York bank robber faces new charge in NH for endangering lives on Route 286 in Seabrook
BRENTWOOD — A Seabrook man serving time in federal prison for a bank robbery in Maine is now charged in New Hampshire for leading police on a dangerous car chase the same day.
Brandon Simmons, 36, of Seabrook, was indicted Oct. 10 on one felony charge of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon. The indictment states he allegedly drove dangerously at a high rate of speed on Route 286 in Seabrook in November 2021, putting others at risk of being hurt.
Simmons pleaded guilty to charges in May, alleging he robbed a bank in York on Nov. 1, 2021. That was the same day his New Hampshire indictment states he drove dangerously through Seabrook.
Authorities arrested Simmons in Peabody, Massachusetts, after he allegedly led them on a high-speed chase following the robbery. He was already being sought at the time for a similar robbery he performed in Newburyport days before.
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Bank robbery leads to dangerous three-state pursuit
Police say Simmons “violently struggled” after he robbed Bangor Savings Bank and fled authorities in his car. They said he entered the bank and told the teller he had a bomb and demanded money. He took cash from the teller’s door and left the bank in a white work van, police said.
Simmons was quickly identified as a suspect through the combined efforts of the FBI, York police and law enforcement in Massachusetts. They determined he was also the suspect who robbed the CVS Pharmacy in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Oct. 30, 2021.
From Nov. 1-3, 2021, Simmons led police on a series of high-speed chases in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Police say he assaulted an officer, attempted to carjack a civilian bystander, stopped multiple vehicles and crashed his van into a truck driven by a bystander. He was apprehended by Massachusetts State Police Nov. 3 at a hotel in Peabody.
Simmons’ sentencing in May also included multiple charges related to his conduct while fleeing police. He was sentenced to 9 ½ years and ordered to pay the bank back $7,162 in restitution as well.
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New charge alleges Simmons used vehicle as 'deadly weapon'
The new charge in New Hampshire was handed down by a grand jury this month as a direct indictment. The road Route 286 only has two lanes, one in each direction, connecting Seabrook Beach to Route 1 near the border of Salisbury, Massachusetts.
The indictment states Simmons’ vehicle became a deadly weapon when he drove at a high rate of speed “with no regard for prevailing road conditions.” It states he was swerving around other lanes of travel and crossing the double yellow line into oncoming traffic.
“Brandon Simmons recklessly, engaged in conduct which placed or may have placed other motorists traveling on Route 286, in danger of serious bodily injury,” the indictment states.
Simmons is now scheduled for an arraignment Nov. 17 in Rockingham Superior Court at 1 p.m. The charge is a Class B felony that carries 3½ to 7 years and comes with a $4,000 fine.
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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York bank robber Brandon Simmons indicted on new charge in NH
