Armed Bank Robbery Lands Manchester Man Behind Bars

A brazen armed bank robbery in Augusta, Maine, has finally been resolved, with Joshua Brougham, 38, of Manchester, Maine, pleading guilty to the crime in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

On October 2022, Brougham walked into an Augusta bank wearing a brimmed hat and a standard hospital mask over his face. After a brief conversation with the bank teller, Brougham placed a newspaper he had been holding on the counter, pulled out a silver handgun, and placed the handgun on the counter in the direction of the teller. Brougham told the teller to give him \u201Call the money in the drawer.\u201D

After the teller complied, placing money on the counter, Brougham folded up the newspaper with the money inside and fled to the area of a nearby parking lot, leaving in a gold-colored GMC Yukon. But his getaway was short-lived, as investigators from the Augusta Police Department located a vehicle matching the one from the robbery surveillance footage just four days later.

Brougham was arrested as he exited a convenience store, and a search of his vehicle revealed a handgun magazine loaded with seven .380 caliber bullets as well as an unloaded silver Walther PPK/S .380 caliber pistol wedged in the back seat of the vehicle. A brimmed hat matching the one worn during the robbery was also seized by law enforcement.

Brougham now faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, followed by up to five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Augusta Police Department and the FBI investigated the case, bringing Brougham to justice after a brief but intense crime spree. The people of Augusta can rest a little easier knowing that the perpetrator of this brazen crime is now behind bars, facing the consequences of his actions.

Brougham’s guilty plea marks the end of a long and sometimes grueling process, but it’s a reminder that justice will be served, no matter how long it takes. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.