SKOWHEGAN — Two men face a federal charge for the armed robbery of a Skowhegan credit union more than two years ago.
Police in Fairfield arrested Forrest T. “Teddy” Goodwin Jr., 33, of Fairfield on Monday on a charge of armed bank robbery, according to Skowhegan Police Chief Michael Emmons.
A second man, Paul J. Garland, 26, of Oakland, currently an inmate at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset on unrelated charges, was arrested at that facility on the same charge Wednesday.
The Taconnet Federal Credit Union on U.S. Route 201 was robbed on June 10, 2009, by a man wielding a knife and wearing a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses. Police said the man escaped as a passenger on a Yamaha motorcycle, which later was discovered, along with clothing the men were wearing, ditched on a tote road off Middle Road in Fairfield.
At least one of the suspects was said to have left in a red pickup truck.
No one was hurt in the robbery.
After the robbery a search warrant was carried out at a house and property on Middle Road, but police at the time made no arrests and did not find the money taken in the robbery.
Emmons said Skowhegan Detective Kelly Hooper conducted the investigation locally, but that the FBI and federal prosecutors are now handling the case.
“Kelly did a terrific, terrific job, doing numerous interviews and follow-ups and investigation,” Emmons said. “It’s taken over two years, but we’ve got somebody in custody for it, so her work is paid off.”
The indictments came from a U.S District Court grand jury in Bangor. Goodwin and Garland will be tried in federal court, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney James McCarthy in Bangor.
McCarthy said a trial date has been set for Jan. 4, 2012, before Chief U.S. District Judge John Woodcock in Bangor.
The maximum penalty on the armed robbery charge is 25 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution. McCarthy said he could not discuss details of the investigation.
Goodwin, who is being held at the Somerset County Jail in East Madison, was arraigned on federal charges Monday in Bangor before U.S. Magistrate Judge Margaret J. Kravchuk. A previous report about the day of his arrest was incorrect.
Garland has not yet been to court and does not yet have an attorney, McCarthy said.