Serial meal thief sentenced to 90 days

MACHIAS – Elias I. Elias had his restaurant routine perfected: Order dinner and drinks, eat and enjoy, then fake chest pains when the bill arrived in order to skip out on paying it.

The 13th time Elias did that since 2003, the restaurateur in Calais didn’t buy it. When he called for an ambulance, he also called the police. Friday in Washington County Superior Court, Elias pleaded guilty to a Class C charge of theft of services. Justice E. Allan Hunter sentenced Elias to 90 days in jail, following the recommendation of District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh.

Since coming to Maine from California in 2003, Elias, 54, of Bangor has made a habit of pretending to have heart attacks and trouble breathing – just when the check arrives after restaurant meals.

He has caused scenes in public dining rooms across at least three counties in Maine, announcing he has a pacemaker and needs medical assistance. He gets transported to the local hospital and usually leaves before the police arrive.After Elias nearly pulled off the same trick at the Townhouse Restaurant in Calais last Aug. 5, the Washington County prosecutor decided enough was enough.

“He has 18 convictions just since 2003,” Cavanaugh told the court.

In courtrooms in Penobscot, Piscataquis and Hancock counties, Elias has pleaded guilty to 18 various misdemeanor charges, including false public report, criminal trespass and theft of services.

When members of the Washington County grand jury moved to indict Elias last month, they were aware that he had guilty convictions for three similar theft charges – two in Ellsworth just a year earlier and another in Bar Harbor in July.

When Cavanaugh did a more complete search, he came up with Elias’ string of 18 convictions.

Elias’ appointed attorney, Jeffrey Davidson of Cutler, told the court that the homeless and unemployed man just wanted to eat a restaurant meal “like anybody else.”

In the Calais case, the bill came to $39, wine included.

“Even if he didn’t have dignity, he wanted to feel like he did,” Davidson said.

Except both restaurant staff and others enjoying dinner at the Townhouse Restaurant suspected that Elias was faking it from the moment he was asked to pay up.

The Calais Police Department was called. He was issued a summons while still at Calais Regional Hospital’s emergency room.

He has been jailed numerous times in Penobscot, Piscataquis and Hancock counties. Now he’s in jail in Machias. This time, Washington County is picking up the tab.