Joshua Cory Frances, Federal Program Fraud and Wire Fraud, Maine 2015

PORTLAND, Maine – Joshua Cory Frances, 46, of Falmouth, Maine, is headed to federal prison after a federal judge slammed him with a five-year sentence today for a brazen scheme involving federal program fraud and wire fraud. Frances, formerly the Commander of Maine Task Force One (MTF1), exploited his position and pilfered funds intended for emergency medical services.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen didn’t show leniency, also tacking on two years of supervised release to the five-year prison term. Frances was ordered to pay a hefty $87,351 in restitution to cover the damage he caused, and the government is seizing his ill-gotten gains – a 27-foot Boston Whaler boat, two marine outboard engines, and a trailer. He pleaded guilty on October 27, 2021, but that didn’t save him from a significant stretch behind bars.

Court records paint a damning picture of Frances’s greed. As Commander of MTF1, a team overseen by the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and funded by FEMA and Maine Medical Center (MMC), Frances had access to valuable resources. Instead of utilizing these resources for their intended purpose – augmenting emergency medical personnel for events in Maine and northern New England – he treated MTF1’s property as his personal playground. Between 2015 and 2016, he converted a 44-foot sailing vessel and the aforementioned Boston Whaler, along with its engines, for his own use.

But the theft didn’t stop there. Frances also engaged in outright deception, falsely claiming to be a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employee and a member of law enforcement. He used this fabricated identity to swindle the Defense Logistics Agency and other victims out of over $150,000 worth of property, much of which he then pocketed. It was a calculated and cold-blooded operation built on lies and a blatant disregard for the law.

Federal investigators were quick to condemn Frances’s actions. Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General of DHS, stated, “The DHS Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice individuals who fraudulently claim affiliation with DHS for personal gain. This sentence should send a clear message that these fraudsters will be held accountable.” Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that Frances’s conduct “undermined the integrity of the DoD’s disposition services program.”

The investigation was a collaborative effort, involving DHS-OIG, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Maine Attorney General’s Office, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Falmouth Police Department, and even support from the FBI, MEMA, the Towns of Falmouth and Brunswick, FEMA, and MMC. It’s a stark reminder that when you steal from the system, a lot of agencies are watching – and they’ll come down hard on you.

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