Ex-Chelsea official indicted on federal charges
A former Chelsea selectwoman who was arrested by the state last year was indicted this week on 22 federal charges, including extortion and tax fraud.
Carole Swan was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Portland, and her husband, Marshall, was also indicted on 10 charges, according to the Kennebec Journal. Swan, who served as a selectwoman for 19 years, is accused of demanding $20,000 in kickbacks from Frank Monroe Construction in exchange for town plowing contracts. Swan also awarded Marshall Swan Construction, a company she and her husband owned, a nearly $400,000 town contract for a culvert project. The couple allegedly deceived town employees on the true cost of the project, which was paid for with Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, leading to fraud charges.
They are also accused of underreporting their income on their taxes by $600,000 over a five-year period, and Carole Swan allegedly made false statements to get federal workers' compensation based on her previous employment with the U.S. Postal Service. Both face fines of up to $250,000, and Carole faces jail time of up to 20 years per charge, while her husband faces 10 years per charge, according to the paper.
Swan was arrested last year by state authorities and indicted on state charges of aggravated forgery, attempted theft and improper compensation for services. She pleaded not guilty to those charges, which the state could decide to drop in light of the federal charges.
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