$8K bail for Peabody bank robbers

SALEM – Two men accused of stealing $1,000 from the Sovereign Bank in Peabody this summer will have to each come up with $8,000 bail to get out of jail pending trial.Jesse J. Descavich, 28, of 43 Main St., and Kolten Berg, 27, of 15A Court St., both of Somerville, appeared Monday morning in Salem Superior Court.Descavich pleaded not guilty to charges of unarmed robbery and buying and receiving a stolen motor vehicle. Judge David A. Lowy agreed to set the same bail as set earlier following a bail hearing, despite the commonwealth?s strong plea for a higher amount.In her pitch for a higher bail, Assistant District Attorney Jessica P. Connors said her recommendation of $30,000 cash bail was based on his past record and to ensure his availability for trial.It was around 3:20 p.m., on June 29 when a man wearing sunglasses and a Red Sox baseball cap, later identified as Descavich, walked into the Sovereign Bank located at 300 Andover St., Route 114, in Peabody and handed a note to the female teller threatening her while demanding money.The teller turned over $1,000 in single bills, he fled from the scene and jumped into a white Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by Berg.A witness jotted down the partial license plate, which was broadcast to area police.Police quickly spotted the truck on Route 1 south in Saugus and, after a brief pursuit, stopped the vehicle near the Lynn Fells Parkway.Inside the truck, police found the stolen money and a green Red Sox baseball cap. Police learned the pickup truck had been stolen earlier that day out of Arlington, Connors said.Berg was the operator of the vehicle and Descavich was a passenger, police said.Connors pointed out Descavich?s significant record, while stressing that at the time of the alleged holdup, Descavich was on probation.Defense lawyer Amanda L. Barker reminded Lowy that the bail was reduced during an earlier bail hearing. She noted that Descavich had not yet posted that amount while saying it is significant and telling the judge she felt it was an appropriate amount, and the judge agreed.Berg, who had been arraigned last month, had his bail reduced from $15,000 to $8,000 cash, the same amount as Descavich.In arguing for the same bail amount, defense lawyer J. Gregory Batten argued that his client was not in the bank, nor on surveillance tapes and there was no evidence that his client stole the truck.A conviction of the unarmed robbery charge could net them a life sentence in state prison.Their next scheduled court appearance is Dec. 10 for a pretrial conference.