JAY — A Livermore Falls woman is accused of being the getaway driver and being involved in the planning of a home invasion in Jay on June 28.

Amanda Cote, 38, of Hunton Loop, was arrested Friday on felony charges of being an accomplice to robbery, burglary and hindering apprehension for prosecution, Jay Detective Michael Mejia said. The hindering charge is elevated because of the severity of the crime, he said.

A 75-year-old man had his hands tied behind his back and was made to lie face-down on his bed after intruders broke into his home at about 11:28 p.m. on June 28. The man’s wallet, containing a debit card, a cellphone and a valuable coin collection were stolen from his home. The debit card was used at two ATMs and coins were cashed in the Lewiston-Auburn area.

A conviction on the robbery charge carries up to 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Cote is the girlfriend of Eric S. Hafford, 34, of Livermore Falls, police said. He is being held at a Franklin County jail in Farmington on $50,000 cash bail while a third co-defendant Daniel Leet, 33, of Lewiston, is being held on $25,000 cash bail. The two face felony charges of robbery, burglary and criminal restraint.

Cote is being held without bail in Franklin County jail until she can go before a judge on Monday at a Farmington court.

According to Mejia’s initial report filed with the court, he had received a message on July 1 from Cote at the police department where she left information for Mejia, advising that Hafford would be home sometime in the evening and would call as soon as he returned. Mejia and Jay police Chief Richard Caton IV and Livermore Falls Lt. Joseph Sage had gone to Cote’s home looking for Hafford on June 30. She told police he was not there.

When Mejia had not received a call from Hafford by the end of his shift June 30, he made a follow-up call to Cote’s cellphone. The phone was answered by a female voice that Mejia recognized as Cote’s; however, she was unaware that she had unintentionally answered her phone and was talking about the phone number of the incoming call and asking if she should answer it, Mejia’s report states.

Mejia listened as Cote read the Jay Police Department’s number out loud and asked, “‘Should I answer it? What if it’s the cops? Say what, though?'” according to Mejia’s report.

Mejia heard a male’s voice answer her in the background. Suddenly Cote said “‘Hello,'” and when Mejia answered, she began talking to him, seemingly unaware that she had answered the phone sooner than she intended.

Mejia told Cote that he was calling about meeting with Hafford, and she told him he was still not home and would not be home until later in the evening.

She was advised that Mejia would try to get in touch with Hafford the next day.

Mejia went to Cote’s home with Livermore Falls police.

She told police Hafford was still not home. Mejia confronted her about her suspicious statements on the phone and she became nervous and denied talking to anyone, but Cote subsequently admitted that she had been talking to Hafford. After Mejia told her she could be charged with hindering the investigation, she became angry and went directly into a bedroom door behind her, appearing to tell Hafford to come out. Moments later, Hafford came out of the bedroom. When asked why he was hiding from Mejia, Hafford answered that he had heard from friends that the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency had been at his home on June 30 and he was nervous they had returned, according to Mejia’s report.

Hafford was later arrested on July 17 and Leet was arrested on Monday.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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