FARMINGTON — A Eustis man pleaded guilty Tuesday to burglarizing the American Legion Post 78 in Strong and a camp in northern Franklin County in 2021.
John L. Raymond Franklin County Detention Center file photo
The guilty pleas came one day after John L. Raymond, 36, was sentenced in federal court to four years for being the getaway driver in a violent Rangeley home invasion in 2016 that left one person dead and several in federal prison.
Raymond pleaded guilty in Farmington District Court to two charges of burglary. Several state charges, including theft, were dismissed.
He appeared via videoconference from a jail that holds federal prisoners in Maine, but his attorney, Jesse James Ian Archer, was in the courtroom.
Justice Jennifer Archer sentenced Raymond on Tuesday to one year straight time for the Rangeley burglary and six months for the camp burglary in Dallas Plantation, both to be served at the same time as the federal sentence.
Raymond had faced up to 10 years in state prison for one burglary charge and a maximum five years on the other.
Raymond broke into the Legion post in November 2021 and stole items belonging to the Legion and Knights of Pythias that were housed at the post.
Franklin County Sgt. Jacob Richards responded Nov. 22, 2021, to a report of burglary at the American Legion Hall. He met with representatives of the post and they noticed a window next to the primary door was broken and glass was on the ground and inside the building, according to information provided in Richards’ affidavit filed back then in a Farmington court.
As they continued into the hall, it appeared someone had rummaged through the property tossing several items around. In the kitchen, three drawers had been emptied and kitchen knives, utensils, serving trays and bowls had been removed, according to Richards’ affidavit.
A storeroom had also been broken into, where ceremonial pistols, white belts, a wooden gavel and a golden eagle flag topper were reported missing. The Knights of Pythias, which is no longer active in the area, had shared the hall and stored items there.
Deputy Andrew Morgan also responded to a report of a burglary Nov. 21, 2021, at a camp in Dallas Plantation. A neighbor reported the break-in to the owner. A lantern and a hammer found on the premises were collected, since the items did not belong to the owners. Police were provided with a written list of stolen property, Richards wrote.
The investigation found Raymond had been living out of his car, and Nov. 24, 2021, a search warrant was granted for his car.
Two days later, Morgan and Richards conducted a detailed search and property from the American Legion Post 78/Knights of Pythias was identified. Those included three wooden gavels — one engraved with American Legion — the golden eagle flag topper and a Rockwell power tool bag full of assorted silverware, three ceremonial gun holsters, three ceremonial pistols, two ceremonial belts and assorted burglar tools.
Also located were several items not first reported as stolen by the organizations. Other items found included multiple record books, Holy Bibles, a white helmet with the Post No. 78 on it, trophies, plaques, ribbons, tackle boxes marked with “K of P,” membership ledgers, “jewels” of their respective offices, magazines, scrapbooks and four swords with knights heads on the pommel in leather scabbards.
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