A judge decided Monday that a man arrested during a federal raid on the home of a leader of the Outlaws motorcycle club can be released on bail pending trial.
Kenneth Chretien, 46, was arrested a week ago during a raid at the house he owned in Old Orchard Beach with his brother-in-law Thomas Mayne. Mayne was killed in a shootout during the raid by federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Chretien left the house some 20 minutes after the exchange of gunfire and then, according to the ATF, refused to comply with their orders and at one point rushed an agent.
Agents fired nonlethal rounds at him, but without effect, according to court papers. Eventually, an agent used a Taser on Chretien and, when threatened with a second disabling shock, he submitted to arrest, agents said.
Chretien appeared in U.S. District Court in Portland on Monday to argue that he be released on bail. He waived a hearing on whether the government had probable cause to arrest him on charges of resisting a federal search warrant.
He agreed to conditions of release that require him to post a $10,000 bond and to maintain his job as a self-employed master plumber. The conditions prohibit him from associating with anyone who might be a witness in the federal case and with any members of the Outlaws club.
Appearing in an orange Cumberland County Jail inmate jumpsuit, his long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, Chretien told the judge that he understood the conditions and would abide by them.
Chretien’s lawyer, Randall Bates, asked for one modification of the bail conditions. Chretien would like to attend his brother-in-law’s funeral in Old Orchard Beach on Saturday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Wolff argued against it, saying that allowing him to associate with group members could pose a danger to the community.
Magistrate Judge John Rich said Bates and Wolff should discuss ways of mitigating the risk, and if they cannot reach agreement, he will issue a ruling.
Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at: dhench@pressherald.com
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