the redacted investigative report (18 pages with a 178 page appendix) the outdated equipment was ignored because, Bob Stewart reportedly told other firefighters, there wasn’t enough money in the budget. Meanwhile, as the un-redacted portions of the town investigation and appendix shows (via receipts, photos and screen shots), the Stewarts purchased all sorts of gear and apparel, including pepper spray, that never made it into firefighters’ lockers. Instead, the report alleges, the Stewarts kept some stuff (apparently for personal use) while reselling other merchandise at their Sumner gun shop and firing range known as “Foothills Firearms.”

Needless to say, many Sumner residents are pissed. Not only were lives and property potentially at risk because of the Stewart’s alleged actions, the investigative costs are gonna be footed by property taxpayers. And that’s not even talking about the expense of the Oxford County Sheriff’s subsequent and separate investigation. Not to mention future court and trial costs.

Which brings me back to the question of federal law. I’m no lawyer, but according to the ATF’s “Definitions for the Categories of Persons Prohibited From Receiving Firearms” people under indictment for crimes where punishment is “imprisonment for a term exceeding one year” fall under the prohibited category. The Stewarts were both indicted for Class C felonies which means, if convicted, they face prison terms of up to five years.

Here’s the actual wording: “Section 922(n) of the GCA makes it unlawful for any person who is under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year to ship or transport any firearm in interstate or foreign commerce, or receive any firearm which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.”

Which means yesterday’s gun auction in Sumner by Kelly Stewart is possibly illegal. 

Live on Facebook, after getting home from her day job in Augusta, she raffled a “FN High Power” handgun. The 9mm, manufactured in South Carolina, retails for $1,384. According to Stewart, they sold 65 raffle tickets for “twenty smackers” each, totaling $1,300. Again, according to the letter of the law, her and her husband’s indictment means they can’t “receive any firearm which has been shipped or transported in interstate.”

Here’s the video of the livestream. Full disclosure: At the start of this vid, the “reporter” Kelly Stewart is referring to is me. Like I said earlier, I hadn’t intended to write about this case, but I did make a brief post on social media about the indictment and that Kelly Stewart’s arraignment is scheduled for March 29. I expected Maine newspapers and tv stations to report the same, but as of time of publication…. just crickets.