“The trio entered the property wearing clothing impersonating law enforcement personnel,” Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said in a press release. “The clothing, which is easily obtainable online, depicts a ‘SWAT’ style vest and a shirt that states ‘Sheriff’ on the front. One of the men was armed with what is believed to be a semi-automatic handgun.

“The homeowner confronted the intruders verbally and the three fled from the property with an armful of mature marijuana plants,” McCausland said. “No shots were fired and no one was injured.”

Maine State Police released surveillance camera images of the three men on Monday afternoon and are asking the public to call Trooper Elisha Fowlie or Trooper Sarah Ferland at 624-7076 if they have any information about the armed robbery.

The faces of two of the three men are clearly visible in the images.

The Winterport homeowner reported the felony crime at about 7 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. Police are not releasing the location of the robbery to protect the owner’s privacy.

It was not stated in the press release if the homeowner is a medical marijuana patient growing the medicinal plant for personal use or a medical marijuana caregiver growing marijuana for patients.

Armed robbery with the threat of force is a Class B crime, which carries a penalty of up to 10 year behind bars, and impersonating a public official is a misdemeanor Class E crime that can be elevated if done in association with a crime, according to Bangor police Lt. Cathy Rumsey.


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