TOPSHAM, Maine — Nineteen-year-old Topsham twins initially charged with robbing a man on a popular athletic field will each serve nine months in jail as the result of plea agreements.
Matthew Laurelez and Alexander Laurelez were arrested in November 2014 after a 19-year-old man known to the Laurelez brothers reported to police that after the three met at the Foreside Fields on Foreside Road the night of Nov. 22, one of the brothers aimed a small-caliber handgun at him and demanded money. The other brother allegedly held a bat to the chest of the victim and demanded money.
“The twins then threatened the life of the victim if he reported the incident,” Topsham police Lt. Frederick Dunn said at the time.
Matthew Laurelez was arrested the following night after police went to the home where the brothers live with their father and allegedly found him hiding. He was charged with two counts of Class A felony armed robbery, two counts of tampering with a victim, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and theft. He made his initial appearance in court the next day. Police then issued a warrant for the arrest of his brother.
Alexander Laurelez was arrested Nov. 28 at the Topsham police station and charged with the same crimes.
Under terms of a plea deal with the Sagadahoc County district attorney’s office, both men pleaded guilty in March to lesser charges of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, theft and tampering with a witness, informant, juror or victim.
The original charges — two counts of Class A felony robbery and felony tampering with a witness, informant, juror or victim — were dismissed, according to court documents.
Justice Beth Dobson sentenced each man to five years in prison with all but nine months suspended and two years probation for the criminal threatening charge, plus concurrent terms of six and nine months for the latter two charges.
Following the sentence, Matthew Laurelez was arrested by Brunswick police on March 6 and charged with violating conditions of release after police allegedly found him in possession of Ambien and cocaine, according to court documents. The status of that case was not available on Friday.