David Lasseque, Bank Robbery, Rhode Island 2013

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – In a brazen daylight heist, David Lasseque, 33, of Providence, was convicted of his role as getaway driver in the July 2013 armed robbery of the Barrington branch office of Bank of America.

According to testimony, at approximately 5:00 p.m. on July 12, 2013, members of the Barrington Police Department responded to a report of an armed bank robbery at the County Road branch office of Bank of America. Witnesses described the suspect as an individual armed with a black firearm approaching two tellers, demanding they hand over all the money. The suspect fled the bank with $4,871 in cash.

A Barrington Police Sergeant positioned himself on Rte. 114, where he saw a vehicle traveling in a northerly direction away from the bank, matching the general description of the bank robber. The sergeant attempted to affect a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled the area at a high rate of speed, leading police in a high-speed chase through East Providence.

The suspect vehicle crashed into an East Providence police cruiser, with its lights and siren engaged, before Lasseque fled on foot and was apprehended by Barrington and East Providence officers. A second individual, Pierre Rheau, 34, of Providence, was discovered lying on the back seat, later identified as the gunman who robbed the bank.

Lasseque faces statutory penalties of up to 25 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $500,000 when he is sentenced on September 26, 2014, by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith. Rheau, who pleaded guilty in May 2014 to conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery and armed bank robbery, faces statutory penalties of up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $500,000 when he is sentenced on September 12, 2014.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela E. Chin, with assistance from Barrington and East Providence Police, the Rhode Island State Police, and the FBI. The investigation was a collaborative effort, with Warren and Seekonk, Mass., Police also providing support.

Lasseque and Rheau have been detained since their arrest. The conviction marks a significant milestone in the investigation and prosecution of the 2013 Barrington Bank Robbery, a brazen crime that shook the community.

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