A 50-year-old Cumberland resident has pleaded guilty to robbing two banks in Rhode Island while claiming to be armed with a gun. According to court documents, Joseph G. Petrarca admitted to robbing a Citizens Bank branch office in Cumberland on December 26, 2012, of $1,764 and a Washington Trust Company branch office in Cranston of $9,595 on January 15, 2013.
During both robberies, Petrarca handed bank tellers a threatening note claiming that he was armed with a gun. In the Washington Trust Company robbery, the note read in part, “I have a gun and I will shoot you.” It further warned, “Watch my hand it has a gun in it.”
The teller at the Washington Trust Company robbery reported that the robber displayed the handle of a gun, which he pulled out from a satchel or briefcase he was holding. However, no gun was displayed during the Citizens Bank robbery.
Cranston police obtained a warrant to arrest Petrarca on January 19, 2013, based on information developed in their investigation. He was arrested the following day as he exited Route 95 in Providence.
Following his arrest, Cumberland police officers conducted a court-authorized search of Petrarca’s home, where they seized several items matching the description of those worn by the robber during the bank robberies. These items included jeans, sweatshirts, fingerless gloves, and a knit hat.
Petrarca faces statutory penalties of up to 45 years in federal prison for the crimes. A plea agreement filed in this matter recommends that he be sentenced to up to 12 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 6, 2014.
The case was charged by retired Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth P. Madden and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan. The FBI assisted Cranston and Cumberland Police in the investigation of this matter.
The case is a reminder of the importance of community policing and the need for residents to remain vigilant in reporting suspicious activity. We urge anyone with information about this or any other crime to come forward and cooperate with law enforcement.
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Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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