South Portland Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years for Armed Robbery Charges

PORTLAND, ME—United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty, II announced today Joseph Morrill, 24, of South Portland, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 161 months in prison and five years of supervised release for federal armed robbery and federal firearms offenses. Morrill pleaded guilty to the charges on August 19, 2013.

Court records reveal that a Glock pistol and a badge belonging to a law enforcement detective were stolen from a motor vehicle in South Portland, Maine on September 21, 2012. On April 17, 2013, Morrill, who was driven by Michael Platts, used the stolen pistol to steal approximately $182 in cash during a robbery of the Cumberland Farms store located on Cottage Road in South Portland, a business engaged in interstate commerce.

On April 22, 2013, Morrill used the same pistol to steal approximately $5,612 during a robbery of the TD Bank on Market Street in South Portland. On June 14, 2013, the execution of a federal search warrant at a Broadway residence in South Portland resulted in the stolen handgun being recovered.

Seven years of Morrill’s sentence was imposed as a consecutive mandatory minimum for his use and carrying the stolen pistol during and in relation to the TD Bank robbery, a crime of violence. Following his incarceration, Morrill will be on federal supervised release for five years.

The investigation was conducted by the South Portland Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.