Charges of criminal harassment and witness intimidation against a United States Secret Service employee who was stationed on Martha’s Vineyard were dropped late last month.

Douglas Vines, 54, pleaded not guilty to the charges in Edgartown District Court last October. On May 26, ahead of a trial, a judge dismissed the charges, citing a failure to prosecute because the alleged victim asserted their Fifth Amendment rights.

The charges stemmed from an incident on Sept. 27, 2022 when a woman arrived at the Oak Bluffs police station in tears and told officers that Mr. Vines, who drove for the family of former president Barack Obama, had used his status as a Secret Service employee to intimidate and threaten her with deportation if she did not comply with his demands, including sex.

The woman told police that Mr. Vines secretly recorded her talking about her immigration status and took nude photos of her without her knowledge during the course  of their two to three-month relationship, a police report stated.

The woman also said that Mr. Vines engaged in non-consensual sex act with her, according to a police report, though sexual assault charges were never filed.

On May 25, the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s office asked to postpone a bench trial that was scheduled for the next day so the prosecutors could have more time to prepare. That request was denied by Edgartown district court judge Benjamin Barnes and the alleged victim invoked their privileges under the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits double jeopardy, guarantees a fair trial and protects against self-incrimination.

Without the woman’s testimony, the case had no path forward, said Russ Eonas, a spokesperson for the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office.

“She would have been a necessary witness for the trial to prevail,” he said.

The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Mr. Vines’ attorney George Leontire praised the dismissal of the case and said his client was glad to have the ordeal behind him. Mr. Leontire did confirm that Mr. Vines, who is from Maryland, was not back to work yet with the secret service.

“The case was ridiculous from the beginning,” Mr. Leontire said. “Hopefully he’ll be back at work soon.”