By Bill Carey
EMS1
THOMASTON, Maine — Thomaston’s fire and EMS chief has resigned, days after the town’s Select Board reinstated him despite a guilty plea in a sexual assault case.
Anthony Leo, who had been placed on unpaid administrative leave in October 2023 amid an investigation, was reinstated by the select board on Nov. 7, the Bangor Daily News reported. He later resigned from his position as chief of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services departments on Nov. 13.
The resignation comes after Leo accepted a plea agreement in a case stemming from an incident in 2003, the Penobscot Bay Pilot reported.
The victim, who was 14 at the time, reported the abuse to authorities in the summer of 2023. Leo entered an Alford plea in Knox County court on a single count of sexual abuse of a minor, meaning he didn’t admit to a crime but admitted that the court had enough evidence to convict him if the case went to trial.
As part of the plea deal, the charges of gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact were dropped.
Under the terms of the deferred disposition agreement, Leo must undergo sex offender counseling and refrain from unsupervised contact with females under the age of 18 unless required by employment. If he meets these conditions over the next two years, the charge may be reduced or dismissed. Failure to comply would result in sentencing for sexual abuse of a minor, potentially leading to jail time.
In a letter shared with the department, Leo expressed his reasons for stepping down. Citing a loss of public trust and the need to prioritize the wellbeing of the town and its emergency services, Leo described the decision as one of the most difficult of his life.
“The town needs to feel safe and secure with their Fire and EMS departments, and at this point in time, they don’t, and I can’t have that,” Leo wrote. “I made it clear to the Selectboard that if I’ve lost the trust of the townspeople, I would walk away, and as much as it hurts, that’s what I need to do.”
The Select Board has not yet announced a timeline for appointing Leo’s successor but emphasized the importance of moving forward with the search for a new leader for the town’s emergency services.
