Joel Dudley, Perjury, Maine 2023

A Westbrook man has been convicted of perjury in a federal court in Maine.

Joel Dudley, 29, was found guilty of making a false declaration to a federal court after a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Portland. Dudley testified at a hearing on a motion to suppress statements he made during an interview with law enforcement agents in connection with an investigation of him for possession of child pornography.

According to court records and evidence introduced at trial, Dudley falsely testified that he repeatedly invoked his right to counsel during the interview, but that agents continued to question him in violation of his constitutional rights.

The jury concluded that Dudley's suppression hearing testimony was knowingly false and material to, or capable of influencing the outcome of, the hearing at which he testified.

Dudley was previously convicted of possession of child pornography on February 25, 2014, after a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court.

He faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on the child pornography charge, and a maximum sentence of up to 5 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on the false declaration charge.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Westbrook Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Wolff can be contacted at (207) 780-3257 for further information.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/westbrook-man-convicted-perjury