AUGUSTA, Maine — A Readfield man pleaded guilty to robbery, theft and burglary and will spend seven years in prison for his role in a Randolph home invasion last year during which a man was robbed at knifepoint.
Kenneth Joseph Maker, 26, pleaded guilty in Kennebec County Superior Court on Tuesday for his role in the Sept. 22, 2012, break-in at the home of a 66-year-old man. Maker was indicted last month along with two other men in connection with the home invasion. Tyler Perry, 29, and Jason Pratt, 35, both of Gardiner, are each awaiting trial on two counts each of robbery and theft by unauthorized taking in addition to one count of burglary. Both Pratt and Perry are scheduled for arraignment on April 9. Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said it’s possible Perry and Pratt could change their pleas now that Maker has pleaded guilty.
Maker initially pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea and was sentenced to 15 years in prison with all but seven years suspended as well as four years of probation. Maker must also pay his share of the $12,000 taken from the victim’s house during the night of the robbery.
“I’m very pleased with the job law enforcement did on the case and that’s why Mr. Maker changed his plea to guilty,” Maloney said Thursday morning. According to Maloney, the victim was contacted and agreed with the sentence. The victim chose not to be present at the sentencing, according to Maloney.
Maker was one of three people who allegedly went into the victim’s house at 11:15 p.m. Sept. 22, 2012 and ordered the victim to open his safe, according to an affidavit filed by Deputy David Bucknam of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office Major Crime Unit. When the victim refused, he was punched in the face and the intruders threatened to kill his son, who lived next door, if he did not cooperate.
Maloney said on Thursday that Pratt had previously done work on the victim’s roof and saw him remove cash from the safe to pay him.