A Portland man accused of a carjacking in Portland followed by a bank robbery in Freeport on the same day in July pleaded not guilty to bank robbery in U.S. District Court in Portland on Thursday.

Jimmy Odong, 25, was indicted in federal court on Dec. 9 on the bank robbery charge and indicted in October in state court in Portland on a robbery charge in connection with the carjacking. He has yet to enter a plea in state court, and that case remains pending.

Odong’s alleged wrongdoings on July 17 began when he approached a woman in a parking lot adjacent to the Seaside Nursing Home on Baxter Boulevard, pointed a handgun at her and ordered her out of her silver Honda Pilot SUV. She escaped and he drove away in the vehicle, according to police.

Police said Odong entered the Key Bank branch on Main Street in Freeport later that day, pulled out a handgun and demanded money. He left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash in a silver SUV, which was later found abandoned in Yarmouth.

Police arrested Odong later that day near the University of Southern Maine’s Portland campus. He fled, and police used a dog to track him to Granite Street and took him into custody, police said.

If convicted of the federal bank robbery charge, Odong faces up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of the carjacking charge in state court, Odong faces up to 30 years in prison.

Scott Dolan can be contacted at 791-6304 or at:

sdolan@pressherald.com

Twitter: @scottddolan


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