PORTLAND

Waterville woman gets 30 months for bank heist

A Waterville woman charged with robbing a TD Bank near the Maine Mall was sentenced Friday to 30 months of incarceration.

Jamilee Kus, 29, pleaded guilty to robbery in Cumberland County Unified Criminal Court. She was sentenced to six years in prison, with all but 30 months suspended, and three years of probation. The conditions of her probation prohibit her from being on any TD Bank property.

She was also ordered to pay TD Bank $1,860 in restitution.

Kus was charged in connection with the July 6 robbery of TD Bank on Maine Mall Road in South Portland. She was arrested after media outlets broadcast a surveillance image of the suspect and a caller told police the robber was Kus.

Police learned from Verizon Wireless that Kus’ cellphone was in the Bronx, N.Y., and later in Groton, Conn. A tipster told police she was on her way from New York to Waterville.

The company also provided text messages from the phone made before and after the robbery. One message inquired about the bank’s operating hours and another told the recipient that she had the person’s money.

YARMOUTH

Council will dedicate bench to late longtime councilor

The Town Council will dedicate a granite memorial bench to the late longtime Councilor Erv Bickford during a ceremony on Thursday evening.

The bench was installed a few weeks ago along a footpath that runs from Main Street to Rowe School, said Town Manager Nat Tupper.

Etched into the curved granite seat is the following sentiment: “In fond memory of Erving Bickford, civic leader, community builder, visionary, friend.”

Bickford, who operated a trucking company for most of his life, died in May at the age of 79 after a long illness.

The ceremony will start at 5:30 p.m. The footpath starts across from Hancock Lumber. The council purchased the bench with $1,500 in town funds.

ROCKLAND

Lobster co-op’s manager charged with felony theft

Authorities have charged a Maine man with stealing from the lobster co-op he manages.

Robert Thompson, 51, manager of the Spruce Head co-op in South Thomaston, was released on $100,000 surety bail following his arrest this week on felony theft charges.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Department said it has been investigating financial concerns at the co-op for months. As part of the investigation, police also went to Thompson’s St. George home, a bank and a seafood processing company for financial records.

Police did not say how much was stolen, only that it is more than $10,000. It will take several days of examining records to figure it out.

The sheriff’s office received assistance from the Maine Marine Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, National Marine Fisheries Service and Internal Revenue Service.

BANGOR

Woman sentenced for theft of $202,000 from employer

A Hermon woman has been sentenced to a year and a half in jail for stealing more than $200,000 from the Bangor car dealership where she worked.

Misty Beylerian was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to theft.

Authorities say Beylerian, 35, was an office clerk at Quirk Auto Group who had access to the deposits and adjusted them to take cash for herself.

WABI-TV reported that she spent the money on personal expenses, and prosecutors said there is no evidence she used the money for gambling or drugs.

She admitted she stole $202,000 over a two-year-period, ending in November.

LEWISTON

Bates freshman in hospital after falling down stairwell

A Bates College freshman who was severely injured in a fall down a stairwell at the Lewiston school last weekend remains in the hospital as police continue to piece together what happened.

A spokeswoman at Central Maine Medical Center said Thursday that Troy Pappas, 18, of Eliot was in critical condition.

Lt. Michael McGonagle said police are talking to witnesses and visited the dormitory where Pappas fell last Saturday.

McGonagle told the Sun Journal that police learned about the fall Monday and started investigating Tuesday because of the seriousness of the injuries.

A Bates spokesman said the college is cooperating.

Pappas is studying science and math and is on the football team.

He is a graduate of Marshwood High School, where he was a top student and a football, basketball and baseball player.

FARMINGTON

Three get lengthy sentences in Halloween home invasion

Three men who were involved in a Halloween night home invasion and robbery have received stiff prison sentences.

Authorities said the masked men held a couple in their 60s at gunpoint inside their home, then forced the husband to drive to an ATM and withdraw hundreds of dollars. The victims opened the door to the robbers, thinking they were trick-or-treaters. They also stole prescription pills, guns and cash from the home.

The ringleader of the scheme, Kevin Crandall, 27, of Wilton, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday in Franklin County Superior Court. Marcus Thompson, 26, of Farmington and Michael Kidd Jr., 20, of Chesterville, were sentenced to 15 years each.

They apologized in court, blaming their actions on drug addiction. 

LePage applauds decision to uphold law on RSU claims

Gov. Paul LePage said he’s pleased that an appeals court left intact a law requiring insurers, health maintenance organizations and other medical service organizations to provide information concerning a school unit’s insurance claims history.

The idea of the law sponsored by Rep. Ralph Sarty of Denmark was to make information available so school districts can explore lower-cost options.

Last year, the Maine Education Association sued to stop the law. A district judge denied the injunction, and his decision was upheld by the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. Now the case has been dropped.

Anthem, insurance provider for the MEA Benefits Trust, will now be required to release claims data when it’s requested by the local school board. LePage called it a “win-win for superintendents and teachers.” 

Gay-marriage opponents will distribute yard signs

Gay-marriage opponents are preparing to distribute yard signs expressing opposition to a Nov. 6 ballot question asking Mainers if they want to legalize same-sex marriage.

The Protect Marriage Maine opposition group says thousands of yard signs will be distributed to referendum opponents.

The yellow-and-blue signs will read: “Don’t Redefine Marriage. Vote No on Question One. Marriage = One Man + One Woman.”

This is the second time in three years that Mainers will vote on the issue. Voters in 2009 repealed a same-sex marriage law passed earlier in the year by the Legislature.