MADISON — The superintendent and a foreman at the Anson-Madison Water District have each been charged with theft after an investigation determined they had sold old water lines to a scrap metal dealer and pocketed the proceeds, according to the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.
Superintendent Michael Corson, 52, of Madison and foreman Michael Jordan, 31, of North Anson are charged with Class C offenses, according to a statement that Sheriff Dale Lancaster released Monday to the news media.
The investigation began in October when the Sheriff’s Office received a tip from a member of the water district’s board of trustees that employees were selling scrap metal that belonged to the district, according to Lancaster.
“The employees were allegedly not transferring the money received from the old lines/scrap metal back to the Anson-Madison Water District,” Lancaster wrote.
There were 21 transactions between March and October in which old water lines were sold to the scrap dealer, with the money from the sales divided among district employees, according to the sheriff.
Construction equipment owned by the Madison-based water district was used to deliver the lines to the scrap dealer, Lancaster said.
He declined to say how much money was collected through the sales.
“I haven’t said how much money (was made), but as a result, we’ve charged the superintendent and foreman,” Lancaster told the Morning Sentinel on Monday. “We’ve been consulting with the district attorney’s office, and these are the charges that the DA is willing to move forward with.”
Phil Curtis, a member of the water district’s board of trustees, declined to comment Monday and referred questions to the Maine Rural Water Association, which did not reply to a telephone message. The association helps municipalities operate their water systems. Curtis said the group might have additional information relating to the charges announced Monday.
Corson’s and Jordan’s employment statuses were not clear Monday.
The water district is overseen by its board of trustees. It is not a municipal department of Anson or Madison.
The suspects are scheduled to appear Feb. 16 in court.
Maeghan Maloney, the district attorney for Somerset and Kennebec counties, said Monday a Class C theft involves property valued between $1,000 and $9,999. It is punishable by up to five years in prison.
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