The lawyer for Ogunquit Town Manager Thomas A. Fortier entered a not guilty plea Thursday morning on allegations that the town official ordered a parking lot to be open late on a holiday and then failed to turn over money collected at the lot.
Fortier was summoned in August on charges of theft by unauthorized taking and official oppression, which involves someone seeking to benefit themselves or harming another by an unauthorized act purported to be an official act.
He has been on paid administrative leave since he was summoned on Aug. 4 and Ogunquit’s fire chief, Mark O’Brien, has been serving as acting town manager.
A clerk at York District Court said Fortier’s lawyer mailed in the pleas of not guilty to the misdemeanors and waived a court appearance that had been scheduled for Thursday morning. Fortier’s next court date is Dec. 29.
Wells police, who investigated the case at the request of Ogunquit police, said Fortier ordered workers to keep a town-owned parking lot open late on the July 4 and then failed to turn over to the town money collected from parkers. Wells Police Chief Jo-Ann Putnam said Fortier ordered attendants to continue to collect parking fees at the lot after 4 p.m., when parking is normally free and the lot is often used by residents and visitors going to see Independence Day fireworks.
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