Conn. man sues 5 Maine men in assault

BANGOR – A Connecticut man filed a civil lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court against five Maine men convicted of attacking him outside a bar in Island Falls on the Sunday after Thanksgiving 2001.

Hector Rosado, 38, of Waterbury, Conn., is seeking $50,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages from Travis J. Brownlee, 26, and Bud Nason, 30, both of Island Falls, Christopher Johnson, 29, and Matthew Burpee, 28, both of Oakfield and Christopher Nason, 33, of Corinth.

Rosado claims in his suit that he received multiple injuries in the attack that required medical treatment, including a fractured wrist, rib injuries and multiple contusions, as well as emotional distress. The suit also claims that the defendants attacked Rosado, who was in northern Maine visiting his children, due to his ethnicity.

The five men were indicted for aggravated assault by an Aroostook County grand jury in January 2002. Aroostook County District Attorney Neal Adams said at the time that the charge was elevated to aggravated because the group members had Rosado down on the ground and were kicking him in the head.

In May 2002, they were each sentenced to 11 months in jail and one year of probation after pleading guilty to assault. All but five days of the sentences were suspended for Brownlee, Burpee and Johnson, and all but 30 days were suspended for the Nason brothers. All five men were ordered to pay Rosado $850 in restitution.

The suit was filed in federal court because the plaintiff and the defendants live in different states, said Rosado’s attorney, Brett Baber of Bangor.

The men have 20 days to respond, according to court documents.