Five people have been indicted by a Waldo County grand jury on felony charges alleging they robbed Patterson’s General Store in Burnham the morning of Jan. 8, knocking the owner down as they fled the area.
Two of the group have also been charged with robberies in Athens and Hartland, in Somerset County.
Sarah Chase, 19, of Burnham; John Ryan, 19, of Fairfield; Matthew Shaw, 20, of Hartland; and David Pedone, 22, of Newport, are charged with robbery, a Class A felony; burglary causing bodily injury, a Class B felony; and theft of property valued at more than $1,000, a Class C felony. The charges are elevated to Class A robbery because of the use of force, according to police.
Michael McGregor, 22, of Canaan, was indicted on with burglary and theft charges, both Class C felonies for his alleged role in the break-in.
Waldo County Sheriff’s Department Detective Gerry Lincoln, the lead investigator in the case, said the estimated cost to the store of the burglary was $4,500, including stolen merchandise and cash and damage to a security system that the group allegedly tried to disable.
Among the stolen goods were cartons of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, lighters, alcohol and other items, Lincoln said.
McGregor and Shaw also are charged with burglarizing Jim’s Variety store in Athens on Jan. 16 and an attempted burglary at the Athens Corner Store the same night in what the Somerset County sheriff described as a “mini crime spree.”
Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said the two said they committed the Athens crimes and that Shaw also said he broke into Nettie’s Diner in Hartland, Wright’s General Store in Hartland multiple times and Patterson’s on Jan. 8.
The burglary Jan. 16 at Jim’s Variety netted thieves $1,500 worth of tobacco products. The same night, the back door at the Athens Corner Store was jimmied in an attempted burglary there, causing $1,500 worth of damage. Some of the stolen merchandise was recovered during the execution of a search warrant in Hartland, Lancaster said.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow