Scarborough Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Paula D. Silsby announced that Robert E. Patch, 45, of Scarborough, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to one count of Bank Robbery. Patch, who is detained pending sentencing, faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

According to court records, on April 9, 2008, Patch robbed the Maine Bank & Trust branch located at 28 Adams Street in Biddeford. Patch obtained approximately $4,000 in cash from a bank teller after pointing what appeared to be a large black handgun at her. Bank personnel noted the license plate number and description of the truck Patch drove from the bank after the robbery, and he was arrested in Saco approximately fifteen minutes later. Biddeford police recovered a pellet gun and proceeds from the robbery from Patch’s vehicle. Patch admitted to robbing the bank in a written statement provided to investigators after his arrest.

United States Attorney Silsby praised the investigation conducted by the Biddeford Police Department, the Saco Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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