PORTLAND, Maine — A Portland man was found guilty Thursday on charges of armed bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Neil West Sr., 65, faces up to 25 years in prison on the robbery charges and an additional five years on the conspiracy charges.
He was found guilty after a jury trial, and the charges are in connection with a September 2015 robbery of TD Bank in Lewiston and the University Credit Union in Portland.
At the time of the robbery, West was on federal supervised release stemming from a June 2013 conviction for bank robbery in which he received a 41-month prison term.
According to evidence presented at West’s trial, he served as the getaway car driver for Joseph Richards and Crystal Default, who are accused of robbing the Lewiston and Portland banks.
The TD Bank robbery resulted in a high-speed pursuit that ended in Saco.
Richards and Default pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery in January and are awaiting sentencing.
In addition to prison time, West faces fines of up to $250,000 on all of his charges. He will be sentenced at a later date.
