Former Maine Prison Official Will Serve 5 Years in Prison for $2.4 Million Bribe
Gerald Merril, 64, was sentenced on May 12, 2026 to 10 years in prison, with all but 5 years suspended, and 3 years on probation for taking a bribe and spending nearly $2.4 million in stolen money. Merril was also ordered to pay $502,130 in restitution to the state Department of Corrections (DOC).
At the time of the thefts, the former official was the deputy superintendent and business manager at the Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston and the Downeast Correctional Facility in Machiasport. An accomplice, Melanie High, was also charged with unauthorized taking and bribery; she pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 8 of this year.
As PLN reported, for nearly a decade beginning in 2014, Merrill allegedly made payments on state-issued credit cards to five businesses controlled by High, who then sent the prison official kickbacks and other payments. In total, Merrill made around 529 credit card transactions for maintenance supplies from businesses connected to High. Most of the supplies, which were coordinated through a code for “special orders,” were never delivered. High later testified that Merrill personally received more than $500,000 from the transactions. [See: PLN, Apr. 2026, p.11.]
In March 2026, Merrill entered a plea agreement with the state attorney general’s office just days before a jury trial stemming from his charges was set to begin. The sentence Merrill received matched the terms of this agreement.
Source: Bangor Daily News
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