David Lasseque was sentenced to 140 months in prison for his role in a 2013 bank robbery.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Barrington Police Chief John M. LaCross, East Providence Police Chief Christopher J. Parella and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI.
Mr. Lasseque was convicted by a federal court jury in June 2014 of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and bank robbery. At sentencing, Mr. Lasseque was also ordered to serve 3 years supervised released upon completion of his prison term.
A co-defendant in this matter, Pierre S. Rheau, 34, of Providence, was earlier sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith t 63 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release. Mr. Rheau pleaded guilty in May 2014 to one count each of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and armed bank robbery.
According to court documents and the government’s evidence presented at Mr. Lasseque’s trial, at approximately 5 p.m. on July 12, 2103, members of the Barrington Police Department responded to a report of an armed bank robbery at the County Road branch office of Bank of America.
Witnesses told police that an individual armed with a black firearm approached tellers demanding they give him all the money. The evidence showed that the robber fled the bank with $4,871 in cash.
According to the government’s evidence, in response to a police dispatch about the bank robbery, a Barrington Police Sergeant positioned himself on Route 114. A short time later, the sergeant saw a vehicle traveling in a northerly direction away from the bank by an individual who fit the general description of the bank robber.
The sergeant began to follow the vehicle and attempted to affect a traffic stop. However, after stopping briefly, the vehicle fled the area at a high rate of speed.
According to police, the suspect vehicle was pursued by officers into an East Providence residential neighborhood. The vehicle came to a stop after crashing into an East Providence police cruiser traveling in the opposite direction, with its lights and siren engaged, injuring the officer.
According to the government’s evidence, the driver, Mr. Lasseque, fled on foot but was quickly apprehended by Barrington and East Providence officers. A second individual, Mr. Rheau, later identified as the gunman who robbed the bank, was discovered lying on the back seat. From the back seat area, officers recovered a pile of loose cash, a black Daisy .177 caliber BB gun, and clothing and accessories described by witnesses as having been worn by the armed bank robber.