AUGUSTA — A city woman who pleaded guilty Monday to various offenses committed at least some of the crimes to pay her fines for previous criminal convictions, her attorney said.
Elizabeth A. Munster, 37, of Augusta, was sentenced to an initial 10 months in prison, with the remainder of her five-year sentence suspended while she spends two years on probation. The sentence was imposed during a hearing at the Capital Judicial Center.
Munster’s attorney, Scott Gurney, asked the Judge Eric Walker to suspend both of them, saying Munster already owes $5,000 in fines.
“Quite frankly a lot of the criminal activity when she gets out is to pay her fines,” Gurney said.
Walker agreed to make the two new fines concurrent, meaning Munster will be fined a total of $1,000.
The sentence wraps in a number of offenses, including operating after suspension, unlawful possession of heroin, refusing to submit to arrest and violating conditions of release, all of which occurred Oct. 20, 2017, in Augusta. She also pleaded guilty to additional charges of refusing to submit to arrest and violating conditions of release that occurred Sept. 16, 2016, in Hallowell.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Frayla Tarpinian, told the judge that an Augusta police officer saw Munster in the passenger seat of a running car on Oct. 20, 2017, and got Munster’s OK to search for illegal drugs. Munster was on bail conditions that made her subject to search.
Tarpinian said the officer found needles, other paraphernalia and powdered residue believed to be heroin.
The prosecutor said Munster then got into the driver’s seat of the car and put it into gear, apparently trying to get away. However, the officer managed to put it back in park.
Tarpinian said Munster refused to submit to arrest by kicking the officer and was “flailing and punched him in the face.”
The sentence included fines of $1,000 for the operating after revocation conviction and $400 for the drug possession conviction.
Munster currently is under an order to pay $25 a month each to courts in Augusta and Belfast.
Walker warned Munster that if there are problems on probation, she could end up serving several months in prison.
In exchange for the pleas, other charges were dismissed by the state.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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