Bank Robber Sentenced to 96 Months for Two Robberies

A federal judge has sentenced Anthony Soares, 46, of Pawtucket, to 96 months in prison for a pair of bank robberies last September in Providence and Central Falls. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi sentenced Soares, who has more than a dozen prior convictions dating back to 1982, to the high end of federal sentencing guidelines for the robberies.

U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha announced the sentence, which Judge Lisi imposed on September 17 in U.S. District Court, Providence.

In June, Soares pleaded guilty to both robberies. At the plea hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee said the government could prove that, on September 15, 2008, Soares robbed a teller at Navigant Credit Union on Broad Streets Central Falls. He handed the teller a note demanding money and fled the bank with $1,950. Bank surveillance video pictured Soares committing the robbery.

Five days later, Soares committed another “note job” robbery at Sovereign Bank on North Main Street, Providence, fleeing with $6,300. Providence Police captured Soares a short while later on the banks of the Moshassuck River. The teller he had robbed at Sovereign Bank identified him, and Soares later identified himself in the video of the Navigant Robbery.

Soares has more than a dozen prior convictions that include robbery, embezzlement, forgery, assault and escape.

Central Falls Police, Providence Police, and the FBI investigated the robberies.