Less than a week after The Bank of Maine branch on Maine Street was robbed, Brunswick police say they’ve found their man.

The Brunswick Police Department issued a press release on Tuesday afternoon, announcing it had charged Benjamin Lamphere, 20, of Brunswick, with class A robbery for the armed robbery of the bank branch located at 137 Maine St. in Brunswick. A handgun was displayed during the crime, which took place at about 2:06 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Brunswick Det. Sgt. Martin Rinaldi said the apprehension of Lamphere “went quite smooth,” and he was charged at approximately 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Maine State Police Crime Laboratory assisted Brunswick police in the investigation.

“The investigation moved along quite smoothly,” Rinaldi said. “We had three investigators working on the case, along with the FBI.

“Everything fell together. There were some unique characteristics observed during the initial event; the teller made some excellent observations. It was a rather expeditious arrest and the investigation went rather quickly, considering it was a bank robbery,” he added. “We had great witnesses and some great evidence.”

The eyewitness accounts of the crime provided very good information for investigators to go on.

“In this particular case, it was very helpful,” Rinaldi said, “and the security measures at the bank were excellent.”

Investigation into the matter is still ongoing, as Brunswick police detectives are working to collect additional evidence from various locations throughout the state.

Lamphere is currently being held at the Cumberland County Jail in Portland on $20,000 cash bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 21.

rmontana@timesrecord.com

The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu