PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man accused of robbing a
Providence bank just prior to closing for the business day on Valentine’s Day
in February 2017, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court to a charge of
bank robbery.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E.
Smith, Efrain Delacruz, 36, admitted to the Court that on February 14, 2017, he
entered a Santander Bank branch office on Elmgrove Avenue, approached a teller,
and gave her a note that said, “give me all the money. No dye packs, no fifties and no hundreds.”
The teller immediately began gathering money from her station and gave it
Delacruz.
According to information presented to the Court, as Delacruz
left the bank he dropped nearly half of the money in the vestibule. A manager immediately locked the doors. Delacruz came back to the bank looking for
the dropped money. He yanked on the doors trying to get in, but was
unsuccessful. He then fled in his vehicle, leading police on a chase that
exceeded 6 miles, often at high speed. Delacruz struck as many as seven
vehicles prior to getting cornered by Providence Police and stopping.
Cash in the amount of $3,569 was found in the center console
of the car. It is believed that the
balance of the money initially handed to the defendant by the teller was
dropped inside the bank, where it was recovered.
Delacruz, who is detained in federal custody, is scheduled
to be sentenced on October 5, 2018.
Delacruz’s guilty plea is announced by United States
Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements, Jr, and
Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter was investigated by the Providence Police
Department and the FBI.
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