The man accused of robbing the Domino’s Pizza in Gorham Saturday night held up a cabdriver in Portland a short time after that and later confessed to both crimes, police say.

Nathan J. Allen, 36, of Veranda Street in Portland, was charged with two felony counts of robbery and was ordered held on $50,000 bail at his first appearance in Cumberland County Unified Court on Monday.

Allen is charged with robbing Domino’s about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, according to court records.

Police said a man with his face obscured entered the store and demanded money, and fled to a nearby vehicle. According to police reports, Allen made off with about $40.

Police allege that about an hour later, Allen was responsible for a strong-arm robbery of a taxi driver outside PT’s Show Club on Riverside Drive in Portland

Investigators were led to Allen after he called his sister-in-law and confessed to the crimes on Sunday, saying he had returned to using drugs.

“I relapsed last night, well, I have been for a few weeks. I’ve been doing dope again,” Allen told Monika Ivey, according to a statement by a co-worker at Ivey’s job who listened to the call and gave a statement to police. “Last night I was smoking crack, and a I robbed a Domino’s and a cab.”

Allen also told Ivey that he planned to flee Maine to California that night.

About an hour after the Domino’s robbery, Allen got into a 207 Taxi cab at PT’s Showclub and asked to be taken to Veranda Street in Portland. But before the cab could leave, Allen allegedly wrapped his arms around the cabdriver’s neck and began choking him, according to police reports filed in court.

“You know what I want,” Allen allegedly told the driver.

After a brief struggle, the cabdriver stopped fighting and gave Allen about $50 in cash he had in his jacket pocket.

Both men then got out of the cab and looked at each other.

“Really?” the cabdriver said.

Allen then began approaching the driver, who got back into the car and drove away, according to court documents.

Police tried tracking Allen from the PT’s parking lot, but a police dog was unable to locate him, and surveillance cameras at the strip club did not capture the robbery.

After Gorham police received information from Ivey about what Allen had told her, they contacted Portland police, who set up a surveillance team outside Allen’s Veranda Street apartment.

About 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Allen left the building, got into his 2006 Acura TL and headed toward Interstate 95, according to police.

Officers stopped Allen before he reached the highway.

Because Allen is alleged to have threatened the use of force in the Domino’s robbery, he was charged with Class B robbery. If he is convicted he faces up to 10 years in state prison.

Police charged Allen with Class A robbery in connection with robbery of the cabdriver because Allen is alleged to have actually used force to commit the crime.

Matt Byrne can be contacted at 791-6303 or at:

mbyrne@pressherald.com

Twitter: MattByrnePPH