Former Maine corrections officer charged with bribery pleads not guilty

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - A former corrections officer accused of taking bribes pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

Gerald Merrill, 61, of Abbot appeared in a Bangor courtroom.

He is charged with theft by unauthorized taking and bribery of official and political matters.

Merrill, along with Melanie Ann High of Florida, were arrested in July for their alleged involvement in a scheme using state funds to purchase products from certain vendors in exchange for illegal kickback payments.

Court records indicate Merrill made purchases over a decade from companies High controlled.

Merrill was the deputy superintendent of Mountain View Correctional Center and Downeast Correctional Facility.

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