AUGUSTA — A 19-year-old city man pleaded guilty Tuesday to robbing two pharmarcies in the capital a week apart last February.
The man, Carmine Anthony Fazzi Jr., is scheduled to be sentenced at a hearing set for July 23 in Kennebec County Superior Court.
Assistant District Attorney James Mitchell Jr. told the judge Tuesday that the state will ask for a sentence of 10 years in prison, with six years suspended, and four years of probation.
Defense Attorney Francis Griffin Jr. will argue at the hearing for a shorter jail term.
Mitchell also told the judge he would notify the victims about the sentencing hearing.
Fazzi pleaded guilty to robbing the CVS Pharmacy at 2 Stone St. on Feb. 13 and the Rite Aid Pharmacy at 2007 North Belfast Ave. on Feb. 20.
On Tuesday, Fazzi, wearing a bright orange jail uniform and stopping several times to cough, told the judge he was pleading guilty voluntarily and waiving his trial rights.
In both robbery charges, Mitchell said two young men entered the stores, and one of them gave a note to the pharmacist, demanding oxycodone and saying they had a gun. The pharmacists were told, “Don’t act suspicious,” Mitchell said.
The note used in the Feb. 20 robbery said, “I HAVE A GUN AND WILL SHOOT U HAVE 30 SECONDS TO FILL THE WALMART BAG WITH OXYCODONE 30 MG AND 15 MG!!! DO NOT ACT SUSPICIOUS!!!” according to an affidavit by Augusta police Detective Jason Cote, which was filed in court.
Mitchell said an investigation by the Augusta Police Department led to Daniel Rines, who admitted giving a tide to Fazzi and another person and dropping them off near the Rite Aid store. Rines told police he thought they were going to buy marijuana nearby and was unaware of the robbery until they returned to Rines’ pickup truck.
Mitchell said Rines said he also heard Fazzi admit to the earlier CVS robbery, saying all he got there were “babies,” which is street lingo for 5-milligram oxycodone pills.
Fazzi was arrested in March in Greenburgh, N.Y., on an assault charge and returned to Maine to face the robbery charges.
Rines was not charged in connection with the robberies, Mitchell told Justice Michaela Murphy.
When she asked about the other suspect in the robberies, Mitchell told her warrants are out for another man’s arrest.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
badams@centralmaine.com
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