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03/20/2008

The daughter of the founder and current president of Winslow Aluminum has pleaded not guilty to a charge that she embezzled nearly $1 million from her father's company over the past five years.

Paula Caron, 51, of Water Street, Waterville, faces up to 10 years in prison if she is convicted on the Class B felony charge.

District Attorney Evert Fowle said Caron entered the innocent plea last week during her arraignment at Superior Court.

She was indicted by a Kennebec County grand jury in January on a single felony charge.

The embezzlement, estimated to be in the neighborhood of $900,000, is the largest one of its kind in the region in recent memory, authorities have said.

Caron, who was a bookkeeper at the company, is the daughter of Winslow Aluminum President Don Maheu and the niece of Bob Maheu, vice president of the company, founded in 1974.

Fowle said the case against Caron will be added to the "trailing docket" for May or June. He said his office is poring over mounds of documents related to the case.

"There are a lot of documents with respect to all the transactions we believe to be fraudulent," Fowle said.

Caron remains free on $2,000 cash bail.

Prosecutors allege that Caron siphoned money from the company between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2007.

Observers said in January that the allegations amount to stealing almost $4,000 a week -- every week -- for five years.

Winslow Aluminum General Manager Richard Heffernan said in January that he was the one who had filed the charges, but was not the one who discovered the alleged embezzling.

Contacted Wednesday, Heffernan said company officials will not discuss the case until all court proceedings are over.

"She did plead not guilty," he said. "So until this is settled, I really still would rather not make a statement."

Caron's lawyer, Arnie Clark of Waterville, did not return a telephone call requesting comment on the case Wednesday.

Doug Harlow -- 861-9244

dharlow@centralmaine.com

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