Aroostook County Sheriff Shawn Gillen is warning of suspects trying to scam officers out of being taken into custody.

Gillen states that since the outbreak of the Corona Virus, Covid-19, law enforcement agencies across the Country have been faced with many unique and unprecedented challenges. One of the issues that officers are running into is suspects claiming they have the Corona Virus in hopes that they will not be taken into custody. If a coronavirus claim is made, extraordinary steps that need to be taken to ensure the safety and security of everyone involved. Gillen adds that several area law enforcement agencies have dealt with these false claims, which puts a tremendous amount of unnecessary stress on first responders and hospitals that are already dealing with this stressful situation.

Sheriff Gillen reminds the public that making a false claim of being infected with a highly communicable and potentially deadly virus may result in, additional criminal charges. The Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office agrees that this behavior will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly.

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