FARMINGTON — Two men on Friday admitted to robbing a couple at gunpoint inside their home Halloween night and forcing the husband to withdraw money from nearby ATMs while his wife remained held hostage.

Kevin S. Crandall, 28, of Wilton, and Marcus A. Thompson, 26, of Farmington, both pleaded guilty to multiple charges during separate appearances in Franklin County Superior Court.

They both accepted identical plea deals in connection with the armed robbery and kidnapping, as well as three other burglaries they committed during a crime spree on Oct. 31.

A third man, Michael E. Kidd Jr., 21, of Chesterville, who is accused of committing the same crimes with Crandall and Thompson, is expected to take the same plea agreement at a future court date, according to Franklin County Assistant District Attorney James Andrews, the prosecutor.

Crandall and Thompson spoke little during their court appearance, only disputing minor points made by Andrews. The victimized couple did not attend. Crandall’s parents did, but they couldn’t be reached for comment following the hearing.

Andrews said the robbers were wearing black ski masks and gloves when they knocked on the couple’s door on Halloween night. The couple, ages 65 and 63, opened the door, mistaking them for trick-or-treaters.

At least one of the men then pulled out a knife and handgun and they forced their way inside, knocking the husband to the floor after one man yelled “trick-or-treat,” followed by an expletive, Andrews said.

Once inside, two of the men ransacked the house while the third kept a gun pointed at the couple, according to a police affidavit. After taking $1,600 in cash, some jewelry and prescription painkillers, the men demanded that the husband drive them to an ATM to withdraw money from his account, police said.

Crandall kept the wife at gunpoint at the Seamon Road home while the husband drove Thompson and the other man, each armed with handguns, to two banks in town, Andrews said.

The husband withdrew $600 from the first bank’s ATM and $100 from another, reaching the daily withdrawal limit before the men agreed to take him home, police said. The men fled the home after threatening to kill the couple if they went to police.

Crandall and Thompson on Friday also pleaded guilty to theft charges for breaking into three other homes in the couple’s neighborhood earlier that same day, taking cash, firearms and other items while the homeowners were away.

Andrews noted he will argue during sentencing hearings that Crandall, Thompson and the other suspect had planned to take their crime spree to “the next level” by robbing the couple, rather than simply burglarizing other unoccupied homes.

Andrews said witnesses also would have testified that the men had been looking for other homes to burglarize that day. In one instance, the men knocked on a door and a 10-year-old boy answered, and the men left only after the boy said his older brother was inside, Andrews said.

Crandall and Thompson will have to choose from two sentencing options offered as part of their plea agreements.

The first option consists of a mandatory 15 years behind bars, and they would face another 10 years in prison if they committed another crime during a four-year probation period upon their release.

The second option consists of the prosecution’s capping the initial prison time at 20 years, with conditions that allow the men’s defense attorneys to ask the court to reduce the prison time. That arrangement also allows the court to establish the amount of added prison time the men would face if they violated their probation conditions.

Crandall and Thompson each pleaded guilty to multiple charges, with the two counts of kidnapping alone each carrying a 30-year maximum prison sentence. They also pleaded guilty to robbery and two counts of kidnapping, and to three counts of felony theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.

Charges against the two men of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and three counts of burglary were dismissed as part of the plea deals.

Crandall also pleaded guilty Friday to violating conditions of release because he was awaiting a trial date on another charge.

Justice Michaela Murphy ordered that the two men be held without bail until their sentencing, which is expected to be scheduled to happen in June. Kidd is being held without bail until his next court date, which has yet to be scheduled.

David F. Robinson — 861-9287

drobinson@centralmaine.com

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