FARMINGTON — District Court Judge Susan Oram set $25,000 cash bail Wednesday for a Lewiston man accused of being involved in a June 28 home invasion at a 75-year-old man’s home in Jay.

The complaint filed by the district attorney’s office against Daniel Leet, 33, charges him with felony charges of robbery, burglary and theft by unauthorized taking and a misdemeanor charge of criminal restraint.

Leet and co-defendant Eric S. Hafford, 34, of Livermore Falls, are accused of breaking into the victim’s home at about 11:30 p.m. while the man was sleeping and tying his hands behind his back with packing tape and making him lie face-down. The men are accused of stealing a valuable coin collection, wallet and cellphone. They are also accused of using the man’s debit card at two different ATMs in Lewiston and Auburn, where $516 was stolen from his account, according to Jay police documents filed with the court. Additionally, they are accused of cashing in 530 coins totaling more than $200 at a Coinstar machine in Auburn.

According to a narrative filed with the court by Cpl. Jeffrey Fournier of the Jay Police Department, the victim told police that one of the men told him to cooperate and that he had a gun and would use it, but he did not want to hurt him.

The victim told police he did not see a gun, but he was not taking any chances of getting hurt. The intruders had their faces covered. The victim was also asked about having any pain medications, which the victim told them he did not, according to police documents.

The intruders asked the victim where the keys to his safe were and he told them.

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Robbins asked the court Wednesday to set bail for Leet at $50,000 cash, the same bail that was set for Hafford.

Hafford faces the same charges as Leet.

Robbins told the court that this was a crime of violence against an infirmed older man in his home. These are very, very serious charges, he said.

Robbins also asked for release conditions that include no contact with the victim or Hafford.

Defense attorney Christopher Berryment asked the court to set bail at $500 cash or a Maine pretrial contract. He said Leet had a conviction just after he turned 18 and has had no trouble with the law since that time.

Leet cannot afford any cash bail and has mental health issues, including depression, Berryment said.

It’s a serious case, but he has had no brushes with the law for about 15 years, he added.

Robbins said that Leet may have a lesser criminal record than Hafford, but this crime not only affects the victim, who was robbed and tied up, but also his family and others.

“You lose the trust we need to live in our homes,” he said.

Oram set bail at $25,000 cash for Leet with release conditions of no use or possession of alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs and no possession of dangerous weapons. He also is required to submit to searches of his person, vehicle and residence at any time.

The bail may be reviewed once he meets with his appointed lawyer, Paul Corey.

The next court date for both Leet and Hafford is scheduled for Dec. 7.

Police are continuing to investigate the home invasion.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

Copy the Story Link