He’s back in court

FARMINGTON – A Livermore Falls man was back in jail today, 20 days after agreeing to refrain from all criminal activity for two years.

Dylan Couturier, 19, has been arraigned on charges of unlawful possession of schedule drugs, a Class D misdemeanor, and violating the conditions of his release, a Class E misdemeanor, after police say they found drugs in his vehicle.

Couturier was one of seven arrested and eventually convicted of a number of burglary, criminal mischief and theft charges after a two-night crime spree in June 2008. While Shane C. Sturgeon, 21, of Livermore, Timothy D. Lagasse, 19, of Farmington and Zachery Heath, 19, of West Farmington, all received jail sentences, the District Attorney’s Office had been willing to strike a more favorable deal with Couturier, due to his cooperation during the case and due to authorities believing he was only present at one of the two nights.

The perpetrators inflicted the damage over the course of two evenings in June 2008. Two dozen camps and homes on both the New Vineyard and Strong sides of Porter Lake suffered extensive damage that included windows and doors smashed out with furniture apparently thrown through the windows. Pieces of furniture left inside the homes and camps were overturned and smashed. Also, items used in the vandalism, such as flashlights, pry bars and axes, were found belonging to the other neighboring camps.

The state believes that the four men, assisted by three juveniles, broke into the camps to find alcohol.

Couturier, due to his cooperation, was offered a two-year deferred disposition. If he refrained from using illegal drugs and alcohol, committed no new criminal activity and helped pay back $5,214 in restitution, the 11 burglary charges he was facing would be dismissed.

“If he can actually do this,” Assistant District Attorney James Andrews told the court at the time, “at his age, he deserves to not have the felonies on his record.”

Judge Valerie Stanfill agreed with the reasoning on the state and Couturier’s defense.

“A lot of people have expressed confidence in you,” she warned him on June 3. “Let’s hope that confidence is well placed.”

However, Farmington Police Officer David Galvan reported that he pulled over Couturier’s vehicle on Depot Street at 12:15 p.m., on Tuesday, for having an inoperative brake light. Upon learning of Couturier’s legal conditions, Galvan said he searched the vehicle and discovered a white envelope containing eight pills.

The police allege the pills were Darvocet, a narcotic pain reliever. Galvan arrested Couturier and charged him with possession and violating the terms of his release.

If convicted, the two-year deferred disposition agreement leaves Couturier facing an open sentence on the 11 burglary charges, as well as seven aggravate criminal mischief charges, four criminal mischief charges and a theft by unauthorized taking charge.

Couturier was arraigned today on the two new charges in front of Justice Joseph Jabar at the Franklin County Superior Court. The court set bail at $700 cash. Couturier’s next scheduled court date is on Aug. 6 on the new charges.