Suspects plead not guilty in Corinth bank robbery

BANGOR – Two men suspected of robbing a Corinth bank in May each pleaded not guilty Thursday in separate, brief appearances in U.S. District Court.

Lovie Lee Riddle Jr., 58, of Newport and Bangor and Corey Houle, 26, of Warren, R.I., both could face 20 years in prison if convicted of federal charges of bank robbery.

Riddle and Houle will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service until a trial, which U.S. Magistrate Judge Margaret J. Kravchuk set tentatively for Sept. 7.

The charges stem from a May 16 incident in which Houle allegedly entered UnitedKingfield Bank in Corinth and presented a teller with a note that read, “I am sorry this is a robbery. I have a gun,” according to an FBI affidavit.

The teller called the bank manager, who then handed over $2,491 in mixed bills. Houle took the money and left the bank, at which point witnesses saw him get into a 1996 purple Ford Ranger with red flames on the side. An older white male, later identified as Riddle, was in the driver’s seat, the document stated.

Police tracked the truck about an hour and a half after the robbery on Interstate 95 near Lewiston. After learning that the vehicle was linked to the bank robbery in Corinth and determining that Houle fit the description of the man who had entered the bank, police arrested both men.

Riddle appeared Thursday with attorney Jon Haddow of Bangor, who has represented Riddle in the past. Riddle has a lengthy criminal history and was on probation for conviction of gross sexual assault in 1989. He previously was convicted on federal charges for filing false income tax returns.

Houle, who has no prior convictions in Maine, was represented by James Nixon of Bangor.

The May 16 incident was the second time since March that the UnitedKingfield Bank had been robbed. The bank was held up on March 10, but so far no one has been charged in connection with that robbery.