Rochester man facing enhanced jail time for prior convictions

Jeffrey Emmons (Rochester Police photo)

ROCHESTER - A Rochester man indicted in November on a laundry list of felony charges including burglary and assault has been indicted on additional drug and theft charges, including receiving stolen property for allegedly having in his possession a flashlight taken from the Rochester Walmart.

Jeffrey Emmons. 35, of 26 Soapstone Lane, drew five indictments from an April grand jury at Strafford County Superior court, including theft by unauthorized taking in the Walmart incident, plus four other charges involving heroin and fentanyl possession.

Fentanyl is synthetic opioid some 30 times more powerful than heroin and blamed for a huge percentage of recent overdose death across Maine and the Granite State.

The flashlight incident occurred in February 2015, while the alleged drugs offenses occurred in August and September of 2015.

The four drug charges have maximum state prison sentences of seven years apiece while the alleged flashlight theft could draw another seven years for a total of 35 years behind bars if convicted on counts.

The enhanced penalties are due to Emmons two prior shoplifting convictions and prior drug conviction in November 2010 in Strafford County Superior Court.

In November Emmons was indicted on burglary, witness tampering and assault charges as well as for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs in to a female Strafford County Jail inmate.

The November indictment resulted from Emmons involvement with accomplice Chad Cullen in robbing a Manatee Drive residence on March 16, during which time they allegedly injured the owner of the property by hitting them in the face with a speaker box, causing a facial fracture.

Emmons was also charged with trying to get Cullen to not mention his name when talking to authorities during the investigation.

In a separate July incident, Emmons is charged with felony drug possession and felony delivery of articles prohibited for allegedly trying to smuggle Suboxone to a female inmate inside the Strafford County Jail.

Cullen, 32, of 329 High St., Hampton, N.H., was also indicted in November on burglary and assault charges stemming from the March Manatee Drive incident.

The April Strafford County grand jury indictments were handed down last Thursday and released on Tuesday.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt, only that enough evidence has been gathered to warrant a trial.