Foster Man Detained on Federal Bank Robbery Charges
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 23, 2011 |
PROVIDENCE, RI—A Foster, R.I., man was ordered detained today after making an appearance in federal court charged with robbing a Cranston bank. James W. Snoke, 45, was ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on a criminal complaint charging him with bank robbery. Snoke is charged with robbing a branch office of Bank of America while allegedly threatening employees of the bank with a device he claimed was a bomb. Snoke is scheduled to return to federal court for an initial appearance on Monday.
The arrest and court appearance of James Snoke was announced by U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Cranston Police Chief Colonel Marco Palombo, Jr.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed with the court, it is alleged that on November 18, 2011, Snoke approached a bank teller demanding that he be given fifty and hundred dollar bills and no dye packs. He allegedly placed a black bag and a device similar in appearance to a large battery attached to a cell phone on the counter. He claimed the device was a bomb.
According to the affidavit, a second teller was summonsed and informed the bank was being robbed. According to the affidavit, the second teller placed a quantity of cash inside the black bag, at which time Snoke allegedly gathered the bag and the device and fled the bank.
Among the efforts undertaken by Cranston Police to identify the bank robber, they provided a still photograph of the robber obtained from the bank’s surveillance system to the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. A correctional officer identified the person in the photograph as James Snoke, a person who had previously been an inmate at the state prison.
On Monday, members of the Cranston Police Department, Foster Police Department and Rhode Island State Police executed a state search warrant at Snoke’s Foster residence. According to the affidavit, several pieces of evidence were seized including a six volt battery.
On Tuesday, Snoke surrendered himself to members of the Rhode Island State Police, who subsequently turned Snoke over to the Cranston Police. According to the affidavit, while in the custody of Cranston Police, Snoke admitted robbing the Bank of America branch office on November 18, 2011.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch.
The FBI assisted in the investigation of this matter.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.