![]() She earned an associate degree in medical science from Thomas College in Waterville, according to court documents, then worked as a medical secretary in Kingfield and married her high school sweetheart, Glenn Viles, in 1971. Viles grew up in Anson and graduated from Anson Academy in 1967, a “completely caring and honest girl in spite of working in a very corrupt political world,” according to her mother, Mary Farley, who was among the letter writers. “Anyone is going to be grateful to someone that breaks the rules for them.”īut it also may have been simpler than that, according to Butts, who said that, “Once people decide they like you, it can be hard, especially in a community setting, for that to be broken down. ![]() “Undoubtedly, people that get that kind of favoritism are grateful,” Robbin said. Many of the kind acts detailed in the letters of support for Viles have a “darker side” that is related to the theft in some way, she said. Through its investigation, the attorney general’s office learned that Viles allowed some residents to pay less on their motor vehicle registrations or get away with not showing proof of insurance, a state requirement, Robbin said. “If something was going on, certainly any kind of illegal activity at the level the state suggested, they would have seen it and they didn’t.”īut favoritism that Viles showed some residents might have played into the large amount of support she received, according to Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin, the case’s prosecutor. “These are the people that know her the very best and have been around her the entire time she was tax collector,” said Viles’ attorney, Walter McKee. In nearly 50 letters submitted to the Somerset County Court on behalf of Viles, many supporters - including family, friends, residents and local professionals, even the principal of an elementary school and a tax collector in a neighboring town - detailed Viles’ unwavering generosity and thoughtfulness. A few are, but they’re a small proportion.” “Most of the people who get caught up in the justice system are not evil people in all areas of their life. “It’s not unheard of for good people to commit crimes in fact, it’s common,” said Jeffrey Butts, director of the John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center, a criminal justice academy in New York City. It’s not unusual for people with good reputations to commit crimes, especially white-collar offenses such as embezzlement, or to have large support from members of their community, according to at least one criminal justice expert. Viles, who is free while the verdict is appealed, did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this article. The prosecution, though, says they also found evidence Viles played favorites by bending or breaking the rules for some people, helping to shape the portrait of a small-town tax collector who would go above and beyond to help. Many of her supporters say her compassionate and trusting character is at odds with her criminal conviction. 2 to serve five years in prison and pay $566,257 in restitution. Viles, 66, who maintained her innocence throughout her trial and vowed to fight “as long as I am breathing” to clear her name, was sentenced Sept. 2 during her sentencing at Somerset County Superior Court in Skowhegan. Claudia Viles listens to victim impact statements Sept. Authorities say she manipulated adding machine tapes to hide her takings in what the Office of the Maine Attorney General has called the largest-ever instance of municipal theft prosecuted by the state of Maine. ![]() Meanwhile, though, she was committing felony theft as Anson’s tax collector, embezzling more than $500,000 in excise taxes over several years from the coffers of a town with a population of about 2,500. After a single phone call, Viles had booked them plane tickets to come back to Maine. She also once “saved the lives” of a neighbor and her sisters who had moved to Oklahoma and needed to escape the hand of their abusive father. Viles was the leader of a group of friends who would take spontaneous road trips each year that included time not just for fun but also an emphasis on doing something for others. She is “the kind of person you dream about having in life as a friend,” according to one woman who said Viles helped her get through leukemia. Claudia Viles, Even After Tax Theft Conviction, Commands Community Favor The former Anson tax collector’s supporters say her compassionate, trusting character is at odds with her criminal conviction the prosecution says Viles’ kindness had a “darker side” that included favoritism.ĪNSON - Claudia Viles was a “Secret Santa” who anonymously dropped off presents for needy children around Christmas, a doting mother and grandmother who persevered after the loss of her son to a drug overdose, and a friend who showed up at just the right time to talk or go for a walk. ![]()
2 Comments
8/15/2023 12:22:36 pm
Thank you so much for letting me express my feeling about your post.
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8/15/2023 12:49:30 pm
Viles was the leader of a group of friends who would take spontaneous road trips each year that included time not just for fun but also an emphasis on doing something for others. Thank you for sharing your great post!
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