Westbrook Bank Robber Who Threatened to Detonate a Car Bomb at South Portland Bank Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maine Byline: Peter I. Brostowi Dateline: Portland, Maine Date: 5 November 2024 Subjects: American Government , Crime

Jason Arsenault sent a threatening note via the drive-through’s pneumatic tube

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Westbrook man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland for bank robbery.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jason Arsenault, 41, to 36 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,700 in restitution. Arsenault pleaded guilty on July 29, 2024.

According to court records, on January 26, 2024, Arsenault pulled up to the drive‑through window of a South Portland bank wearing a black winter hat, sunglasses and a black mask covering his face. Using the pneumatic tube, he passed a note to the teller that read, “CAR BOMB No Cops Alarms or WE ALL DIE $50,000 in 20’s.” The teller placed some cash into the pneumatic tube, and Arsenault took the funds and drove away. Using multiple surveillance cameras, investigators were able to trace the vehicle’s movements and capture an image of Arsenault’s face, leading to his identification. Six days following the robbery, Arsenault was arrested in Portland, and he confessed to the robbery and directed 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 FBI investigated the case with assistance from the South Portland and Portland police departments.

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Peter I. Brostowi, Assistant United States Attorney (Tel: 207-780-3257)

Updated November 5, 2024