Two to be extradited to Florida Medway, Bangor residents held on unrelated charges

BANGOR – A Medway man summoned this week for indecent conduct and a Bangor mother of a 7-month-old infant are both expected to be returned to Florida to face separate and unrelated charges there, after they waived extradition Friday in a Bangor court.

In waiving their rights to a hearing to challenge extradition, Richard Lee, 33, and Carrie Cohen, 29, appearing in 3rd District Court in Bangor, agreed to an expedited return to Florida where they are wanted in separate incidents. Police in that state have 30 days during which to come pick them up.

Lee violated his probation in Escambia County, Fla., including moving without the consent of his probation officer, failing to pay restitution, and failing to complete community service, according to court documents.

Cohen is wanted on a felony credit card charge in Columbia County, Fla., where officials issued a warrant for her arrest 10 months ago.

Lee has some familiarity with the Maine courts, something he acknowledged when he appeared before District Court Judge Jessie Gunther early Friday afternoon.

“Long time, no see,” said Lee, who has recent convictions for negotiating a worthless instrument and furnishing liquor to a minor.

“Not long enough,” Gunther retorted.

Lee was arrested in Greenbush on Thursday for what Detective John Trask of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office said Friday was two warrants for failure to pay fines on both those convictions.

No bail was set for Lee, who the Penobscot County prosecutor learned moments before the hearing had been summoned this week in East Millinocket on a charge of indecent conduct. Assistant District Attorney Brendon Trainor said he was told of the summons about five minutes before the court hearing Friday afternoon and alerted Gunther to the revelation.

Trainor said he hadn’t seen any police reports about the incident and therefore couldn’t comment on what prompted the summons by police. Officials with the East Millinocket Police Department could not be reached for comment.

The latest incident is not expected to affect the extradition, although prosecutors in Penobscot County may move up any arraignment hearing on the indecent conduct complaint before Lee returns to Florida, Trainor said.

Cohen was arrested June 28 in Bangor while police were investigating an assault complaint she filed against her boyfriend and learned the woman was wanted in Florida.

Bail already had been set for Cohen, but at $5,000 cash or surety, she said it was too high for her to meet. She asked the judge whether it was too much to ask to lower the bail to $500 as she has a 7-month-old daughter whom she hasn’t seen in eight days because Cohen has been incarcerated.

“I’m afraid it would,” the judge said, although Gunther offered to review extradition policies to see if there are any allowances for reducing bail after extradition has been waived.

Trainor said after the hearing that he suspects that provisions are in place that would prohibit reducing bail.

“The whole purpose is to hold them in place so that the other state can come get them,” Trainor said.

BDN reporter Nick Sambides Jr. contributed to this story.