Ex-MTA director pleads guilty to theft
Former Maine Turnpike Authority Executive Director Paul Violette yesterday pleaded guilty to felony theft and could spend up to five years in prison as a result. He will be sentenced in two months.
Violette pleaded guilty in Cumberland County Unified Court to stealing more than $150,000 from the turnpike authority through unauthorized credit card purchases and gift card use, according to the Portland Press Herald. The state will request as much as five years in prison as part of a plea agreement with Violette, but his attorney, Peter DeTroy, said he will request much less time. Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin detailed Violette's extravagant purchases using authority funds, including trips to Bermuda, France and Italy, $25,000 spent on a trip to Quebec City for him and his family, and a $1,000 advance at a Puerto Rico casino. DeTroy did not explain why Violette committed these acts, but said Violette may offer an explanation at his sentencing.
Peter Mills took over as MTA director when Violette stepped down in March 2011. In December, Violette and the MTA settled a lawsuit for $430,000, $155,000 of which Violette will personally pay, while the rest will come from bonding companies.
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