Charges await jailed Winslow man

SKOWHEGAN — A Winslow man, already in jail, is being accused of a string of Somerset County burglaries that include the theft of items as diverse as a furnace and a toothbrush.

Special investigators with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department completed a five-week investigation this week that resulted in 45 combined charges of burglary and theft against a Peter Gordon, 27.

According to Sheriff Barry DeLong, a report has been presented to the Somerset-Kennebec District Attorney’s Office on charges levied against Gordon, in hopes of having it presented at the next seating of the grand jury, reportedly scheduled for today.

DeLong says there likely were more burglaries.

“We have stuff we don’t know where it came from. And there may be breaks we don’t know about yet,” he said.

Last month, Gordon was indicted on 21 counts of burglary and eight counts of theft resulting from break-ins in Madison in 1993 through 1996. Gordon is in the Somerset County jail on the earlier charges.

The recent investigation resulted in the 45 charges for $18,356.20 in stolen property, $710 in property damage, and $11,555 in recovered items. The department is requesting $13,116 in restitution. The charges include Class B, C and D crimes.

The investigation will continue, DeLong said, to determine the involvement of other people. The department also is attempting to locate the owners of $5,695 in recovered property.

Most of the stolen goods were taken from seasonal homes, many in the remote regions of the county. Thefts were investigated at Lake Moxie, Madison, Solon, Moscow, Skowhegan and Norridgewock.

Recovered property did, in fact, include a house furnace as well as welders, lawn equipment, videocassette recorders, televisions and an assortment of tools. Items were recovered from a variety of sites throughout the county, DeLong said.

People could assist with burglary investigations at seasonal properties, DeLong said, by giving police their names, addresses and phone numbers.

Owners of seasonal properties in Somerset County are urged to check their properties and report any damage or thefts. Anyone who may be missing property is also asked to call the department at 1-800-452-1933.