Portland Man Who Owns Middletown Optician Office Charged With Practicing Illegally

The longtime owner of Meeting House Opticians, is once again facing criminal charges after his arrest last year on charges he assaulted a patient.

Jeffrey M. Fine, of Fairview Avenue in Portland, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with one count each of unlawfully practicing as an optician, criminal attempt to unlawfully practiced as an optician and deceptive ownership or management of an optical establishment, according to a report in the Middletown Press.

Fine, who was arrested in May of 2012 and charged with third-degree sexual assault stemming from a 2011 incident involving a 58-year-old woman, had his state license suspended in May of last year following his arrest.

He is free on a $5,000 non-surety bond in the current case and is due back in court on Feb. 21, the Press reports. 

Fine's shop on Main Street has been closed for about two months. In early January, a sign went up the Meeting House Opticians storefront advertising its retail space for rent. In December, two signs on the door read: "we are closed for restructuring" and "JMF MHO Enterprises, antiques, old interesting stuff, items from past days, coming soon."

The memorabilia has since been removed from the display cases and only a wooden spinning wheel remains, with a tag, "$90 or best offer."

An avid history buff, Fine is well-known for his storefront just north of Washington Street that is something of a local landmark, attracting the curious who stop to admire his displays of local memorabilia.