FARMINGTON — Police said two Livermore Falls residents accused in a late-night home invasion and robbery of a 75-year-old Jay man in June face new charges.
Amanda Cote, 38, was restricted by the court from having direct or indirect contact with her boyfriend, Eric Hafford, 34, as conditions of her release. The court added the no contact provision to Hafford’s conditions on Wednesday. He was being held in jail on $50,000 cash bail on felony robbery and burglary charges and a misdemeanor charge of criminal restraint as of Wednesday morning.
The communications were done under fictitious or altered names, Jay police Detective Michael Mejia said Wednesday morning. Mejia was not present for the court appearance.
Judge Charles Dow also approved the state’s conditions to have any mail sent to and from the jail checked to make sure the two are complying with the no-contact provision. The only exception is for mail to and from their legal counsel.
Mejia arrested Cote on Tuesday on a felony charge of violating conditions of release. He also arrested Hafford at the jail on a felony charge of tampering with a witness, Mejia said.
Cote had been released from the Franklin County jail in July on a state pretrial agreement in regards to felony charges of robbery, burglary and hindering apprehension or prosecution.
Defense attorney Christopher Berryment entered a denial to the state’s motion to revoke Cote’s bail and opposed the motion to revoke it.
Assistant District Attorney Joshua Robbins asked that Cote’s bail be set at $25,000 cash or Maine pretrial agreement on all but the new charge.
Berryment said he agreed so long as bail can be reviewed once she meets with her attorney. He requested a Maine pretrial contract for those charges.
To be clear, Robbins said, there is no guarantee she will get a second pretrial agreement.
He also requested a $5,000 cash bail or pretrial contract on the violation of conditions of release charge. Dow approved the recommendations.
In regards to Hafford, Robbins asked for $10,000 cash bail for the tampering charge. Dow approved the request. That means Hafford is now being held on $60,000 cash bail.
Berryment said Hafford understood that the state filed a motion to revoke his bail. A hearing was set for 1 p.m. Sept. 9 at a Franklin County court on the matter.
The couple and a third co-defendant, Daniel Leet, 33, of Lewiston, were arrested in July.
Cote is accused of helping to plan the robbery in Jay on June 28, and being the getaway driver for Hafford and Leet, according to police.
The two men are accused of breaking into the Jay man’s residence. The man’s hands were tied behind his back with packing tape and he was made to lie face-down on his bed, police previously said. The men are accused of stealing his wallet, a cellphone and a valuable coin collection.
Leet also faces felony robbery and burglary charges and a misdemeanor charge of criminal restraint.
Leet’s bail had been set in July at $25,000 cash.
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
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