A Massachusetts man was found guilty last week of kidnapping a woman to Maine against her will, three days after pleading guilty to a similar charge.

Stephen Pilson, 56, pleaded guilty on December 12, 2019, to five charges, including kidnapping the same woman, with whom he had been in some kind of relationship, and was sentenced to time served and probation, with a no contact order barring him from any contact with the victim, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine said.

He ignored it.

On December 15, Pilson tied the victim to a vehicle’s gear shift and hit her when she tried to escape. Driving up Interstate 95 from Massachusetts, he drank heavily and told the woman he was going to Canada “where she would die.”

Near Arundel, Maine, the woman tried to pull the key out of the ignition but only succeeded in breaking it off, forcing Pilson to pull over. The ran along the highway, with Pilson following, before he fled into the woods.

At least five motorists reported the incident to Maine State Police, who later found Pilson with the help of a K-9.

Pilson faces up to life in prison on the federal charges of kidnapping and interstate transport against the woman’s will and a fine of $250,000. He was also found guilty of violating the initial no-contact order. A federal district judge will determine the sentence after completion of a presentence report by the US Probation Office.

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[Featured image: Stephen Pilson/Maine State Police]