By Mike Donoghue
CORRESPONDENT
BURLINGTON, Vt. — A Springfield man suspected of a half dozen robberies this month will remain behind bars for the time being, a federal magistrate judge ruled on Tuesday.
An FBI Task Force agent filed a criminal complaint against Samuel I. Colby, 39, of Pine Street, for a Jan. 8 holdup at the 802 Credit Union in Springfield. The complaint noted the robbery was “with force, violence and intimidation.”
The complaint lists five other robberies or attempted robberies in Springfield and Westminster between Jan. 6 and Jan. 14 that Colby matches the description or was identified as the robber, Task Force Special Agent Jeffrey W. Stephenson said in a 14-page court affidavit.
Colby appeared briefly from the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield for the virtual hearing in U.S. District Court in Burlington on Tuesday afternoon. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle said the Pre-Trial Services Office needed more time to investigate Colby’s background and continued the hearing until Wednesday afternoon.
No plea is requested at an initial appearance in federal court.
Colby, formerly of Londonderry, is a painter and dry waller with a 2017 Chevy Malibu that was used in some of the robberies, court records show.
Springfield Police developed Colby as a possible suspect by the third robbery and as they focused on him they obtained a state search warrant on Jan. 14, one day after another attempted robbery at the 802 Credit Union in town. During the search police found part of a torn piece of special printed stationery. It appears to be the top portion of a sheet with the name of “Ms. Carolyn Blake-Bashaw,” who was Colby’s mother, police said. His mother died Oct. 7 at age 81.
The other portion of the torn sheet was recovered during the investigation with a threatening note, Stephenson said. “I have a gun on me. I will shoot someone if I don’t see you putting money into a bag or envelope immediately for the amount of $2,000.00 Give this note back as well,” the recovered note stated.
Copies of the two pieces of note paper are shown in the court affidavit and have jagged edges that appear to fit perfectly like a puzzle.
After the first two robberies on Jan. 6, police put out a news release with pictures and descriptions of the robber that appeared to be the same man. One of the credit union employees said she was sure the robber was the same person as Springfield and state police included in their press releases.
Stephenson, who is a state police detective sergeant assigned to the FBI task force, said Colby became the prime suspect in the following:
Jan. 6 armed robbery of the Circle K truck stop at Exit 7 on I-91 in Springfield about 3:40 a.m. during which a gun was reportedly displayed by the robber;
Jan. 6 robbery of the Allen Brothers convenience store on U.S. 5 in Westminster about 6:54 p.m.; The bandit was wearing the same clothes from the first robbery about 14 miles away;
Jan. 8 robbery of the 802 Credit Union on Clinton Street in Springfield
Jan. 10 armed robbery of the People’s United Bank on Main Street in Springfield during which a gun was reportedly displayed by the bandit;
Jan. 13 attempted robbery of the 802 Credit Union in Springfield;
Jan. 14 robbery of the Family Dollar on Chester Road in Springfield.
It was as part of the Jan. 13 attempted robbery investigation that Springfield Police developed enough information to impound the car in which Colby was sitting outside the Credit Union.
The next day as officers executed the search warrant, Springfield Police received a report of a robbery in progress at the Family Dollar, Stephenson said in a court affidavit.
By 10:15 p.m. that night Colby was jailed at the Springfield prison, records show.
Springfield Police Chief Mark Fountain made a public announcement of the arrest and said federal charges would be filed. Springfield Lt. Patrick Call helped lead the investigation, which included Detective Trooper Kelsey Knapp from state police.
Colby’s criminal history includes three felony convictions, including a felony trespass conviction reduced from an initial burglary charge with an 18-month prison sentence, records show. They also note he has two felony convictions for sale of cocaine with a two- to five-year prison sentence.
They also show Colby has a misdemeanor conviction for violation of conditions of release, and a number of probation and parole violations that led to re-incarcerations.
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