FARMINGTON – Two people have been indicted by the Franklin County grand jury in relation to a shooting incident which occurred in Jay last year, with one man now facing additional drug charges.
Arthur Cohen, 36 of Waterbury, Conn., and Alicia Beck, 36 of Bangor, were both indicted on one count of reckless conduct with a firearm, a Class C felony, by the grand jury earlier this week. Cohen also faces additional charges, including two counts of trafficking, one Class A and one Class B felony, as well as possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a Class C felony.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on April 23, 2020 on Otis Street in Jay. According to an affidavit filed with the court by Jay Police Chief Richard Caton IV, law enforcement responded to the address at 2:40 p.m. after receiving a complaint of shots being fired. Three bullet holes were located in the building and three shell casings from a 9 mm pistol were found in the road.
Witnesses told dispatchers that they heard gunshots and saw a white SUV with out-of-state plates leaving Otis Street, turning left onto Main and heading toward Livermore Falls. Livermore Falls police observed and stopped a vehicle matching that description in Livermore Falls on Main Street, near Cumberland Farms, Caton wrote in the affidavit. JPD Officer Daniel Demers and LFPD Lt. Joseph Sage placed all three occupants of the vehicle into custody.
Beck was reportedly driving the vehicle, while Cohen was in the front passenger seat. The third occupant was released after police determined he had been picked up after the shooting.
Police allegedly located two 9mm handguns in the vehicle, one between Beck’s legs and the other in the door console of the driver’s front door. The handgun found in Beck’s possession was checked and discovered to be chambered with a Sig round, Caton said in the affidavit, with the chief also noting that Sig casings were also found at the scene of the shooting.
Beck and Cohen were both charged initially with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon. Cohen was also charged with illegal possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. According to the indictment, Cohen was previously convicted of the charge of attempt to commit burglary in Connecticut in 2017.
Per the indictment, Cohen is further alleged to have trafficked in 6 grams or more of heroin and/or fentanyl; or 270 or more individual bags of heroin and/or fentanyl, leading to the Class A trafficking charge. The Class B charge stems from an allegation that Cohen also trafficked in cocaine.
An indictment means that after considering the evidence the district attorney has presented, the grand jury believes there is probable cause, or a “reasonable belief” that the crime occurred.
Class C, B and A felonies carry maximum prison sentences of five, 10 and 30 years, respectively.
