Former Washburn cop accused of falsifying records gets new court date

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A former Washburn police sergeant accused of falsifying records in the case of a missing man who was later found dead waived his right to an initial hearing and will appear in court for arraignment on Sept. 11.

Chandler Cole was arrested in March for allegedly falsifying records in the case of Erik Foote of Washburn, who was missing for nearly three months before his body was found near the Aroostook River in Caribou on April 23 . Cole was scheduled to appear Wednesday at Presque Isle District Court.

The case has riveted Washburn, a town of 1,500. Cole was allegedly the last person to see Foote, 39, on Jan. 30, according to court records. Foote’s parents, Allan and Brenda Foote, questioned the officer’s actions and a citizen’s group galvanized on social media and conducted searches .

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cole on March 29 on charges of aggravated forgery, tampering with public records or information, falsifying physical evidence and unsworn falsification, according to court affidavits.

Court records state that Cole first reported he took Foote to a Presque Isle convenience store on Jan. 30, and then changed the report to state he had taken him to a hospital. He told Allan Foote he had taken Erik to the hospital as well, according to court documents.

In early February, then-Washburn Police Chief Cyr Martin, whose temporary position with the town ended on Feb. 29, noticed potential discrepancies in Cole’s report and launched an investigation, which led to Cole’s arrest.

Cole refused to meet with investigators and subsequently resigned on or about Feb. 25, Martin told the BDN in April.

Area law enforcement personnel use a digital reporting system that records all changes to documents, which is how any tampering can be discovered, said Aroostook County Sheriff Peter Johnson.

Following his arrest, Cole was released on $2,500 unsecured bail to await his court date.

Alan Harding of Presque Isle became Cole’s attorney on April 12, and on May 1, Harding filed a waiver of initial appearance signed by himself and Cole, according to court records.

The document states that Cole will continue on bail and abide by its conditions until his required appearance in September. Arrest affidavits from March 29 specified that Cole was to have no contact with Foote’s family members.

In the waiver, Harding noted he had conferred with Cole and explained the charges against him, and that Cole agreed to waive his initial appearance and abide by bail requirements. Harding also spoke with prosecutors, who had no objections to the waiver, according to the court document.

A paragraph signed by Cole indicated his attorney had told him of the charges and his rights, and that he agreed to waive his first court appearance and continue bail.

Foote’s body was taken to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsy on April 23. No cause of death has been released.