A Maine educator who won a $1 million international prize two years ago has been charged again with theft, jeopardizing a plea agreement she reached last year on a previous shoplifting charge.
Nancie Atwell, 66, was issued summonses Friday by Wiscasset police Officer James Fisher on charges of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and violating her condition of release, according to a news release by Chief Jeffrey Lange.
Atwell is accused of stealing a dog leash worth $28.47 on Oct. 4 from Ames True Value Hardware in Wiscasset, Lange said in the release. Store employees were reviewing video surveillance and saw Atwell steal the leash, he said.
An employee recognized Atwell and contacted her to tell her to return the item. Police said Atwell admitted the theft to the employee and agreed to return the leash. Officer Fisher was present when Atwell returned, interviewed her and issued a summons with a court date of Nov. 30.
Police are investigating whether Atwell stole other items during previous visits at Ames True Value, Lange said.
In April 2016, Damariscotta police were called to Renys department store after security cameras recorded Atwell taking a $14.99 blouse from a rack, rolling it up, placing it in a bag and walking out of the store without paying for it.
In June 2016, Atwell agreed to a deferred court disposition in which she pleaded guilty to the initial theft charge, which would be dropped in June 2018 if she refrained from other criminal conduct and made her already pledged donation of $100,000 each year to the Center for Teaching and Learning, an Edgecomb school she founded in 1990.
In 2015, Atwell was the first recipient of the $1 million Global Teacher Prize. She said she would donate the money to the school, described on its website as a K-8 independent demonstration school with 75 students.
Damariscotta attorney William Avantaggio, who represents Atwell, said he had no comment on the new charge. He said he expected it to affect the deferred disposition, but he did not know to what extent.
Atwell did not immediately respond to a telephone message left for her Wednesday morning.
The District Attorney’s Office also did not immediately respond to a telephone message.
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