PORTLAND, Maine – A string of brazen armed bank robberies shook the region in 2015, but thanks to a joint investigation, two Manchester residents are now facing the music.
Crystal Dufault, 33, and Joseph Richards, 46, both of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to armed bank robbery and conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery. The charges stem from a series of robberies that took place between August 3 and September 12, 2015.
The first robbery occurred at Norway Savings Bank in Freeport, Maine, on August 3, 2015. Richards brandished a pellet gun and made off with $5,854. Just over a week later, on August 14, 2015, Dufault and Richards robbed Franklin Savings Bank in Franklin, New Hampshire, making off with $9,887. The duo struck again on September 4, 2015, at University Credit Union in Portland, stealing $12,308. The final robbery took place on September 12, 2015, at TD Bank in Lewiston, Maine, where Richards brandished a pellet gun and stole $9,888.
U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II praised the cooperation among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that worked together to crack the case. “These armed bank robberies were quickly solved because local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across two states worked closely together,” Delahanty said.
The defendants face up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each charge. They will be sentenced after completion of a presentence investigation report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The joint investigation was conducted by the Franklin and Manchester, New Hampshire Police Departments; the Freeport, Portland, Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach and Saco Police Departments; the Maine State Police; and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland, South Portland, Lewiston and Biddeford Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Conley is leading the case and can be reached at (207) 780-3257 for further information.
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Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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