Maine's Most Wanted Environmental Criminal Caught In Massachusetts

November 3, 2005

Attorney General Steven Rowe announced today that Harry J. Smith, Jr., an environmental criminal listed on Maine's Most Wanted List, was apprehended this morning at a salvage business in Everett, Massachusetts. In July, 2003, the Superior Court in Washington County ordered Smith, 65, to serve 6 months in jail for violating probation linked to criminal convictions concerning tire stockpiles at his junkyards in Meddybemps, Maine. At the time of his probation revocation, Smith was also free on post-conviction bail following his convictions in February 2003, for hazardous waste crimes committed at the same junkyards in Meddybemps. He was sentenced to one year on the hazardous waste crimes, but appealed the convictions to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The Court denied his appeal on December 2, 2003, and he was ordered to serve his one year sentence. He has to date failed to serve either the six month sentence for the probation violation or the one year sentence for the hazardous waste crimes.

Smith is now in the custody of law enforcement officials in Massachusetts and is scheduled to be arraigned in Chelsea District Court. In the next few days, the Attorney General will arrange for Smith to be returned to Maine, and will likely charge Smith with additional crimes related to his failure to report to jail.

Rowe said, "Through some fabulous police work and a bit of good luck, Smith is finally behind bars where he belongs. Let all who might flaunt our environmental laws and ignore our court orders take note of what our system promises for you."

Smith's capture was spearheaded by Attorney General Detective Charles "Chick" Love with assistance from the Portland office of the U.S. Marshals Service.

LEANNE ROBBIN, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, 207-626-8581