A man who is on Maine’s sex offender registry and is related to other town officials is serving as a volunteer firefighter in Greenville.
Eugene “Tony” Murray, 32, was placed on the sex offender registry after pleading guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material in 2021. The next year, he was sentenced to just over a year in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
His family is a major presence in the town’s government, with Tony Murray’s father serving on the select board, his brother working as fire chief and several other family members volunteering at the fire department. The town of about 1,400 is a service center for its region, and the fire department serves a large area around Moosehead Lake.
Fire Chief Sawyer Murray said federal probation officers were aware of his service with the department and had cleared him to work there.
“We’re following the federal probation guidelines that they’re giving us,” he said.
He declined to answer questions about how firefighters are hired, other than to say that his brother had been on the roster prior to the conviction. A town employee confirmed that Tony Murray is a volunteer firefighter but receives a stipend for his work, which is typical.
Reached by phone, Tony Murray declined to comment. Both his father, Eugene Murray Jr., the select board chair, and Town Manager Mike Roy did not return calls seeking comment.
While probation terms vary from person to person, they sometimes include limits on contact with minors. It’s not clear how the department deploys Tony Murray in emergency situations.
People on the sex offender registry are not prohibited from serving as firefighters under Maine or federal law, though some states bar them from working in fire departments. Tony Murray is listed on the registry as a “tier one” offender, meaning he is deemed to be at the lowest risk of re-offending.
Volunteer fire departments often function as both first responders and major social organizations in Maine’s small towns. Greenville’s department is heavily involved in local events, such as the annual ice fishing derby it is hosting this weekend.
The Greenville Fire Department’s 26-member crew also serves Moosehead Junction Township, Harfords Point, Little Moose Township, Beaver Cove, Lily Bay, Kokadjo and Frenchtown. The department also maintains mutual aid agreements with other area communities.
Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural government as part of the partnership between the Bangor Daily News and The Maine Monitor, with additional support from BDN and Monitor readers.
