Fairfield Man Convicted of Being an Accessory to a Credit Union Robbery

BANGOR, ME—United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today that, following a four-day trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor, a jury convicted Forrest T. “Teddy” Goodwin, Jr., 33, of Fairfield, of being an accessory after the fact to an armed credit union robbery. Goodwin was found not guilty on the charge of robbery.

According to trial evidence, in June 2009, Goodwin assisted Paul Garland after Garland committed an armed robbery of the Taconnet Federal Credit Union in Skowhegan, Maine. Goodwin waited outside the credit union and drove the getaway motorcycle with Garland as his passenger. Goodwin hid the motorcycle behind his residence and he and Garland left the area in Goodwin’s pickup truck.

Goodwin faces a sentence of up to 12½ years’ imprisonment and up to a $125,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the United States Probation Office. Goodwin was detained pending imposition of sentence.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Maine State Police, and the Fairfield and Skowhegan Police Departments.

Fairfield Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Bombing

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Daniel Richard Garcia, 30, of Fairfield was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton to 35 years in federal prison. The defendant was found guilty by a federal jury on January 17, 2012, of Malicious Use of Explosives, Possession of a Destructive Device in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and two counts of Possession of Unregistered Destructive Devices.

According to testimony presented at trial, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on May 27, 2011, the defendant placed a bomb underneath an SUV parked next to an apartment building in Fairfield. The bomb detonated, causing a fireball and sending shrapnel into the vehicle and the nearby apartment building where two young children and numerous others were sleeping. Investigators were able to piece together parts of the bomb and link it to the defendant.

The targeted SUV belonged to the defendant’s former tenant and the defendant was angry that the tenant had taken a cable box and left behind trash when moving out. The defendant testified at trial that he had become “numb” about the dispute. During a June 16, 2011 search of the defendant’s house, law enforcement found and disabled a second bomb. The defendant was found and arrested two days later after a police stand-off.

This case is the product of an extensive joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fairfield Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yolo County Bomb Squad. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Phillip A. Talbert prosecuted the case.

U.S. Attorney Ben Wagner said, “The defendant’s attempt to resolve a minor private dispute by detonating a bomb endangered the lives of all those who were sleeping in the apartment building in Fairfield that night. While it is fortunate that no one was harmed, the defendant’s actions together with his possession of a second bomb in the residential neighborhood where he lived merit a long prison sentence. I am grateful to the efforts of and fine investigation put together by the ATF, the Fairfield Police Department, the FBI and the Yolo County Bomb Squad."‘Some of the most dangerous criminals ATF investigates are those who use improvised explosive devices, IED, to commit acts of violent crime,’ said Acting Special Agent in Charge Scot L. Thomasson. ‘ATF will continue to target those responsible for putting the public at risk through the illegal use of these horrific instruments of death and destruction.’”

Jury Finds Fairfield Man Guilty of Car Bombing Former Tenant

SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Daniel Richard Garcia, 30, of Fairfield was convicted today of malicious use of explosives, possession of a destructive device in relation to a crime of violence, and two counts of possession of unregistered destructive devices. The guilty verdict was returned by a federal court jury in Sacramento after a four-day trial before United States District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton.

According to testimony presented at trial, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on May 27, 2011, Garcia placed a bomb underneath an SUV parked next to an apartment building in Fairfield. The bomb detonated, causing a fireball and sending shrapnel into the car and the nearby apartment building where two young children were sleeping. Investigators were able to piece together parts of the bomb and link them to Garcia.

The targeted SUV belonged to Garcia’s former tenant and Garcia was angry that the tenant had taken a cable box and left behind trash when moving out. Garcia testified at trial that he had become “numb” about the dispute. During a June 16, 2011, search of Garcia’s house, law enforcement found and disabled a second bomb. Garcia was found and arrested two days later after a police stand-off.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fairfield Police Department, and the Yolo County Bomb Squad. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Phillip A. Talbert prosecuted the case.

Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Karlton on April 3, 2012, at 9:15 a.m. The maximum statutory penalty for malicious use of explosives is 40 years in prison, the maximum penalty for possession of a destructive device in relation to a crime of violence is life in prison, and the maximum penalty for possession of an unregistered destructive device is 10 years in prison. Garcia faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.