Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 358 (2025)
1. A person is guilty of theft if:
A. The person obtains property from anyone or personal services from an employee upon agreement, or subject to a known legal obligation, to make a specified payment or other disposition to a 3rd person or to a fund administered by that person, whether from that property or its proceeds or from that person's own property to be reserved in an equivalent or agreed amount, if that person intentionally or recklessly fails to make the required payment or disposition and deals with the property obtained or withheld as that person's own. Violation of this paragraph is a Class E crime; or
[PL 2001, c. 383, §43 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
B. The person violates paragraph A and:
(9) The person has 2 or more prior convictions for any combination of the Maine offenses listed in this subparagraph or for engaging in substantially similar conduct to that of the Maine offenses listed in this subparagraph in another jurisdiction. The Maine offenses are: theft; any violation of section 401 in which the crime intended to be committed inside the structure is theft; any violation of section 405 in which the crime intended to be committed inside the motor vehicle is theft; any violation of section 651; any violation of section 702, 703 or 708; or attempts to commit any of these crimes. Section 9‑A governs the use of prior convictions when determining a sentence. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class C crime.
[PL 2007, c. 476, §16 (AMD).]
[PL 2007, c. 476, §16 (AMD).]
2. Liability under subsection 1 is not affected by the fact that it may be impossible to identify particular property as belonging to the victim at the time of the failure to make the required payment or disposition.
[PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW).]
3. Proof that a person is an officer or employee of the government or of a financial institution gives rise to a permissible inference under the Maine Rules of Evidence, Rule 303 that the person:
A. Knows of any legal obligation relevant to the person's liability under this section; and
[PL 2001, c. 383, §44 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
B. Dealt with the property as the person's own if the person fails to pay or account upon lawful demand, or if an audit reveals a shortage or falsification of the person's accounts.
[PL 2001, c. 383, §44 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
[PL 2001, c. 383, §44 (AMD); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
4. "Payroll processor" has the same meaning as in Title 10, section 1495.
[PL 2001, c. 383, §45 (NEW); PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF).]
PL 1975, c. 499, §1 (NEW). PL 2001, c. 383, §§43-45 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 383, §156 (AFF). PL 2001, c. 667, §D9 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 667, §D36 (AFF). PL 2007, c. 476, §16 (AMD).