OTIS — The contents of two men’s trash led Maine Forest Service Forest rangers to charge them with illegal dumping.

Daniel Smith, 25, of Ellsworth has been summoned for allegedly dumping in excess of 15 pounds of litter in Otis. Brad Inforati, 36, of Eddington also has been summoned for allegedly littering in excess of 15 pounds nearby.

Both men are scheduled to appear in Ellsworth District Court in May. In addition to a minimum mandatory fine of $500, the defendants each face a sentence of 100 hours of community service. The suspension of recreational and professional licenses also is a provision of Maine’s recently revised litter law.

Rangers were notified earlier this month of an illegal dump site on the West Shore Road in Otis. Ranger John Cousins responded to the area and found a pile of household garbage and old vehicle parts dumped on the side of the road. Evidence found in the pile led Ranger Cousins to Smith.

While investigating the first case, a passer-by alerted Cousins to another site nearby on Camp Road No. 1 on Beech Hill Pond. Among the debris in that trash pile, Cousins found the name of a deceased woman.

The ranger tracked down the woman’s son, who said the property found at the dump site had come from a house owned by his mother that had recently been sold by the family.

Cousins contacted the Realtor for the property sale and found that Inforati had been hired to clean the property. After receiving the summons, Inforati went to the site and cleaned it, Hammond said.

To report instances of illegal dumping, call the Maine Forest Service at (800) 750-9777.

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