Trial starts for ex-lawmaker accused of fraud

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — The trial of a former Maine lawmaker accused of stealing up to $3 million from two women has started in Bangor.

WABI-TV reports 53-year-old Robert Lindell Jr., of Cloverdale, California, faces multiple charges, including theft by unauthorized taking and tax evasion. He pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors said Lindell managed the estate of a 92-year-old Belfast woman and another woman living in France while working as a financial adviser. The Belfast woman died in 2012.

The woman from France testified that she had known Lindell and his family since before he was born and trusted him to handle her finances.

Lindell’s attorney, Zachary Brandmeir, said his client may have made mistakes with taxes, but didn’t lie on purpose.

Lindell, elected in 2004, served one term as a Republican representative from Frankfort.

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Information from: WABI-TV, http://www.wabi.tv