AUBURN — A former Lewiston man who robbed a string of Twin Cities stores in 2010 appears to be on the lam.
A judge issued two warrants this week for the arrest of Rodney M. Morant, 48, who is believed to be in Massachusetts.
Rodney Morant Sun Journal file photo
His Maine probation officer filed an affidavit that said Morant had moved to Massachusetts after his release from a Maine prison three years ago. Morant was supposed to be checking in with a Massachusetts probation officer, but hadn’t touched base there in more than a year.
A probation officer in that state told Maine probation officials that Morant last checked in March 1, 2018.
That state’s probation officer said several attempts had been made to track down Morant, most recently paying a visit to his mother at the end of February.
Massachusetts probation “reports Morant’s whereabouts are unknown at this time,” according to an affidavit from Brent Stroud, a Maine probation officer.
Morant pleaded guilty in March 2011 to five counts of robbery. In three of those he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with all but seven years suspended. That means he may be required to serve some or all of the remaining eight years of his sentence if he’s found to have violated the terms of his probation.
He was ordered to serve six years of probation after his release from prison.
Terms of his probation included no possession of alcohol, illegal drugs or dangerous weapons, for which he can be searched at random. He was ordered to complete psychological and substance abuse evaluation, counseling and treatment.
He was ordered to pay a total of more than $1,500 restitution to the stores he robbed.
Morant was barred from entering any 7-Eleven, Cumberland Farms, Big Apple, Walmart or Rite Aid stores.
Police said he robbed two Cumberland Farms and The Big Apple store in Lewiston on April 21, 2010, and an Xpress Stop in Auburn on April 20, 2018. Police said Morant robbed a 7-Eleven store in Lewiston on Jan. 30, 2010. In that robbery, a clerk said Morant had brandished a gun. He admitted to police he robbed the store because his baby needed diapers and he was going to buy crack cocaine. He said the apparent weapon was actually a lighter shaped like a gun, which turned out to be true.
In at least one of the other robberies, Morant had wielded a knife.
Morant later told police he committed the robberies to repay drug debts. He admitted to having robbed Xpress Stop in Auburn and two Cumberland Farms store in Lewiston, one on Sabattus Street and one on Main Street.
cwilliams@sunjournal.com
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