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A former Somerset County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty to domestic violence assault.
Giovanni Sinclair, 41, pleaded guilty Friday to one misdemeanor count of domestic violence assault in Bangor District Court. The assault occurred around April 1, 2023, against a woman he had dated and has two children with, according to court records.
The guilty plea came through agreement with a deferred disposition, with sentencing paused until a final hearing on Dec. 18. If Sinclair follows the agreement, the case will be dismissed. But if not, the case will continue as charged.
The Bangor Daily News is not identifying the woman as it does not name victims of domestic violence without their consent.
Sinclair must participate in a certified domestic violence intervention program, have no contact with the woman and refrain from all criminal conduct, according to court records.
Sinclair’s attorney, Roosevelt Bishop, had no comment.
Sinclair worked as a transport deputy for Somerset County for about four years until he was placed on unpaid leave around the time the case was initially charged in early 2025, court records said.
He was terminated from the department July 16, Sheriff Dale Lancaster told the BDN.
Sinclair pepper sprayed the woman in the face, “without provocation or reason,” around April 1, 2023, records said. He used his department issued pepper spray. Sinclair also tried to use his department issued handcuffs on the woman.
The woman had to use the bathroom tub to try to get the pepper spray off. Messages between the woman and a friend show the facial injuries she had, including “her red, burned face,” court records said.
In November 2024, after Sinclair moved out, he showed back up at the woman’s house while she and their two children were searching for a missing family cat, according to the court records.
During the search, Sinclair used his Somerset County Sheriff’s Office handgun that had an attached flashlight. He pointed his gun toward the woman and the kids, “causing fear and distress,” court records said.
After that the woman said she took the kids inside the house because she was in fear. She said she got her own handgun and stood by the door, but Sinclair left the property.
A protection from abuse order was granted to the woman against Sinclair on Dec. 3, 2024, and his guns, including a service weapon, were taken, records said.
The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office requested another agency investigate the allegations after the protection from abuse order was granted against Sinclair.
The woman told the investigators at the time that she didn’t want to “jam [Sinclair] up,” criminally or with his job, but that she wanted him to leave her alone and pay for his children, records said.
During the conversation the woman was so upset that she vomited into a trash can, according to court records.
