Chelsea Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements

BANGOR, Maine: A Chelsea man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to making false statements to a federal official.

According to court records, in March 2025, cameras were found in the ceilings of sleeping quarters in the firehouse on the Togus VA Medical Center campus in Chelsea. During an investigation conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG), Michael Nicholas, 47, repeatedly denied that he had seen the cameras, that he knew the cameras were installed in the ceilings, or that he had ever purchased any cameras of that brand. The investigation subsequently revealed that Nicholas had purchased and installed the cameras, including finding his fingerprint on the underside of tape on one of the cameras. Nicholas later admitted he had purchased and installed the cameras.

Nicholas faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

VA OIG investigated the case.

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