A Gardiner man has been arrested on a felony robbery charge after being indicted this week by a federal grand jury in connection with a pharmacy robbery in Bridgton last year.
Robert Richard, 26, was taken into custody Thursday on a warrant issued after he was indicted Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland on a charge of interference with commerce by robbery.
Richard pleaded not guilty to the charge in a court appearance before Magistrate Judge John Rich III, who ordered him detained while the case is pending.
The indictment against Richard, accusing him of holding up the Rite Aid store at 19 Portland Road in Bridgton on Nov. 28, was under seal by a judge’s order before being made public Thursday, after his arrest.
Court records contain few details about the robbery other than the two-page indictment.
“Robert Richard took and obtained prescription medications belonging to Rite Aid, namely oxycodone pills, from the custody of and in the presence of a Rite Aid employee against the employee’s will by means of actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of immediate injury to his person,” the indictment says.
If convicted of the charge, Richard will face as much as 20 years in federal prison and a fine of as much as $250,000.
Scott Dolan can be reached at 791-6304 or at:
Twitter: @scottddolan
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