Federal Jury Convicts Massachusetts Man of Kidnapping and Interstate Violation of a Protective Order

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Brighton, Massachusetts man was found guilty on Wednesday of kidnapping and transporting a woman into Maine against her will. The verdict came after a three-day trial in the U.S. District Court in Portland with Chief Judge Jon D. Levy presiding.

According to evidence presented during the trial, on December 15, 2019, Stephen Pilson, 56, drove the victim, with whom he had a relationship, from Massachusetts to Maine against her will. Throughout the trip, Pilson drank heavily and told the victim they were going to Canada where she would die. He tied the victim to the vehicle’s gear shift with her scarf and struck her when she tried to escape. On I-95 near Arundel, she succeeded in breaking the vehicle’s key off in the ignition, forcing Pilson to pull over. The victim fled along the highway with Pilson initially following her before fleeing into the woods. Maine State Troopers were alerted to the incident by at least five concerned motorists who each called 911. Troopers later found Pilson with the aid of a K-9.

On December 12, 2019, three days before the kidnapping, Pilson had pleaded guilty in Waltham District Court to five charges, including kidnapping the same victim, for which he had been sentenced to time served and probation. A no-contact order was also imposed, prohibiting Pilson from contacting the victim. The federal jury found Pilson guilty of interstate violation of a protection order for violating the Massachusetts order.

Pilson faces up to life in prison and a fine of $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Maine State Police investigated the case.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available via the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or via the Hotline’s website at https://www.thehotline.org/. Mainers experiencing domestic violence can also contact the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV) at 1-866-834-HELP (4357). The MCEDV website, https://www.mcedv.org/, also has information about member organizations all over the state.

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