Author Archives: Pest Controller

AUGUSTA The man accused of tossing a cup of live bedbugs onto a counter at Augusta City Center told a judge Monday that he wanted the charges dismissed because of extensive publicity that he said portrayed him as the reincarnation of Hitler and city officials as innocent angels.

If the charges arent dismissed, Charles Manning, 74, formerly of Augusta, said he wanted a jury trial on the misdemeanor offenses of assault and obstructing government administration.

I have a feeling that the people who live in Augusta are a lot more compassionate than the people that run it, he told Justice Donald Marden, saying the city did a re-enactment of the horrendous act I committed.

Marden entered pleas of not guilty to each charge on Mannings behalf.

After the brief hearing at the Capital Judicial Center, Manning filled out paperwork to apply for a court-appointed attorney in the case.

I only make a minimal amount of Social Security, he said afterward.

When Mannings name was initially called Monday morning, he was absent from the courtroom. However, a reporter located him in a different courtroom and told him he was wanted in the other court.

Manning also indicated he had trouble hearing, and a court officer brought him headphones to use.

In an interview with the Kennebec Journal last month, Manning said he was frustrated because he sought help from the city and was refused.

When Manning released the bugs into City Center, he was reportedly seeking General Assistance money and had just learned that he didnt qualify for it, city officials said after the June 2 incident. Upon learning he wouldnt be getting help, Manning pulled out the cup and slammed it onto a counter, releasing about 100 bugs into the office, they said. The incident closed Augusta City Center for the day.

I pulled out the cup and said, Here, help yourself, Manning said during a July interview at a local coffee shop. I reached in my bag and pulled out the cup and I opened it up and put it on the counter, just to let (the code enforcement officer) know this is what I had to put up with for four, six months.

Outside the courtroom Monday, he said he had called the city three times complaining of bedbugs in his apartment at 34 Court St., but did not receive a call back.

Manning said he is now living in the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter in Waterville and came to Augusta by bus for his hearing. He said if there is a trial, he planned to ask to have it in Waterville to keep his expenses down.

He is free on bail with the condition that he have no contact with the city worker in the General Assistance Office who ended up with several bedbugs on her clothing after Manning threw them on the counter in what officials termed an extraordinary bit of misdirected anger.

On Monday, Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said, Were not looking for jail time for Mr. Manning. Were looking for something that will be rehabilitative and something that will allow him to go forward and not make him feel he has to carry out his anger this way.

She also wanted to reassure all municipal employees that it will be taken seriously if someone harms them.

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Man accused of tossing bedbugs at Augusta city workers wants jury trial - Press Herald

Katharine Bavoso, WCSH 2:14 PM. EDT August 07, 2017

The man who says he dumped a cup of bed bugs in the Augusta City Center speaks with NEWS CENTER's Katie Bavoso outside the Capital Judicial Center following his arraignment. (Photo: WCSH)

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) The man who allegedly dumped a cup of bed bugs at the Augusta City Center office pleaded not guilty to charges of misdemeanor assault and obstructing government administration.

Chalres Manning. Ctsy Portland Press Herald (Photo: WCSH)

Charles Manning appeared in Capitol Judicial Center court room Monday morning. He faces a penalty of up to one year in prison and a $2,000 fine.

Manning talked to NEWS CENTER Monday outside the court house ahead of his arraignment saying he felt like he was about to be "executed" before his first court appearance, going on to say the public already finds him guilty due to the way he's been "portrayed by the media."

Charles Manning in court August 7, 2017 (Photo: WCSH)

Manning said he is currently staying at Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter in Waterville. Manning expressed frustration to the judge and asked him to throw out his case.

Manning told the judge that he has been portrayed in the media as the "reincarnation of Hitler" because of the influence of the city staff at the government office where the incident happened.

According to the city's Director of Development, Matt Nazar, Manning came to the general assistance office on Friday, June 2 to request help with a bed bug problem.

Ralph St. Pierre, Augusta's finance director and assistant city manager, picks up bed bugs that were spilled by disgruntled man. (Photo: Photo courtesy of William Bridgeo via Kennebec Journal) c Journal) (Photo: WCSH)

He left after being told there was no help available through that office. Nazar said the man returned later that afternoon and dumped more than 100 bed bugs out of a cup onto the counter. Manning would later admit he was in the wrong office to begin with, and was actually targeting the General Assistance Department.

Kennebec County District Attorney, Meagan Maloney said the assault charge came because a bed bug landed on a city worker.

"That's an assault whether it's throwing down a container of bed bugs and having the bed bugs hit the person, whether it's throwing an open container of beer and having beer splash on someone. So it's simply looking at the actions. The actions are offensive physical contact," she said.

City hall shut down so the bed bugs could be removed and didn't reopen until Monday, June 5. Maloney said questions about Manning's responsibility and capability to cover the cost of the cleaning will be addressed as part of the legal process.

Manning is scheduled for a dispositional conference September 19. He has applied for a court appointed lawyer.

2017 WCSH-TV

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Man accused of dumping bed bugs at city office says he's already been found guilty by public - WCSH-TV