Jason Gayne, left, sits with his attorney, Jeremy Pratt, at his court appearance Friday in Skowhegan at which he agreed to a plea deal that includes prison time and restitution in connection with charges that he stole nearly $200,000 from local nonprofit groups. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

SKOWHEGAN — The former director of two nonprofit organizations agreed on Friday to a plea deal that includes prison time and the payment of restitution in connection with charges that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from the groups.

Jason Gayne stands at his court appearance Friday in Skowhegan, at which time he agreed to a plea deal that includes prison time and restitution in connection with charges that he stole nearly $200,000 from local nonprofit groups. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Jason Gayne, 37, of Athens, agreed to plead guilty to one count of theft by unauthorized taking and one count of theft by deception for stealing what prosecutors say totals nearly $200,000 from the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Hospice Volunteers of Somerset County.

In total, Gayne agreed to a seven-year prison sentence and four years of probation. Most of the prison sentence was suspended, meaning he is set to serve nine months in county jail, assuming he meets the conditions of the agreement.

During his appearance at Somerset County Superior Court, Gayne was also ordered to pay $70,000 in restitution to the two organizations, $50,000 of which he paid at the time of the agreement. Gayne was ordered to pay the remaining $20,000 over his four-year probation period and must also complete 50 hours of community service per year during that time.

The two counts Gayne was convicted on are both Class B offenses, which each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

A Somerset County grand jury indicted Gayne on seven counts in August 2022 and he subsequently pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss five other charges — three counts of theft by unauthorized taking and two counts of forgery — as part of the plea deal.

In agreeing to plead guilty to the two counts, Gayne at the same time maintained his innocence by entering what is known as an Alford plea. That means he did not admit guilt but recognized that the state could provide sufficient evidence for a judge or jury to find him guilty.

“Because he did an Alford plea, and the way he entered the Alford plea, I would say that he is still asserting his innocence in regard to the charges,” Jeremy Pratt, Gayne’s court-appointed attorney, said at Friday’s proceeding in Somerset County Superior Court. “We would contest a large portion” of the state’s case.

Assistant District Attorney Julia Lodsin said the state and the two organizations Gayne stole from approved of the deal, even with the Alford plea included.

Lodsin said in court that prosecutors had evidence from bank records that Gayne took out a credit card in the chamber’s name and used it for more than $29,000 in personal expenses; used chamber funds to pay personal credit cards in an amount over $95,000; and paid off a personal credit card in an amount over $50,000 using a Hospice Volunteers credit card.

Gayne was executive director of the chamber of commerce from 2016 to 2022 and executive director of the Hospice Volunteers from 2014 to 2022, resigning under unspecified circumstances from the chamber role after about six years on the job.

At Friday’s proceeding, Justice Robert E. Mullen said he was “disappointed” in Gayne, referencing his previous career in law enforcement as a police officer in Skowhegan.

Chief Justice Robert E. Mullen speaks Friday to Jason Gayne at Somerset County Superior Court in Skowhegan, telling the former director of local nonprofits that he was “disappointed” in Gayne, referencing his previous career in law enforcement as a police officer in Skowhegan. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

But Mullen did acknowledge that Gayne paid a large amount of the restitution up front.

“To be honest, I can’t remember the last time someone, on the day of plea and sentencing, came up with an amount even approaching what we’re talking about today,” Mullen said about the $50,000 Gayne paid immediately.

About 60% of the restitution will go to the chamber and 40% will go to the Hospice Volunteers, according to Lodsin, the prosecutor.

Court paperwork filed by Gayne in 2022 to request an attorney indicates he was unemployed at the time. An online LinkedIn profile, however, shows that Gayne is currently president and CEO of Gayne Management Services, a consulting company in the safety, security and emergency management field.

Gayne only answered questions from Mullen in brief statements during Friday’s court proceeding. No representatives from the two nonprofits spoke, though one from the Hospice Volunteers was present in court, Lodsin said.

Jason Gayne, left, looks to his attorney, Jeremy Pratt, during his appearance Friday at Somerset County Superior Court in Skowhegan. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Tim Curtis, a member of the board of the Hospice Volunteers who was chair during Gayne’s tenure as executive director, provided only a brief comment on the case in an emailed statement.

“Hospice Volunteers of Somerset County continues to serve our communities by walking with families in life limiting and end of life circumstances,” said Curtis, who is also the Somerset County Administrator. “We are moving forward.”

Luke York, the chair of the Skowhegan chamber’s board, said the organization was “relieved” to have the case settled. “We’ll continue to move forward, focusing on our members and the businesses which we serve,” York said.

District Attorney Maeghan Maloney, whose jurisdiction covers Somerset and Kennebec counties, said Thursday that she was directly involved in negotiating the deal but could not comment further yet.

Attorneys on both sides agreed that Gayne will return to court on Monday, Jan. 29, to report for his prison sentence. He will serve the sentence at either the Somerset County Jail in East Madison or the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta.