BANGOR, Maine — A Connecticut couple accused of robbing a bank and dollar store near the Bangor Mall on Memorial Day weekend face stiffer penalties after their cases were moved to federal court.
Seth J. Blewitt, 29, and Cara M. Blewitt, 30, both of Oakville, Connecticut, made their first appearances Thursday before Magistrate Judge John Nivison in U.S. District Court in Bangor. He ordered they be held without bail until detention hearings can be held next month to determine if either should be released on bail.
Both are charged with bank robbery and interference with commerce by robbery. Seth Blewitt allegedly went into TD Bank on Sunday, May 28, demanded money and left with about $500 in cash while his wife drove the getaway car. The next day, he went into the Dollar Tree, pointed a sawed off shotgun at employees and demanded money, according to the complaint. He allegedly got $400 from the store register.
In addition to the robbery charges, he also is charged with the use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The Blewitts each face up to 20 years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000 on the robbery charges, if convicted. Seth Blewitt also faces 10 additional years to life in prison for using a gun in the Dollar Store robbery, if he’s found guilty, according to court documents.
The couple was not asked to enter pleas to the charges because they have not yet been indicted by a federal grand jury. The charges in state court are expected to be dismissed after the federal indictments.
Attorneys for the couple declined to comment on the federal charges.
If convicted in state court, Cara Blewitt most likely would have faced up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. Her husband, if convicted, would have faced up to 30 years and a fine of $50,000 in state court.
The Blewitts were stopped by Bangor police at Third and Union streets, about 10 minutes after the Dollar Store robbery, the complaint said. They allegedly told police they needed money to buy heroin. The TD Bank branch was targeted because Cara Blewitt previously worked at a branch in Connecticut and was familiar with its policies, according to court documents.
Until Thursday, the pair had been held at the Penobscot County Jail unable to post $50,000 cash bail since their arrests.