Jeromy Merchant Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
FARMINGTON — A Livermore Falls man faces numerous charges in connection with a home invasion this month when a man was beaten, choked, threatened with a shotgun and had his coin collection, firearms and phone stolen.
Farmington police arrested Jeromy Merchant, 43, of 166 Fayette Road in Livermore Falls on a warrant Monday. He is charged with two counts of robbery, one count of kidnapping, one count of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of obstructing the report of a crime.
The 52-year-old man who lives at the home at 234 Morrison Hill Road told police he had a knock on his door about 11:18 p.m. on Feb. 7, according to an affidavit filed in Farmington District Court. He brought a shotgun to the door and checked out the windows but didn’t see a car. He opened the door to someone asking to use a phone because a vehicle ran out of gas. The man said he heard a noise at the back door, turned and was rushed, beaten, tied up and threatened with a shotgun.
The shotgun was wrestled away from him and pressed to his neck and used to choke him until he lost consciousness. When he woke up he was lying on the living room floor and his hands were tied behind his back and the shotgun pointed at his face, the affidavit said.
His silver and gold coin collection, 17 firearms and his phone were stolen. He went to a neighbor to call police, the affidavit said.
Farmington police officer Rex Schweighofer learned from Jay and Wilton police that they had evidence related to the robbery. He met with investigators from those towns and Livermore Falls police on Feb. 12.
Schweighofer was advised that Merchant was involved in a shooting about 4 a.m. Feb. 8 on Church Street in Jay. Merchant was allegedly seen on a residential surveillance camera firing six shots from a handgun in the air. Witnesses identified Merchant from the video.
The case remains under investigation.
Merchant has a history of numerous burglary, theft, criminal mischief and assault convictions in Maine since 2000, according Schweighofer’s affidavit.
Merchant was scheduled to make an initial court appearance from the jail via Zoom on Wednesday to set bail but he refused to go, a corrections officer at the Franklin County Detention Center said Wednesday afternoon.
He is being held on $5,000 bail on one robbery charge and held without bail on the other charges. He is also on a probation hold and remained at the jail Wednesday afternoon.
Convictions for robbery and kidnapping are punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. Convictions on the other charges range from up to 364 days in jail to 10 years in prison.
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