BANGOR, Maine — A Gardiner man convicted of robbing the same Augusta pharmacy twice in three days was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court to 37 months in federal prison.
Ryan McLaughlin, 27, pleaded guilty in April to one count of interference with commerce by robbery in connection with the incident last year at the Osco Pharmacy in Shaw’s Supermarket on Western Avenue.
In addition to prison time, U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced McLaughlin to three years of supervised release after he completes his prison term.
McLaughlin was indicted in January by a federal grand jury in connection with the robberies on Nov. 11 and 13, 2013. He pleaded guilty to the second robbery. The indictment for the first robbery was dismissed Thursday at his sentencing.
During both robberies, McLaughlin passed a note to pharmacy employees demanding oxycodone pills, which he was given, according to court documents. Pharmacy staff told police that they were very fearful and concerned for their safety during the robbery, in part because of McLaughlin’s agitated demeanor, and their concern that he had a weapon in his pocket.
McLaughlin apologized Thursday to pharmacy employees and family members, many of whom attended his sentencing.
“This is not a plea for sympathy but a plea for understanding,” he said. “I am an addict. What I did was done out of desperation.”
McLaughlin’s criminal history dates back to age 14, according to court documents.
“We’ve heard some very heartfelt statements of pain and loss addiction brings into the community,” Hornby said shortly before imposing the sentence. “I also must consider the pain and suffering the victims felt and recognize that they genuinely felt fear, and that is a fear that continues.”
The judge recommended that McLaughlin undergo drug treatment while in prison.
McLaughlin faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the prevailing federal sentencing guidelines, the recommended sentence was 33 to 41 months.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Wolff, who prosecuted the case, recommended the sentence Hornby imposed. McLaughlin’s attorney, Federal Public Defender James Nixon, urged the judge to impose a sentence at the low end of the guideline range.
McLaughlin has been held without bail since his arrest on Nov. 14 in a Portland motel. That time will count toward his sentence.