PITTSFIELD — A Maine man was sentenced to 10 years in state prison Tuesday for the 2016 armed robbery of the Credit Union of the Berkshires, according to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office.
Clinton Damboise, 44, of Belgrade, entered the Williams Street bank on Sept. 13, 2016, placed a handgun on the counter, and demanded money from an employee before fleeing on foot.
Pittsfield Police officers conducted an area search and a K-9 made a track to an area where a vehicle had been seen earlier. As a precaution, the nearby Williams and Egremont elementary schools were placed on lockdown status for a short period of time.
Damboise was arrested later by authorities in Connecticut, where he has a previous bank robbery conviction, according to the DA's Office. He also is under federal indictment in connection with a bank robbery in Maine.
Massachusetts sentencing guidelines suggest seven to 10 years in state prison on armed robbery charges. Prosecutors requested a 10-year sentence.
Damboise pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court on Tuesday to a single count of armed robbery while masked.
Judge Douglas Wilkins sentenced him to the full 10 years in state prison.
"I thank the Pittsfield Police Department and law enforcement agencies across state borders for collaboratively solving this crime and holding the perpetrator accountable," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said in a prepared statement. "Ensuring this conviction prevents Mr. Damboise from committing more violent acts against innocent people who are simply doing their jobs and living their everyday lives."