Federal appeals court upholds prosecution of couple in Franklin County marijuana, money laundering case

PORTLAND — A federal appeals court Tuesday affirmed the U.S. District Court’s denial of Lucas and Alisa Sirois’ motion to end the federal prosecution against them for a multimillion dollar illicit marijuana operation and money laundering scheme in Franklin County.

Prosecutors said the couple, whose specific addresses in the county could not be confirmed, failed to show that their marijuana operation complied with Maine’s medical marijuana laws. As a result, prosecution will continue in federal court, according to a news release from Craig Wolff, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine.

The couple sought to stop their prosecution by invoking the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, which prohibits the Department of Justice from prosecuting cases that would interfere with states’ ability to implement their own medical marijuana laws, Wolff wrote.

“But because the defendants could not demonstrate that their operations complied with Maine law, the appellate court held that the U.S. Attorney’s prosecution did not run afoul of the Amendment. Indeed, as reflected in the Court’s opinion, Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy requested the federal government to investigate the defendants because it believed that they operated as a collective, which was illegal under Maine law. The Court further concluded that Lucas Sirois failed to rebut evidence presented by the government that he knowingly engaged in more than a million dollars’ worth of black-market sales of marijuana,” Wolff wrote.

Lucas Sirois and several co-conspirators are alleged to have realized more than $13 million in proceeds over six years through the illicit sale of marijuana, including from black market sales outside of Maine. The alleged conspiracy involved recruiting co-conspirators to cultivate marijuana on his behalf, creating an illegal collective, and then laundering the proceeds through a complex network of corporations he controlled.

Sirois faces 11 charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud and tax evasion.

Alisa Sirois faces three charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and bank fraud.

Five conspirators have pleaded guilty to charges and await sentencing, with charges pending against others.

The Siroises and nine others were indicted in November 2021 by a federal grand jury in Bangor.

In October 2023, a federal judge dismissed charges against co-defendants James McLamb of Auburn and Kevin Lemay of Farmington, former law enforcement officers in Oxford County and Wilton.

A 12th defendant, Kayla Alves, then 37, a former assistant district attorney in the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office, was never indicted but pleaded guilty in March 2022 to a federal charge of tampering with documents. She told a former law enforcement officer allegedly involved in the marijuana operation that he was under investigation and deleted text messages with him, according to federal court documents. She was sentenced to two years of probation and fined $2,000. She was dismissed from her position when the investigation and related activities came to light. Her license to practice law was suspended but has since been reinstated.

Two ex-Franklin County sheriff’s deputies, Bradley Scovil of Rangeley and Derrick Doucette, pleaded guilty in June 2023 in federal court to conspiracy to defraud and deprive residents of Franklin County of their right to the defendants’ honest and faithful services through bribery, according to court documents.

Defendant David Burgess of Rangeley, a former selectmen there, also pleaded guilty in 2023 to three federal charges, admitting his involvement with a lucrative illegal marijuana and money laundering ring that operated in Franklin County. As part of a plea deal, he’ll spend no more than nine years in prison.

Defendant Ryan Nezol of Farmington pleaded guilty last year in federal court for his role in an illicit medical marijuana operation and money laundering scheme in Franklin County.

Another co-defendant, Brandon Dagnese of Windham admitted to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, after entering a plea agreement in March 2023 with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The agreement requires him to spend no less than 30 months and no more than three years in prison.

Defendants Kenneth Allen of Farmington, Robert Sirois, father of Lucas Sirois, of Farmington, and Alisa and Lucas Sirois have not entered pleas in the case.

An additional defendant, Randal Cousineau, 69, of Strong was the primary financier and half-interest partner with a co-conspirator in an illegal marijuana cultivation and distribution scheme, based in Farmington, according to federal officials. He pleaded guilty in 2021.

He agreed three years ago to forfeit any property and money that was connected to the charge including:

• Property and assets held by Sandy River Properties that includes real estate at 374 High St. in Farmington.

• Property and assets held by Lakemont.

• Property and assets held by Narrow Gauge Distributors Inc.

• A total of $264,220.50 held at Franklin-Somerset Federal Credit Union in the name of Lakemont.

• A total of $15,676.36 held at Franklin-Somerset Federal Credit Union, also in the name of Lakemont.

Lucas Sirois was partners in several properties that are jointly owned by Cousineau. Those properties are under indictment and not resolved.

None of the defendants, other than Alves, have been sentenced.