A former Cumberland County sheriff’s deputy has been indicted on two felony charges tied to the alleged theft of more than $10,000 in property.

Brian Smith makes an appearance in Androscoggin County in July. Screenshot from Zoom proceeding

Brian Smith, 37, of Poland, was indicted by a grand jury this month on one count of theft by unauthorized taking and one count of burglary, Class B charges that each carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.

He is being prosecuted by the Office of the Maine Attorney General, which handles cases involving public officials to avoid any potential conflicts of interest that a district attorney’s office might face. The office declined through a spokesperson to discuss the indictment. They typically don’t discuss pending cases.

The state alleges that between Jan. 4 and June 27, Smith took property worth more than $10,000 from three victims, according to the indictment filed in Cumberland County Superior Court. Prosecutors are also accusing Smith of illegally being in one of the victim’s homes on Jan. 8 in Gray with the intent of committing theft.

A copy of the indictment did not say whether Smith knew the victims.

Smith was released on $2,000 bail and is not allowed to leave Maine before his arraignment, scheduled for early next year.

Sheriff Kevin Joyce said Smith resigned from his position as a sergeant on Aug. 1 while being investigated for a personnel issue. Smith worked for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office for about nine years.

The sheriff’s office declined to answer questions about the case. In a statement issued Tuesday night, Joyce said the allegations in Smith’s indictment are “contrary to the great work exhibited by his co-workers.”

“The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office strives to hire quality employees who have good moral character,” Joyce said. “However, when you hire from the human race, there are no guarantees.”

Smith was placed on administrative leave over the summer, shortly before news broke that he was charged in Androscoggin County with domestic violence reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon. The charges stemmed from a report the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office received alleging Smith had fired his gun within 5 feet of a person in his backyard.

A clerk for the courthouse confirmed that the earlier case was dismissed by the district attorney’s office in September due to insufficient evidence.