BANGOR – Richard Greene, the city councilor arrested and charged with misdemeanor forgery in January, was arrested again Monday on charges stemming from an unrelated incident.

Greene, 51, of Bangor was arrested shortly after 5 p.m. Monday after the Bangor Police Department received a theft complaint from the Hannaford Supermarket on Broadway, Police Chief Ron Gastia confirmed Monday night.

In addition to being charged with theft, Greene was charged with violating the conditions of bail from his arrest on Jan. 10 on a misdemeanor forgery charge, the chief said.

After his arrest, Greene was taken to Penobscot County Jail in Bangor, where he was being held without bail pending an appearance today in 3rd District Court in Bangor.

Gastia said Greene is accused of attempting to leave the Bangor store with a shopping cart containing just more than $100 in grocery items that he did not pay for. Gastia declined to specify what items were in the cart. It was not immediately clear whether the alleged shoplifting incident occurred Monday or at an earlier time.

Despite his legal troubles, Greene remains a member of the Bangor City Council, though not an active one.

Bail conditions from his January arrest include no contact with witnesses, including City Manager Edward Barrett and finance director Deborah Cyr, both of whom routinely attend council meetings.

That provision has prevented Greene from participating in council meetings and other council activities.

Greene served as chairman of the council last year and is now in the third year of his second three-year term, which expires in November. Under the provisions of the city’s term limits rule, Greene would have to take a year off before seeking another term.

City councilors learned of Greene’s latest arrest shortly before a regularly scheduled meeting Monday at City Hall.

Council Chairwoman Susan Hawes declined to comment, saying that statements she made in January with regard to Greene still stood.

At that time, she issued a news release in which she said:

“We have confidence in our judicial system and we will wait for its processes to be completed before coming to any judgment on this matter. We urge the public to do the same. Our thoughts are with Councilor Greene and his family at this difficult time.”

Pending a legal resolution to the case, the statement concluded, “the city will have no further comment on this matter.”

Neither city staff nor councilors would comment on the latest developments Monday.Monday’s arrest came three weeks before Greene’s forgery trial was scheduled to take place. The trial originally was set for April 15, but later was continued to June 3.

The forgery charge stems from allegations that Greene submitted a bill to the city on which he allegedly forged Barrett’s signature. He was released from Penobscot County Jail on his own recognizance the day of his arrest, Jan. 10.

He was charged with a Class D misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.

During a Feb. 7 appearance in District Court, Greene’s attorney, Marvin Glazier, entered a not guilty plea on Greene’s behalf.

During a brief telephone interview on Jan. 22, Greene told the Bangor Daily News that he would fight the charges and that he would be “vindicated of all claims.”

According to an investigation by staff from the Maine Attorney General’s Office, Greene submitted an invoice to the city seeking a $9,000 payment for “usage fees” for the public display of nine of the mayoral portraits he had taken dating to 1997-98. The portraits line the halls of the top floor at City Hall.

Greene, who owns and operates Klyne Studio, also allegedly submitted two other invoices that did not bear Barrett’s signature. No charges have been filed in connection with either of those two invoices.

One of them sought $9,500 for restoring mayoral photos, which had not yet been restored. The other was $325 for a portrait of Councilor Hal Wheeler, which had not yet been taken.

Greene never received payment for any of the invoices.

dgagnon@bangordailynews.net

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