Calais bank robber, 70, gets 20 months in prison

BANGOR – The 70-year-old man who robbed a Calais bank last year was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 20 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

Roger Langille showed no emotion as U.S. District Court Judge John Woodcock imposed the sentence, which was significantly less than the 37 to 46 months called for in the sentencing guidelines.

Woodcock ruled that the former Princeton man qualified for a downward departure from the guidelines because the circumstances that led to Langille’s actions qualified as aberrant behavior under the guidelines.

“Virtually every other defendant in this country would be looking at 37 to 46 months [on this charge],” Woodcock said. “In order to be just, I have to take into account that your individual circumstances constituted aberrant behavior.”

Defense attorney Brett Baber of Bangor urged the court to sentence Langille to six months at a halfway house so that he would have the opportunity to obtain the services he needs to live successfully in the community.

Langille, who has no criminal history, has been in jail since his arrest last year. He pleaded guilty to the charge in December and apologized Tuesday for his actions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Burke recommended Langille be sentenced to three or four years in prison and argued against the downward departure.

Langille reportedly was living in his Lincoln Town Car when he went to the Calais branch of the Machias Savings Bank on Oct. 22 to apply for a $2,000 loan. The loan was denied because he owes more than $10,000 to the Veterans Benefits Administration, which demanded that he pay back benefits received previously because the agency miscalculated the amount of money he was entitled to receive.

A few minutes after he was denied the loan, Langille re-entered the bank and handed a note to a teller that read: “This is a bank robbery – have gun in my jacket put money in bag or I’ll shoot you,” according to court documents.

Calais police arrested him 15 minutes after he fled the scene in his car. Police did not find a gun in his possession, but Langille had the $3,500 from the robbery when he was arrested without incident at an auto repair shop in Calais.

In other court business, an Exeter man has received a significantly shorter sentence on drug charges than his wife did 14 months ago.

During a session closed to the public, Donald Grace, 41, was sentenced Monday to 28 months in federal prison and six years of supervised release on one charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and oxycodone. He also was sentenced to forfeit $2,515 after pleading guilty to the charge in July.

Omar Grace, 45, was sentenced in January 2003 to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison on five charges related to illegal drug trafficking after pleading guilty to the charges in October 2002. A few days later, she was convicted of one count of firearms possession after a jury-waived trial.

The couple was arrested at their home in November 2001 where police found more than 30 OxyContin pills and more than 200 grams of cocaine. Donald and Omar Grace were released on bail; however, Omar Grace’s bail was revoked in August 2002 after she tested positive for drug use. Donald Grace skipped bail but was arrested in February 2003.

The couple was expected to provide testimony against William Leland, 47, of Alton in his trial. In January, a few days before his trial was scheduled to begin, Leland pleaded guilty to illegal drug possession, conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs, distribution of illegal drugs and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also agreed to forfeit his car and motorcycle.

Also, Joshua Grant, 26, of Island Falls was sentenced Monday in federal court to 15 months in federal prison and three years of supervised released for possession of stolen firearms.

Grant and Daniel Rogerson, 18, of Medway were arrested in December 2002 after police recovered six of the 15 guns stolen earlier from an Island Falls pawnshop. The charges against Rogerson were dismissed in July.