AUGUSTA — Nathaniel J. Dupuis, of Gray, was a good salesman, but a bad taxpayer.

On Thursday, Dupuis pleaded guilty to seven charges of failing to pay sales and withholding taxes while he worked as a vacuum cleaner salesman between February 2006 and June 2008, totaling $87,481.

Dupuis, 40, was charged with two counts of theft by misapplication involving sales tax and withholding tax; three counts of intentional evasion of sales tax; and two counts of failure to collect, account for or pay sales tax while he was alleged to be “an officer, director, member or agent of CNF Enterprises Inc., and/or DNL Distributing, Inc.,” according to an indictment.

Part of the plea agreement in Kennebec County Superior Court includes a ban on Dupuis selling Kirby vacuums and performing any kind of work involving door-to-door sales as well as cold-calling via telephone, Internet or social media during that time.

Under conditions of Dupuis’ deferred disposition, if he pays $15,000 restitution over the next 18 months, plus $1,440 by Sept. 15 to compensate two customers, he can withdraw his guilty pleas to the two felony theft charges.

All charges would then be misdemeanors, and the sentence would be 364 days in jail, with all but five months suspended and two years’ probation, followed by a second 364-day suspended sentence and another year of probation.

Dupuis is also required to continue paying restitution during that time and file all taxes truthfully and on time. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 10, 2015.

At a court hearing in January, Dupuis told a judge he was selling vacuum cleaners in New Hampshire since he was told he cannot collect taxes in Maine.

Here is a list of others sentenced recently during hearings in Kennebec County Superior Court:

• Matthew T. Cooley, 28, of Anson, violation of a protective order Dec. 24, and violation of protective order and violating condition of release Jan. 2, all in Oakland; three-day jail sentence, $1,000 fine.

• Patrick A. Currie, 34, of  Oakland, criminal trespass Jan. 5 in Waterville; $200 fine.

• Saleita Denham, 22, of Madison/Burnham, and two counts of violating conditions of release May 9, 2012-June 26, 2013, in Madison and unlawful possession of oxycodone May 19, 2012, in Augusta; three-year jail sentence, all but 60 days suspended, two years’ probation, $400 fine.

• Jill Longstaff, 37, of Lyman, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs Sept. 29, in Waterville; six-month jail sentence, $400 fine, $100 forfeiture.

• Jeffrey Pease, 41, of Union, unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs and illegal importation of scheduled drugs Nov. 15 in Washington; five-year jail sentence, all but one year suspended, two years’ probation, $400 fine.

• Heather K. Stanley, 43, of Gardiner, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer March 29 in Gardiner; $300 fine, $45.98 restitution.

• John Paul Stevens, 47, of Augusta, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer July 3 in Brewer, concurrent to an 11-month probation revocation.

Betty Adams — 621-5631
badams@centralmaine.com

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