A Bangor man whose license was suspended led police on a brief chase through a residential area Monday afternoon that ended when the man lost control of his car and became stuck in the mud.

Jeffrey Fox, 35, who also goes by the name Scott Fox, was charged with eluding a police officer, failure to stop for a police officer and operating a motor vehicle as a habitual offender. The incident is still being reviewed, but the police officer who pursued Fox said at times he was going 65 to 70 mph and wasn’t gaining on Fox’s car.

Fox didn’t stop through four stop signs and struck some wooden posts during the mile-and-a-half chase through the Old Capehart section of the city, police said.

Officer Brent Beaulieu had tried to stop Fox’s car after being alerted that Fox’s license was suspended, only to have the green Chevrolet Lumina that Fox was driving accelerate on the Finson Road and then pull quickly into Pray’s Mobile Home Court.

The car’s license plate had expired and Fox didn’t stop when Beaulieu activated the cruiser’s blue lights, but did stop after Beaulieu sounded the siren.

The stop was only momentary, however, as Fox drove off when Beaulieu got out of his cruiser and tried to approach the once stationary Lumina, according to police.

Fox ignored stop signs as he sped through Capehart, skidded through some intersections and even struck wooden posts along the way before getting bogged down in some mud. Beaulieu pulled his cruiser up so that his bumper blocked any quick escape effort out the front door just as Fox tried to flee, the officer reported. Beaulieu drew his gun and Fox raised his hands in the air and was arrested.

In addition to the charges filed, Beaulieu was recommending that Fox also be charged with criminal speeding and driving to endanger and noted that the license plate on the car actually belonged on a GMC pickup truck.

A report of stolen checks led Brewer police to charging a 29-year-old Brewer man with not only stealing the checks but also in connection with the theft of more than $6,000 in equipment from his former place of employment and boss.

John Turner was charged with forgery, criminal possession of marijuana, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia and three counts of theft.

The owner of Lindsco Equipment Co. told Brewer police March 1 that two checks had been stolen from his checkbook and cashed for $250 each. Both checks were cashed by Turner, who had been an employee at Lindsco and was a suspect in the theft of two welders worth about $5,500 combined, reported Brewer police Officer John Knappe. The owner also had filed reports in recent months about missing equipment, including a generator that had been stolen from his residence in Bradley.

The checks were cashed on Feb. 27 and 28, about a week after Turner opened an account at the Brewer Federal Credit Union.

As well as being a suspect, Turner was wanted on a warrant in Oxford County so Knappe and Cpl. Jason Moffitt went to speak to Turner at his residence. Turner let the police in and they could smell burnt marijuana inside the home. Upon questioning, Turner admitted to smoking marijuana and also showed police a plate he had hidden under the couch that he admitted contained crushed OxyContin.

Knappe said Tuesday that Turner admitted to taking and cashing the checks and using the money to buy OxyContin and also admitted to taking the welders and generators and to selling them.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Doug Kesseli