Bridgeport Man Convicted of Multi-State Armed Bank Robberies

BOSTON, MA—A Bridgeport man was convicted today in federal court of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery and attempted armed bank robbery.

Acting United States Attorney Michael K. Loucks; Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division; Chief John R. Ferraro, Jr. of the Chicopee Police Department; Colonel Marco Palombo, Chief of Police of the Cranston Rhode Island Police Department; Richard Dormer, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department; and Chief Anthony R. Scott of the Holyoke Police Department, announced today that RICHARD DUCRAN, age 28, of Bridgeport, CT, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to one count of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery and three counts of armed bank robbery and one count of attempted armed bank robbery.

At today’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that between March 23, 2007 and May 3, 2008, DUCRAN and two co-conspirators all engaged in four bank robberies in three different states, causing a total loss of $268,998.95. On March 23, 2007, DUCRAN and his co-conspirators robbed the Berkshire Bank in Chicopee, MA, taking $25,974.00; On June 30, 2007, DUCRAN and his co-conspirators robbed the Sovereign Bank in Cranston, RI, taking $27,253.95; On July 28, 2007, DUCRAN and his co-conspirators robbed the North Fork Bank in Deer Park, NY, taking $215,771.00; and on May 3, 2008 DUCRAN and his co-conspirators attempted to rob the Bank of Western Massachusetts in Holyoke, MA, but obtained no money. For each of the robberies, all three co-conspirators brandished pellet guns resembling authentic firearms, threatened to shoot bank employees, and wore hats and/or glasses that obscured their faces. In the Chicopee robbery, one co-conspirator beat down and struck a bank customer who attempted to flee.

Judge Ponsor scheduled sentencing for February 23, 2010. DUCRAN faces up to 25 years imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, forfeiture and restitution of $268,998.95 and a $250,000.00 fine.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chicopee Police Department, the Cranston, Rhode Island Police Department, the Suffolk County, New York, Police Department, and the Holyoke Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett of Loucks’ Springfield Branch Office.