PORTLAND, Maine — A Gardiner man facing a robbery charge in state court was indicted Friday by a federal grand jury on a count of interference with commerce by robbery in connection with a holdup last month at the Rite Aid in Gardiner.
Jesse N. Mansir, 31, allegedly got away with controlled substances during the Gardiner robbery, which occurred Sept. 21, according to a previously published report. He was charged with Class B robbery after surrendering to police on the night of the robbery.
Documents filed in U.S. District Court on Friday indicate Mansir took the drugs from Rite Aid employees against their will by using threatened force, violence and fear of immediate and future injury.
If convicted of the Class C felony, Mansir faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Mansir’s arrest last month came after a manhunt through a wooded area near Harrison Avenue in Gardiner that lasted several hours.
Gardiner police said at the time that Mansir entered the Spring Street store at about 10:35 a.m. and handed a pharmacy technician a note demanding prescription drugs.
The suspect allegedly made reference to but did not display a gun before leaving the store with an undisclosed amount of drugs. He was described as wearing a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt and navy blue cargo pants.
Search teams totaling 15 officers and two police-trained dogs were in the woods near Harrison Avenue at about 5 p.m. when they received a tip about Mansir. He surrendered without resistance shortly after 7 p.m., police said.