One of two men accused of robbing a Maine gun store in 2022 pleaded guilty Thursday to the charges.
Damiean Marcial-Alexander of Waterville and Springfield, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer and theft of a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer in U.S. District Court in Bangor. His codefendant, Ryan Ansart of West Springfield, Massachusetts, previously pleaded not guilty.
Marcial-Alexander admitted during the plea hearing that he robbed J.R.’s Trading and Pawn in Waterville on April 10, 2022, and stole at least two guns, including a pistol and revolver. Around 2 a.m. he entered the store wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up and a face mask, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Ansart allegedly entered the store with Marcial-Alexander, according to the court records. They allegedly texted and Instagram messaged each other planning the route they would take and the guns they wanted.
Six revolvers and nine semi-automatic pistols were stolen from J.R.’s, according to a theft report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Police found images on Ansart’s phone showing Marcial-Alexander holding the stolen guns and pointing them at the camera, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ansart is allegedly in the pictures as well.
Marcial-Alexander does not have a plea agreement in the case. He can be sentenced for up to five years for the conspiracy charge and 10 years for the theft charge.
No sentencing date is scheduled for Marcial-Alexander. Ansart is scheduled for a jury trial in July.
