BANGOR, Maine — A Veazie man will spend 1½ years behind bars for using a plastic handgun to hold up a pair of Bangor markets on three separate occasions in December.
Brian Caggiano, 29, was sentenced Thursday to six years in prison with all but 18 months suspended in connection with the December crimes. He also will spend three years on probation and pay $500 restitution, according to a court official.
Caggiano pleaded guilty to robbing Garland Street Market on Dec. 10 while carrying a plastic handgun. After getting away with an undisclosed amount of cash, he decided on Dec. 19 to try to rob the same store again.
The second time around, the clerk recognized him and refused to give him money.
That same day, Caggiano tried to rob Mount Hope Variety, but again was unsuccessful.
Police recovered Caggiano’s fake firearm, which fell out of his pocket during a scuffle with a clerk there.
Caggiano faced three charges of felony robbery.
Police also charged his getaway driver, Apryl Vanags, 25, who also is from Veazie. She is serving an 18-month sentence of her own.
Caggiano and Vanags both have numerous criminal convictions, according to prior court listings published in Bangor Daily News.
Caggiano has four theft by unauthorized taking or transfer convictions over the last five years, as well as convictions for forgery, disorderly conduct, violating condition of release, disorderly conduct, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, domestic violence assault and operating a vehicle with a suspended license, the BDN listings state.
Vanags, who moved to Maine from Boston, has been convicted of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, operating a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants, operating a vehicle without a driver’s license and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, the BDN listings state.
You can’t fix stupid, no matter how much duct tape you use.
I guess my first thought was how did he only get 18 months for three felonies? Wish they’d thrown the book at him…
“Vanags, who moved to Maine from Boston…”
Perhaps they should source their information a bit better. I went to school with Vanags. She isn’t from Boston. She is from Maine. Nothing like trying to make the problems the state faces look like “away problems” to further the misconception that crime doesn’t happen by people from “here”.
She never was super bright. Guess she decided to move on from petty crime to doing scores.
And that is what’ll happen when you get involved with drugs and can’t handle yourself. Kids take notice.