Bail set for man accused of robbing Jay bank

JAY – A local man is charged with robbing a bank after police say he slipped a note to a teller requesting money or “it will be bad,” then took off and went home. In court today, bail was set at $10,000 cash for the accused man, with several conditions attached should he be released.

Alan Lewis, 39, of Jay, was arrested and charged with Class B felony robbery shortly after Jay Police Officer Russell Adams talked with witnesses and viewed the surveillance video recording taken at Franklin Savings Bank Friday afternoon.

According to the police affidavit, at 3:12 p.m. on Friday, police received the report of a robbery at the Franklin Savings Bank branch at 9 Main Street in Jay. Bank employees told police they recognized the suspect as “Alan who used to work at Hannaford” and that he drove away in a maroon sedan.

Adams watched the surveillance video and said he saw, “a male dressed in a white T-shirt, blue jeans and a ball cap hand a note to a teller. The note reportedly said: “Give me the money in the immediate area. If you don’t it will be bad. No dye packs, no buttons. Be good and I’ll leave.”

The teller gave the money from her drawer and the suspect left and got into a maroon car, Adams said, and he added, “I recognized the male was Alan Lewis of Jewell Street in Jay. Alan made off with the cash.”

According to Adams’ account, he heard the description of the suspect as it was reported by dispatchers and first drove by Alan Lewis’ trailer on Jewell Street, a short distance from the bank. He noted, as he drove by, the garage doors were closed and there was no car in view. After watching the video and talking with witnesses, he went back the Lewis residence and a maroon Ford sedan was  in the garage with black tape covering the front and back license plates, he said.

Sgt. Troy Young of the Jay Police Department first arrived at Lewis’ trailer and was talking with him as Adams arrived from the bank. According to Young’s account, he asked Lewis what was he doing at Franklin Savings Bank, “and Alan stated, ‘trying to non-violently rob the bank.'”

Adams said the more than $1,500 in cash reported stolen from the bank was recovered at Lewis’ residence.

In his report, Adams said Lewis appeared intoxicated and, in addition to robbery, also charged him with operating without a license.

In court on today, Judge Eric Walker via televideo from South Paris District Court, set Lewis’ cash bail at $10,000. If he makes bail, several conditions of release were ordered that include no contact with Franklin Savings Bank employees, no use or possession of illegal drugs or alcohol, must submit to random searches by police and no use or possession of weapons.