CAMDEN — Marine Patrol Officer Wesley Dean late last month obtained an arrest warrant for Michael Quantrell of Camden, following an investigation into extensive damage to a boat tied up in Camden's inner Harbor and a mussel harvesting barge moored in Belfast Bay.

Quantrell, 30, has been charged with aggravated criminal mischief, theft by unauthorized use of property and failure to provide information of watercraft accident with property damage. He was arrested Aug. 29 and taken to Knox County Jail.

According to Jeff Nichols, director of communications for the state Department of Marine Resources, the charges against Quantrell stem from an incident that occurred between the evening of July 26 and the morning of July 27.

An affidavit on file for the warrant said that on July 27, a 34-foot Pursuit powerboat was found tied to the dock in Camden's inner harbor with significant damage to the port side of the vessel. The damage was reported by employees of a local boat service company, and initially reported as a "hit and run," due to the belief that someone must have struck the vessel while it was tied to the dock overnight.

The powerboat belongs to Paul Kazilionis, of Florida and Islesboro, and the boat service company is contracted to take care of it and provide a captain, according to the court document. Quantrell, who holds a U.S. Coast Guard captain's license, is the primary captain of Kazilionis' boat and was the last known operator of the vessel, July 26, per his statement to investigators.

On July 28, Dean received a report of another boat accident involving a mussel harvesting barge moored in Belfast Bay.

"The Coast Guard responded and found evidence that the barge was struck by another vessel. They recovered large chunks of fiberglass that had dark blue gel coat," said the court document.

Upon further investigation, it was determined that the fiberglass missing from the hull of the powerboat matched what was recovered from the barge. Grease on the powerboat was also found to match grease used on the barge, making it "impossible for the accident to have taken place in Camden," according to the court document.

The 60- by 24-foot, 30-ton mussel harvesting barge, Mumbles, and the mussel growing rafts it services, is owned and operated by Carter Newell of Pemaquid Mussel Farms.

Dean and Sgt. Matthew Talbot spoke with one of the owners of the Rockport-headquartered boat service company, who said that employees do not operate client boats without the client or without their permission. Kazilionis told Dean that no one had permission to operate the vessel unless ordered by him, and that Quantrell was not allowed to use the vessel for personal reasons, according to the court document.

Explaining his whereabouts the evening before the boat was discovered damaged, Quantrell allegedly told the officers that he got a call from his mother between 7:30 and 8 p.m. on July 26, and that at 8 p.m. he docked the boat and headed to Thomaston for dinner. At 10:30 p.m., Quantrell said he drove to Camden to pick up a female friend, and that he arrived at his home, where he spent the night with the woman, around midnight.

The woman allegedly told investigators that Quantrell picked her up in Camden July 26 around 9 p.m.; that they went right to his house and stayed there. When questioned further about the time, she stated, "It was not totally dark out."

"Surveillance footage from [the bar in Camden] shows [the woman] was there from 10:19 to 11:12 p.m. The footage does not show Michael. This makes it impossible for it to have been getting dark when Michael picker her up," said the court document.

Investigators obtained a warrant to search Quantrell's cell phone records, and according to the court document, Quantrell texted an unidentified individual at 10:30 p.m. July 26 and said the he was in Castine. He also texted that friends were visiting from Connecticut and staying in Castine, that "I took the boat," and that he was going to "zip over to Belfast get a ride and I'll get u home tomorrow am."

The court document also said that Quantrell texted his mother at 3:26 p.m. on July 28 and said, "I had dinner with u on sat night at the slipway. I'll explain later."

The court document also said that Quantrell texted the female friend July 29 at 3:11 p.m. stating, "Just stick to ur story. U were drunk u lft cuzzys I picked u up," followed by "Just play dumb and say didn't u look at the cameras that's about the time he picked me up Id stay away from cuzzys if u don't want to deal with a million."

He then told the woman, "Pick a friend a loyal one and she picked u up from my house I said I woke up and u were gone The rest just play dumb they said u said it was light out"

According to the court document, the repair bill for the powerboat was $10,405.65 and repairs to the barge were billed at $2,442.49.

Quantrell was released from Knox County Jail Aug. 29 on a $10,000 unsecured bail bond. He is scheduled to appear in Belfast Superior Court Oct. 30 at 8:30 a.m. Conditions of his bail include no contact with Kazilionis, the boat service company and its employees.

Marine Patrol was assisted in the investigation by members of the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment in Belfast and the Rockland Police Department.

Sgt. Talbot said that Quantrell could be facing additional charges pending consultation with the Waldo County District Attorney's office and Marine Patrol.

Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or 706-6655.