FARMINGTON – A Strong man pleaded guilty to a felony terrorizing charge on Thursday, relating to threats made to Maine School Administrative District 58 employees early last year.
Christian A. Richards, 28 of Strong, pleaded guilty to terrorizing, a Class C felony, as well as a related misdemeanor terrorizing charge in Franklin County court. Sentencing on the pleas was delayed for two years as part of a deferred disposition agreement.
The charges Richards pleaded guilty to stem from an incident which occurred on Jan. 7, 2021 at Strong Elementary School. According to an arrest affidavit filed by Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Det. Stephen Charles, he received a report of a disturbance at the school involving Richards on Jan. 7 at approximately 8:12 a.m. Charles went to the elementary school where he located Richards sitting in a vehicle in front of the main entrance. Charles wrote in the affidavit that Richards seemed agitated about a disagreement with Strong Elementary.
District staff told the detective that there had been an ongoing issue between Richards and the school. Richards had reportedly yelled at a staff member over the phone that morning, Charles wrote in the affidavit, then arrived at the school and attempted to enter the building while continuing to yell and curse. Richards also allegedly pounded on office windows and windows in the entryway doors. Staff refused to allow Richards inside and locked down the school.
Richards was arrested and transported to Franklin County Detention Center. He was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury on the terrorizing charges in late April.
Per the sentencing arrangement, Richards’ sentence will be deferred for two years. If he meets the requirements of the agreement, including attending counseling, taking prescribed medications and not engaging in future criminal conduct, he will be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea to the felony terrorizing charge and instead receive a 364-day suspended sentence on the misdemeanor plea. Richards would be on probation for an additional year following that outcome, yielding a total of three years of supervision.
If the terms of the deferred disposition are violated, Richards would be sentenced on the felony terrorizing charge.
Other conditions of Richards’ agreement include no contact with three MSAD 58 employees, that Richards is not to return to Strong Elementary and that he is to have no possession of dangerous weapons, with random searches for same.
