MILLINOCKET, ME — A 73-year-old woman was arrested on a theft charge following a months-long investigation into suspected employee theft at a local store.
Gail Mackin, of Millinocket, was arrested Jan. 29, 2026, by Officer Lakeman of the East Millinocket Police Department on an arrest warrant.
The investigation began in September after the Katahdin General Store contacted police regarding suspected theft of a large sum of cash over an extended period.
Store employees observed Mackin taking money from a store money bag, according to police.
Store owners believed the incident was not isolated.
Officer Lakeman and a store owner reviewed numerous hours of surveillance footage as part of the investigation.
Video evidence showed Mackin routinely accepted cash from customers for various purchases and failed to place the money into the cash register, police said.
Additional footage showed cash being placed into a bank bag and later removed, as well as other methods used to avoid registering sales and depositing funds appropriately.
Due to the volume of video evidence and the length of time over which the actions occurred, determining an exact dollar amount of loss is difficult at this time, police said.
The case was forwarded to the Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Following that review, an arrest warrant was issued for Mackin on a charge of theft.
Mackin was able to post bail and was released.
