Escapee has drug, assault convictions

Who is Rodney Emmett Williams, and why was he in court Monday?

Williams, 27, was sentenced in Penobscot County Superior Court in late October to six years in prison after a conviction on a charge of trafficking in base cocaine.

All but 18 months had been suspended, and the sentence was reduced a further 47 days for the time he had served.

But incidents in February and May in Brewer and Winterport also played a role.

About the same time as the October drug sentencing, Williams was sentenced to six years with all but 18 months suspended for a burglary and six months for an assault, both in connection with an assault and break-in at a home in Brewer in late February.

According to a police report, Williams was living in Trenton with his 22-year-old girlfriend and their 14-month-old son when, on Feb. 23, the couple came to Bangor to go drinking. His girlfriend told police that they argued at a Bangor bar, that Williams struck her and that they separated.

She went to a friend’s home in Brewer but found no safety there.

Williams broke in the door, forced his way past the friends and forced her back into a bedroom, where he assaulted her, according to the court documents.

She said Williams punched and kicked her, hitting her in the face, arms, shoulder and chest.

Williams fled the home and was found walking along the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge, heading toward Bangor. Authorities seized a small amount of marijuana from Williams.

In that October sentencing, Williams also was charged with failure to appear in court, and his sentences were to be served concurrently. He was ordered to serve four years of probation.

Williams was taken to Waldo County this week for arraignment on another incident, this one stemming from May 19.

Williams allegedly terrorized a woman in Winterport, according to an affidavit filed with the case by Waldo County Sheriff’s Deputy Bryant S. White.

Williams was under a court order to stay away from the woman and threatened to kill her if she told police they were once again in contact, according to White’s affidavit.

It was not clear Monday whether the woman in the Winterport incident was the same woman involved in the Brewer incident. Williams was charged with two counts of violation of an order of protection from abuse and one count of terrorizing. He was indicted by the Waldo County grand jury Nov. 18 and arraigned Monday just before the hijacking.

In a handwritten letter in pencil submitted to the court, Williams indicated he was upset about the Waldo County indictment. He stated he was under the impression that the charges had been part of an earlier plea agreement reached with Penobscot County.