Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Phillip
G. Gage, 46, of Berwick, Maine, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to armed bank
robbery and firearms charges. The charges arise from the Aug. 21, 2013 armed bank robbery
of Citizen’s Bank, in Somersworth, New Hampshire; the October 7, 2013 armed bank robbery of
Peoples United Bank, in Exeter, New Hampshire; the Oct. 19, 2013 armed bank robbery of
Kennebunk Savings in Eliot, Maine; and the Oct. 26, 2013 armed bank robbery of the Ocean
Communities Federal Credit Union in Sanford, Maine. Gage also pled guilty to being a felon in
possession of a firearm and using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, that is,
armed bank robbery.
According to court records, during the Citizen’s Bank robbery, Gage displayed a demand
note that read in part: “I have a bomb and a gun if you say a word you will die" and absconded
with $3,132.80. In the People’s United robbery, Gage’s demand note read in part: "There's a
bomb in the trash can, keep it quiet" and absconded with $1,451. During the Kennebunk Savings
robbery, Gage pointed a Ruger Red Hawk.44 Magnum revolver at tellers while, an associate,
Daniel Barry, vaulted over the teller counter and took $7,896 from the teller drawers. During
the Ocean Communities Federal Credit Union robbery, Gage pointed a Dan Wesson.22 caliber
revolver at tellers and absconded with $8,574.
Gage was convicted of the following felonies: robbery in Florida in 1986, assault in
Maine in 1999, possession of a firearm by a felon in Maine in 1999 and attempting to commit a
Class B crime in Maine in 2002.
Gage faces up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or both, on each armed bank
robbery charge; a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison on the firearm
possession charge; and a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to life
in prison for using a firearm during the commission of an armed bank robbery. He will be
sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the United States
Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Maine State
Police, and the Eliot, Kittery, Sanford, Berwick, York, Maine and Exeter, Somersworth, Alton
and Pembroke, New Hampshire police departments. U.S. Attorney Delahanty praised the
cooperation among these law enforcement agencies noting that “these armed bank robberies
were quickly solved because local, state, county and federal law enforcement agencies across
two states worked closely together."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
