The Bremen minister accused of trafficking contraband at Two Bridges Regional Jail pleaded guilty to a lesser charge March 26.

Stephen Foote, 70, will serve 45 days of a 364-day sentence for unlawful possession of the drug suboxone. The original charge he had been facing since his arrest last November was dismissed.

In addition to the jail time, Foote was handed a $400 fine and community service. He'll establish a support group for friends and family of people with pressures regarding prison contraband, according to documents in Lincoln County Superior Court.

In a statement his defense lawyer William Avantaggio later released, Foote said he was heartily sorry for his crime.

“What I did was not for personal gain. In a moment of anxiety and concern for an inmate's personal welfare and safety, I acted from my heart in forwarding through the mail prescription medication which had been sent to me,” Foote said. “My error in judgment cannot be excused, and I am determined to make amends.”

“I deeply regret the embarrassment my actions have brought the religious community and, especially, my friends and colleagues in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine and my bishop,” Foote continued. “My actions reflect badly on the hundreds of people and clergy who engage in the important work of prison ministry throughout Maine.”

“I hope that my story will draw attention to the vulnerability of inmates  in the prison culture and the growing problem of drugs being illegally brought into correctional facilities everywhere,” he added.

In January, attorneys for the prosecution and defense said they were working on an agreement in Foote's case.

Foote is a former dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Portland.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maine said it welcomed word of the criminal case's resolution.

The Church will now proceed with the disciplinary process it requires for clergy, according to a Diocese press release.

The Rev. Stephen T. Lane, Bishop of Maine, asks that Maine Episcopalians keep all those involved in their prayers as the matter approaches conclusion, the release states.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or sjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com.