Joseph Richards, Armed Bank Robbery, Maine 2015

A 47-year-old man from Manchester, New Hampshire, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a string of armed bank robberies in Maine.

Joseph Richards, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced on an unspecified date by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen in U.S. District Court to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for armed bank robbery.

The charges arose from the August 3, 2015 armed bank robbery of Norway Savings Bank (NSB) in Freeport, Maine; the August 14, 2015 armed bank robbery of Franklin Savings Bank (FSB) in Franklin, New Hampshire; the September 4, 2015 armed bank robbery of University Credit Union (UCU) in Portland; and the September 12, 2015 armed bank robbery of TD Bank (TDB) in Lewiston, Maine.

According to court records, Richards used a pellet gun in each robbery and absconded with $5,854 from NSB, $13,240 from FSB, $12,308 from UCU and $9,888 from TDB.

At the time of the robberies, Richards was on federal supervised release for a 2003 federal bank robbery conviction in New Hampshire, for which he received a 12½ year sentence.

The joint investigation was conducted by the Franklin (New Hampshire), Manchester (New Hampshire), Freeport, Portland, Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach and Saco (Maine) Police Departments; the Maine State Police; and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland, South Portland, Lewiston and Biddeford Police Departments.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/new-hampshire-man-sentenced-15-years-armed-bank-robberies