AUGUSTA — A grand jury has indicted a former Kennebec County sheriff’s deputy on domestic violence and sexual assault-related charges.
Daniel R. Ross, 29, of West Gardiner faces 15 counts charging him with assaulting his wife and threatening her with a firearm, knife and Taser. He was arrested in August.
Daniel R. Ross Submitted photo
Maine State Police initially charged Ross with nine counts, including domestic violence assault, domestic violence criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and unlawful sexual contact. The Kennebec County grand jury handed up indictments last week on most of those charges and others, including gross sexual assault, a Class A felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and domestic violence terrorizing with a dangerous weapon.
Ross, who had been on paid administrative leave, has been terminated, according to Lt. Chris Read, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
The charges stemmed from incidents that allegedly occurred over several months this year in West Gardiner.
Maeghan Maloney, district attorney for Kennebec and Somerset counties, is handling the case. She said she does not recall ever meeting Ross and only knows him because of the pending criminal case.
Maloney said she argued to have Ross’ bail set at $100,000 cash. He is being held at the Somerset County Jail in Madison, according to jail records.
“I do not think it is possible to argue that former Deputy Ross is being treated too leniently,” Maloney said Wednesday, when asked if prosecuting him presented a conflict of interest for her office. “The grand jury found that the state presented sufficient evidence to bring the charges in the indictment – just like anyone else.”
Ross was arrested while on duty Aug. 15, according to Shannon Moss, public information officer for Maine Department of Public Safety.
Three of the alleged incidents took place Aug. 2-5. Ross allegedly assaulted the victim, had sexual contact with her without her consent, and compelled her to participate in a sexual act, the indictment said.
Ross’ wife told police he threatened to stun her with his work Taser, and also threatened her with a knife and a firearm, according to affidavits.
He also allegedly threatened to shoot his sleeping 5-year-old daughter in the head and then turn the gun on himself so his wife “would know that it was her ‘fault that they both died,’ ” according to court documents.
Ross’ wife went to police in August, according to an affidavit written by state police Sgt. Bethany L. Couturier. She described being assaulted when Ross was off duty, and Ross later admitted slapping her face, sexual assaulting her and threatening her with violence, according to police.
On another occasion, according to Couturier’s affidavit, Ross threatened to shoot police with a shotgun.
“Daniel said he had been really drunk that night and said he was trying to get drunk enough to shoot himself,” the affidavit reads. “Daniel said he was waiting near the window in case law enforcement came. Daniel said he would never have shot anyone, and also stated he would never shoot his daughter.”
Ross admitted the allegations, including threatening to shoot his 5-year-old daughter, in audio recordings, and confirmed them later in an interview with police, according to the affidavit.
Ross began working for the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office on March 16, 2021. During his tenure, he received a written reprimand for violating the county’s COVID-19 policy, but faced no other disciplinary actions, according to the sheriff.
Ross worked for the Maine Capitol Police from June 2015 to June 2016, and the Gardiner Police Department from June 2016 to February 2021. He was not subject to any disciplinary actions at those jobs, according to responses to records requests by the Kennebec Journal.
Kennebec Journal staff writer Jessica Lowell contributed to this report.
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