Details emerge in former Greenville police chief’s criminal threatening case
DOVER-FOXCROFT — A former Greenville police chief who was charged with criminal threatening in January had broken an order not to enter a gym and made another police officer fearful of being physically harmed, according to a court complaint obtained Monday.
Jeffrey Pomerleau, 53, of Greenville pleaded not guilty on Monday to criminal threatening, a Class D crime, and criminal trespassing, a Class E crime.
Pomerleau was arrested on Jan. 15. The Piscataquis County District Attorney’s Office did not release information surrounding his arrest at the time.
Pomerleau appeared before District Court Judge Michael Roberts on Monday for his arraignment at the Piscataquis County Courthouse in Dover-Foxcroft. A complaint, filed by Lt. Joshua Guay of the Greenville Police Department in mid-March and obtained from the court on Monday, provided new information about Pomerleau’s arrest.
The criminal threatening charge stemmed from Guay’s fear on Jan. 15 that Pomerleau would injure him physically, according to the court complaint.
The complaint also said that on the same day, Pomerleau entered the Balance Gym & Wellness Center in Greenville Junction, despite being told by Guay and the gym’s owner or another authorized person that he was not allowed in the business. That incident led to the criminal trespassing charge.
Pomerleau began working at the Greenville Police Department in 2007 and retired as chief in 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile page. He then worked in sales and distribution at the United States Postal Service in Rockwood. Pomerleau listed that he was unemployed from January 2022 to March 2022.
Pomerleau worked for the Augusta Police Department from 1991 to 2007, according to information provided by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy last month.
“An officer’s license is tied to employment, and it doesn’t appear that he’s been employed as a police officer in Maine for a couple years,” said Don Finnegan, training coordinator.
During his court appearance Monday, Pomerleau chose to consult with the lawyer of the day, Bangor-based Seth Harrow. When Pomerleau spoke before the judge, he signed a form consenting to speak with Assistant District Attorney R. Christopher Almy.
Almy declined to share details about their meeting following the arraignment.
Roberts scheduled a dispositional conference, which is not a trial, for 11:30 a.m. May 2. A dispositional conference is a chance for the defendant and his lawyer to meet with the prosecutor to talk about the case and see if it can be resolved by agreement rather than by trial.