SKOWHEGAN — A Somerset County grand jury has indicted the former superintendent of the Anson-Madison Water District on a new computer crime charge after prosecutors dismissed a slew of theft charges against him earlier this year.

Michael Corson, 55, of Madison was indicted on one Class C count of aggravated criminal invasion of computer privacy when the grand jury met last Thursday in Skowhegan, according to court records released to the news media by the district attorney’s office.

The indictment alleges Corson “did intentionally or knowingly damage a computer resource of Anson-Madison Water District, having no reasonable ground to believe that he had the right to do so.”

The alleged crime was committed in Madison between Nov. 23, 2021, and March 12, 2022, according to the indictment. Corson’s employment with the district was terminated in December 2021, according to previous news reports.

An indictment is not a determination of guilt, but indicates enough evidence exists for a case to move forward to trial.

The recent indictment comes after more than 2 1/2 years of back-and-forth from prosecutors, which a lawyer representing Corson previously called a waste of time and prosecutorial resources. Prosecutors have dropped and refiled charges multiple times since 2021 in a case that Maeghan Maloney, district attorney for Kennebec and Somerset counties, has said is about corruption in a public agency.

Corson and a district foreman, Michael Jordan of North Anson, were originally charged with theft in December 2021 following a Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigation into a tip from a member the water district’s board of trustees. Prosecutors alleged that Corson profited from selling about $12,000 worth of old water lines that belonged to the district.

In February 2022, the charges were dropped after the district attorney’s office said it had learned of new evidence.

Prosecutors soon reversed course, and indicted Corson later that month on two counts of theft. Jordan was not indicted at the time.

About the same time, Corson was named in a federal lawsuit filed by the water district in U.S. District Court in Bangor, alleging he had changed passwords to important water district email and software applications while on administrative leave, and did not provide them after he was fired. Water district staff members regained access to the accounts soon after the lawsuit was filed.

It is not clear if the actions described in the lawsuit are related to the new computer privacy charge. Both sides agreed to dismiss the lawsuit in May 2022, according to federal court records.

Corson, meanwhile, pleaded not guilty to the theft charges in April 2022.

In August 2023, a superseding indictment added another two counts of theft. Corson ultimately faced Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E counts of theft by misapplication of property. The different classes account for different dollar amount values of the items stolen, with the most severe Class B count alleging theft of property with a value of more than $10,000.

Corson was set to face trial for the four counts in March. The state, however, dismissed the charges the day the trial was set to begin at the Somerset County Superior Courthouse in Skowhegan and filed a complaint for the computer privacy charge.

The grand jury also indicted the following when it rose last Thursday:

• Crystal Theresa Cougle, 31, of St. Albans, theft by unauthorized taking and violation of condition of release, Feb. 20, in Palmyra.

• Charles Hastings, 54, of Hudson, aggravated assault, April 10, in Athens.

• Darren L. Costa, 58, listed as transient, theft by unauthorized taking and criminal trespass, April 15, in Skowhegan.

• Debbie Dorr, 59, of Bingham, theft by unauthorized taking, Feb. 13, in Bingham.

• Douglas Andrew Hemond, 44, listed as transient, burglary, criminal mischief, theft of services and three counts violation of condition of release, between April 3 and 7, in Skowhegan.

• Douglas Andrew Hemond, 44, listed as transient, elevated aggravated assault, robbery and burglary, April 18, in Skowhegan.

• Dustin Ryan Hutchins, 39, of Skowhegan, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, trafficking in prison contraband and violation of condition of release, May 17, in Skowhegan.

• Dylan J. Pomerleau, 31, of Skowhegan, domestic violence assault, April 10, in Skowhegan.

• Emilee Deeds, 27, of Lorain, Ohio, unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, Feb. 14, in Skowhegan.

• Hillary R. Barney, 32, of Cornville, unlawful possession of scheduled rugs, unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs and falsifying physical evidence, April 21, in Skowhegan.

• Jose Hernandez, 36, of Clinton, domestic violence aggravated assault and domestic violence terrorizing, March 29, in Fairfield.

• Justin L. Richards, 35, of Ripley, unauthorized use of property, Feb. 2, in Ripley.

• Joshua L. Martin, 28, of Bradford, two counts of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, March 25, in Fairfield.

• Jennifer L. Lynch, 43, listed as transient, theft by unauthorized taking, Dec. 29, 2023, in Skowhegan; forgery, Dec. 27, 2023, in Skowhegan; forgery, Jan. 2, in Skowhegan.

• Kirsten D. Libby, 35, of Skowhegan, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, violation of condition of release and operating after suspension, Dec. 27, in Skowhegan.

• Lamont H. Flanders III, 29, of Athens, burglary, criminal trespass, refusing to submit to arrest and two counts of violation of condition of release, April 20, in Skowhegan.

• Lamont H. Flanders III, 29, of Athens, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs and four counts of violation of condition of release, May 10, in Skowhegan.

• Nelson Scott Wheeler, 32, of Cornville, burglary and theft by unauthorized taking, April 6, in Skowhegan.

• Vanessa M. Delano, 35, of Winthrop, theft by deception, March 3, in Fairfield.

• Zachary James Curtis, 34, of Clinton, operating after revocation and violation of condition of release, May 12, in Canaan.

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