BANGOR (AP) — The federal extortion trial of a former Chelsea selectwoman is in the hands of the jury.
The jury in Carole Swan’s trial is expected to start deliberating today, following a dramatic Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor in which the defendant took the stand and the judge threatened to hold her in contempt.
Swan is charged with extorting thousands of dollars from a man who had plowing and salting contracts with Chelsea.
The Kennebec Journal reports that Swam testified she was investigating the contractor for defrauding the town by billing for products never delivered, and intended to take the money to authorities.
She was threatened with contempt for mentioning past acquittals against the judge’s express instructions.
Swan was convicted last month of tax and worker’s compensation fraud charges.
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less