MANCHESTER – The man accused of wearing tree branches as a disguise when he robbed a Citizens Bank branch Saturday wore a simple orange jail-issue outfit for his arraignment on a robbery charge in Manchester District Court yesterday.

James Coldwell, 49, of 50 Lowell St., could enter no plea to the felony in District Court, so a probable cause hearing was set for July 19. Bail was set at $10,000 cash/corporate surety, with bail conditions including no use of alcohol.

Coldwell, who is accused of entering the Citizens Bank branch at 1550 Elm St. with leafy branches duct-taped to his upper body Saturday morning, handing a teller a plastic bag and ordering her to "fill it up," said nothing in court yesterday morning.

His attorney, Michael Craig, who waived the reading of the complaint charging Coldwell with robbery, later responded to reporters' questions with a "no comment."

While Coldwell was silent in court yesterday, court documents show he told police that he'd been at Lake Massabesic about 7 a.m. Saturday, drinking a cup of coffee, when he decided to rob a bank.

So before leaving the lake, he said, he taped small tree branches about his head and body, "for a camouflage effect and to conceal his identity," before driving to the bank on Elm Street, where he parked his 1995 red Saturn in the bank lot.

►Police: Coldwell decided on robbery while drinking coffee
►Police rake in leafy robbery suspect (13)
►Man in tree garb robs bank branch

He told police he entered the bank and gave the teller the bag, demanding she fill it with money, and then walked out the front door with the bag of 10s and 20s, headed for his vehicle. But when he heard a pop and saw red smoke coming from the bag, he said he knew it was a dye pack, so he dropped the bag with the money in the lot.

Coldwell told police he continued on to his car and removed the branches and leaves of his disguise, putting them in his vehicle, before driving away. He said he drove to the city's West Side, where he discarded the branches and leaves along the road.

About 9:30 that night, someone who had seen the bank security camera's images of the robber called police and said the robber resembled someone who frequents a local bingo center and plays Texas Hold 'Em tournaments. That tip ultimately led police to Coldwell.

When officers arrived at his apartment, Coldwell told police he had been expecting them and agreed to let them search his apartment and car. Coldwell fit the physical description of the robber, including the strong body odor the teller had noticed.

Court documents show that during the search of his apartment, Coldwell pointed out the T-shirt, jeans and brown hiking style boots he said he wore during the robbery. Officers found duct tape, some leaves and black plastic garbage bags in his car.