A former governor of the Indian Township Passamaquoddy Tribe has been sentenced to five years in prison for misusing $1.7 million in tribal and federal funds.
Robert Newell, 65, was convicted in November on 29 counts of conspiracy and misapplication of tribal and federal funds while he served as governor from 2002 to 2006. Also found guilty on 11 counts was James Parisi Jr. of Portland, 45, the tribe’s former business manager. According to a press release from the office of U.S. Attorney Paula Silsby, Newell diverted money from intended programs and paid thousands of dollars illegally to himself, his family members and senior officials. Most of the money, however, was used to pay general assistance to tribal members.
Newell was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay all $1.7 million in restitution to victims of the fraud, the release states. Parisi is scheduled to be sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor, according to the Bangor Daily News.
