AUGUSTA — A Gardiner man pleaded guilty Thursday to a home invasion in which people allegedly were held at gunpoint by a co-defendant who demanded the return of a safe containing his drugs and money.

Scott E. York, 42, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for his conviction on the burglary and criminal threatening charges stemming from a Jan. 13 incident on Highland Avenue in Gardiner. He also was ordered to serve a concurrent 22-month probation revocation on a felony reckless conduct conviction.

During Thursday’s hearing at the Capital Judicial Center, Assistant District Attorney Tracy DeVoll said York entered an apartment without permission and stood in a doorway to block the occupants from leaving. DeVoll said York handed a gun — which later was found to be a BB gun — to Edward Lawrence, 25, of Gardiner and formerly of New York, who used it to threaten the occupants.

One of those occupants managed to get a message to a friend to call police.

While Lawrence was arrested immediately, York was identified later as the person who had accompanied Lawrence.

York’s defense attorney, Lisa Whittier, supported the sentence recommendation, telling Justice Donald Marden, “I believe that this is a fair resolution to the case.”

York was arrested Aug. 11 by a Maine State Tactical Team after he allegedly made threats he was going to kill police officers if they tried to apprehend him. He was found hiding in a garage on Ferry Road in Chelsea and was arrested without incident, according to police.

In exchange for the pleas, the state dismissed a charge of criminal restraint.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

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