Violette to plead guilty to felony theft charge
Former Maine Turnpike Authority executive director Paul Violette has been charged with felony theft and could spend up to five years in prison as a result. His attorney said he will plead guilty to the charge under a plea agreement with the Attorney General’s Office.
The state on Wednesday filed the charge against Violette for unauthorized use of MTA credit and gift cards for personal travel, meals and other purchases of more than $10,000, according to the Portland Press Herald. Violette’s attorney, Peter DeTroy, told the paper he will plead guilty and has agreed to an eight-year sentence with at least three years suspended. Last March, Violette resigned as head of the MTA after 23 years amid questions over the authority’s spending. According to a lawsuit filed by the MTA against him, Violette redeemed nearly $65,000 worth of gift cards for personal use, spent $140,000 in extravagant travel expenses and used authority credit cards for nearly $25,000 in personal expenses. In December, Violette and the MTA settled the suit for $430,000, $155,000 of which Violette will personally pay, while the rest will come from bonding companies.
A plea agreement hearing has not yet been scheduled. Sentencing will occur 45-60 days after that hearing, according to the paper.
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