SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — A Westbrook man has been sentenced to three years in prison after he was convicted of robbing a bank in South Portland in January.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced 41-year-old Jason Arsenault to 36 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,700 in restitution, according to a Tuesday release from the United States Attorney's Office District of Maine. Arsenault pleaded guilty on July 29, 2024.
On Jan. 26, Arsenault pulled into the drive-through at a South Portland bank wearing a black winter hat, sunglasses, and a black mask covering his face, the release stated. Using the pneumatic tube, Arsenault passed a note to the teller that said: "CAR BOMB No Cops Alarms or WE ALL DIE $50,000 in 20s." The teller placed some cash into the pneumatic tube and Arsenault took the money and drove away.
Investigators traced the vehicle's movements using multiple surveillance cameras and captured images of his face, leading to his identification. Six days after the robbery, Arsenault was arrested in Portland and confessed to the robbery, directing investigators to the money hidden in a backpack in Baxter Woods in Portland. The backpack and all but $1,700 in stolen funds were recovered, the release stated.
The Portland Police Department and South Portland Police Department assisted the FBI with the investigation.
