An Old Orchard Beach man who is facing bigamy charges in New Hampshire and domestic violence charges in Maine is expected to be returned to New England within two weeks after he waived extradition in Ohio on Friday.
Michael Middleton, 43, whose last known address was Old Orchard Beach, was being held in the Franklin County jail in Columbus, Ohio, after being arrested on a warrant.
After the arrest, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office put up a Facebook post, “Third time’s NOT a charm … This ‘Cupid of Chaos’ is now awaiting extradition to Maine in our jail.”
Middleton waived extradition Friday during a court proceeding in Franklin County, Ohio, according to a prosecutor.
“He agreed the other states do have an interest in him,” said Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Hughes.
The judge denied Middleton bond, “so he cannot be released or get out,” Hughes said. The New England states have 15 days to pick up Middleton, he said, per order of the judge.
There was no word Friday on which state’s law enforcement officers will pick him up. York County Sheriff William King said he has not received an order from the District Attorney’s Office to pick up Middleton. A call to the spokesman at the Sheriff’s Office in Strafford County, New Hampshire, was not returned Friday.
In Maine, Middleton is facing charges of domestic violence, violation of protection order, driving under the influence, driving without a valid license and violating conditions of release.
He faces multiple charges in New Hampshire, including bigamy and domestic violence.
Last month, Middleton was indicted by a New Hampshire grand jury for bigamy. He is accused of knowingly marrying a woman in New Hampshire while being married to women in Georgia and Alabama.
Middleton was scheduled to appear for an arraignment at Strafford County Superior Court in Dover, New Hampshire, on Feb. 7. When he didn’t appear, the court issued a warrant for his arrest, according to the County Clerk’s Office He was arrested the next day in Ohio following a tip.
“Our radio dispatch room received a phone call from someone familiar with the situation,” Gofstein said. The tipster told the Columbus dispatcher that Middleton had warrants and was in the Franklin County area.
After verifying warrants, Gofstein said, “the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center was able to coordinate with the tipster on the whereabouts of the suspect.”
Deputies were dispatched to a location in Columbus, Gofstein said, and took Middleton into custody without incident.
According to a police investigation, Middleton was married to Katherine Lashley of Georgia and Kassandra Shipley of Alabama when he married Alicia Grant of Dover, New Hampshire, in 2013. Investigators believe Middleton has at least one other wife.
Grant and Middleton moved to South Berwick in 2014 and Middleton was arrested for domestic violence there that same year.
Grant, who now lives in Exeter, New Hampshire, told WMTW-TV that Middleton made her feel like he cared about her. He eventually scammed her out of $20,000, The Associated Press reported.
“He makes you feel special. He makes you feel like he actually cares about you, and then he marries you, abuses you, drains your assets and leaves,” Grant told WMTW-TV.
Grant had no idea Middleton had other wives when she married him, the AP said.
The three wives eventually found out about each other, and Grant has been trying to track down Middleton for years to have their marriage annulled, she told the AP.
“The problem is – is that I can’t go and get married to someone else because it’s still on record that I’m married,” Grant told WMTW.
In New Hampshire, bigamy is a Class B felony, with a penalty of 3½ to 7 years in prison. A person convicted of a Class B felony could also receive a fine of up to $4,000 and up to 5 years probation.
Journal Tribune Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf contributed to this article.
Dina Mendros can be contacted at 780-9014 or at:
dmendros@journaltribune.com.
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