Bank Robber Sentenced to 12 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Robbing the Same Bank Twice

PROVIDENCE, RI—Christopher Barrett, 37, of North Providence, R.I., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 151 months in federal prison for robbing the same Providence branch office of BankRI twice within 18 months, announced U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha.

Barrett was also ordered by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution in the amount of $4,865 to BankRI. Barrett pled guilty in September 2010 to robbing the bank in July 2008 and again in January 2010.

According to information presented to the court, on January 19, 2010, a Providence branch office of BankRI was robbed by a hooded man wearing gloves and sunglasses who approached a bank teller and demanded all of the money in both teller drawers, and warned, “No dye pack.” Approximately $3,245 was taken in the heist. A neighbor of Barrett’s identified Barrett after seeing bank surveillance photographs broadcast on local TV news segments. Barrett was also identified from surveillance pictures and/or surveillance videos by two witnesses who know Barrett well, two bank tellers, and a customer who was inside the bank at the time of the robbery.

According to information presented to the court, the same branch office of BankRI was robbed on July 30, 2008, by a bank robber who handed a teller a note demanding money from the cash drawer. The robber fled the bank after taking an undetermined amount of cash. Barrett was developed as a suspect in the robbery. During police interviews regarding the second robbery, additional information was developed by police regarding Barrett’s involvement in the 2008 robbery.

Barrett has been detained since his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in April 2010.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan. The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Providence Police Department.