AUGUSTA — The couple arrested Tuesday on charges they robbed the Manchester Rite Aid told police that local drug dealers made them do it.
That information was included in an affidavit filed in court by Detective Michael Bickford of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the arrest of Devon M. Gray, 25, of Monmouth, and Brooke L. Frost, 23, of Manchester.
Additional Images
The affidavit was in support of charges of robbery, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and stealing drugs. Frost also was charged with unlawful possession of oxycodone.
The pharmacy was robbed about 3:15 p.m. Saturday by a woman. Police said that woman was Frost.
According to Bickford, the woman gave the pharmacist a note that said “Give me the Percocet I have a gun.”
The woman, who was reportedly wearing men’s baggy clothing and a hat, ran from the store after being given bottles of oxycodone and a bottle containing a GPS tracker.
According to Bickford, a store employee recognized the robber as Frost, a regular customer who had been in the store the previous day.
Frost and Gray were both interviewed by police and confessed to their roles, Bickford said. Gray told police he entered the store first to scout for security guards.
Frost was arrested Tuesday in Unity, and Gray was arrested shortly afterward at the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office in Augusta. A bail commissioner set their bail at $20,000 each, with conditions that prohibited them from contact with each other and from going to the Rite Aid in Manchester.
The two appeared before a judge in Waterville District Court on Wednesday via video link from the jail, and their bail remains unchanged.
On Wednesday, District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said her office is filing the pharmacy robbery charges against the defendants in state court, anticipating that the prosecution will eventually take place in federal court.
“We continue to initiate the charges because we want to have quick action,” she said. “As soon as the U.S. Attorney’s Office is able to take it, we don’t object. Traditionally they have been able to get longer sentences, and that’s due to federal sentencing guidelines.”
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.