BANGOR — A Fairfield man was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court to serve 3 1/2 years in prison for his role as an accomplice in the armed robbery of a Skowhegan credit union in June 2009.

Forrest T. Goodwin Jr., 34, also is ordered to serve three years of supervised release when he gets out of prison, according to a release from the U.S. attorney’s office in Bangor. Goodwin also must pay $1,700 in restitution and a fine of $2,000.

Goodwin was convicted after a jury trial in federal court in June for being an accessory after the fact of the robbery of the Taconnet Federal Credit Union, U.S. Route 201.

His partner, Paul Garland, 27, of Oakland, was sentenced this summer to eight years in prison for being the one wielding a knife, wearing sunglasses and a hooded jacket. As the teller began putting money in a bag, Garland banged on the counter with the knife in his hand and started yelling “faster, faster,” according to court documents.

The men made off with $9,147 in cash. Garland was ordered to pay the money back and serve five years of supervised release

After the robbery, Garland escaped on a Yamaha motorcycle driven by Goodwin. The pair changed clothes and vehicles at Goodwin’s residence where Garland paid Goodwin $1,700 from the proceeds of the robbery, according to the release.

Garland and Goodwin were arrested in Fairfield in November and were indicted by a grand jury.

Goodwin initially denied involvement in the robbery, but a woman told investigators that six months after the robbery, Goodwin said that he and Garland had got away with it, according to newspaper archives.

Garland pleaded guilty to armed robbery in April, after an investigation that involved the Skowhegan Police Department and the FBI.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367
dharlow@centralmaine.com