Nicholas Fecteau, left, 34, of Auburn is taken into custody Tuesday morning by a member of the Maine State Police on Court Street. Sun Journal photo by Russ Dillingham
AUBURN — A day after an Auburn man was shot and killed by a Maine State Police tactical team to end a six-hour standoff, more information continued to be released about the circumstances leading up to the standoff.
Nicholas Fecteau looks at his lawyer, Richard Charest, before Fecteau’s court appearance Wednesday afternoon at Lewiston District Court on two felony charges: theft by receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Fecteau’s home was the location Tuesday of a six-hour standoff with police. Sun Journal photo by Andree Kehn
Steven Case, 29, was shot Tuesday afternoon in the basement of a house at 185 Main St. after keeping police at bay for most of the day by threatening to shoot anybody who entered the basement and telling police he had a hostage.
Auburn police said one of the tenants of the house, Nicholas Fecteau, 34, was arrested outside the building as the standoff was beginning. He was charged with a felony count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and police later added a felony count of theft by receiving stolen property.
Auburn Detective Nicholas Gagnon wrote in an arrest affidavit Fecteau had been wanted for questioning Tuesday morning about a gas theft that the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office was investigating.
As officers were responding to 185 Main St., they received a call from someone at the house that “a man came back with a lot of guns and said if he got found out, he would do a shootout.”
Officers spoke with Fecteau upon arriving at the house, and he told police Case, whom he had “known for three weeks,” had arrived at his apartment early Tuesday morning “with probably 50 guns,” according to Gagnon.
Fecteau told police he put the guns in the basement and “had no idea where they came from.”
Fecteau told police there were “about 10 long guns, including high-powered hunting rifles and shotguns, as well as a bag full of handguns.”
Nicholas Fecteau stands with his lawyer, Richard Charest, during his court appearance Wednesday afternoon at Lewiston District Court on two felony charges: theft by receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Fecteau’s home was the location Tuesday of a six-hour standoff with police. Sun Journal photo by Andree Kehn
After Case was shot and killed, Gagnon searched Fecteau’s apartment and found “several stolen firearms,” including a rifle in the kitchen; a sawed-off, pistol-grip shotgun; and a mini-M14 rifle on the table in the dining room, along with “a large amount of ammunition.”
Three handguns were also found in the bathroom, according to Gagnon.
Most of the firearms were stolen from a home in Gray earlier that morning, Gagnon wrote in his affidavit.
While investigating the apartment, police discovered mail from an address in Gray, along with multiple duffel bags and backpacks containing ammunition, jewelry and personal items that did not belong to anyone at 185 Main St.
Gagnon said he spoke with Case’s girlfriend after the standoff. She said Case and Fecteau robbed a house in Gray and left with firearms and the items found inside Fecteau’s apartment.
She also said Case had committed a burglary in Auburn a few days before the standoff. He took a firearm and guitars, she said. He then sold the gun for $100.
Gagnon wrote in his affidavit the Falmouth Police Department found a broken-down vehicle matching the description of a car Case had used.
Outside the vehicle, Gagnon wrote, police found a bag that contained “some sort of kidnapping kit, commonly used by people engaging in burglaries and home invasions so they can tie people up in case they break into a home and discover people are home at the time.”
Fecteau appeared in Lewiston District Court on Tuesday afternoon, where he pleaded not guilty to a felony count of theft by receiving stolen firearms and a felony count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Fecteau’s bail was set at $50,000 cash, or $10,000 cash with a supervised release agreement. Bail conditions include no use or possession of alcohol or illegal drugs and no possession of firearms.
Auburn Deputy Chief Tim Cougle said Case’s 55-year-old father, also named Steven Case, was released from Androscoggin County Jail on Tuesday after being arrested on a single count of accomplice liability. He said the Androscoggin County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the case.
Cougle said police were continuing to investigate the woman who was taken hostage by Case, including her possible involvement in the criminal activity, and were unsure if charges would be brought against her.
Case’s criminal history dates back to 2008 and is filled with misdemeanor and felony charges for theft, drug possession, illegal possession of firearms and operating under the influence.
In 2018, Case was charged with felony theft and pleaded guilty in March. He was sentenced to three years in prison, with all of that sentence suspended except nine months and one day.
Later in 2018, Case was arrested on felony counts of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs and unlawful possession of fentanyl powder. He pleaded guilty to the possession charge and received a suspended sentence of 60 days in jail.
Prior to 2018, Case had faced several misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct, allowing a minor to possess or consume liquor, operating under the influence, theft, and violating conditions of release.
Many of those charges were dismissed or resulted in fines and suspended sentences.
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