Maine news, sports, politics, election results and obituaries

Portland, Maine - The jury ruled that a roofing contractor in Maine did not commit workplace manslaughter in connection with the death of a worker in 2018.

The Portland News Herald reported that the jury ruled in the Cumberland County Court on Thursday. Shawn Purvis, owner of Purvis Home Improvement Co. in Scarborough, faces a count of workplace manslaughter, a grade C felony with a maximum sentence of five years in prison. On the last day of the trial, which began on December 1, the judge dismissed the second count of manslaughter, which was a more serious charge.

A Purvis worker, 30-year-old Alan Loignon, fell from his home in Portland in December 2018 while climbing a scaffolding from a ladder without safety equipment. This led to the initiation of workplace manslaughter charges in 2019.

Purvis faces a fine of more than $2 million from the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Prosecutors accused Purvis of deliberately violating OSHA safety standards for years.

Speaking of the verdict, Purvis said that he felt he was proven to be correct and criticized the prosecutor who prosecuted him for more serious manslaughter. He said his workers are subcontractors and they can choose whether to comply with the safety standards of the equipment he provides.

More articles from BDN