City man sentenced for bank robbery
WOONSOCKET – A local man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for committing two bank robberies in Providence in the span of a week in November 2015.
Edred Buchanan, 40, was also ordered to serve three years supervised release upon the completion of his prison term. During his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Buchanan to serve three years’ supervised released upon the completion of his prison term and to pay restitution to the banks totaling $2,561.
Federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of 70 months – at the low end of the federal guidelines, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch said in a statement.
Buchanan pleaded guilty to the note-job robberies on March 8.
Upon entering the plea, Buchanan admitted to the court that he robbed the Citizens Bank branch on Waterman Street in Providence, passing a note to teller demanding cash in $50 and $100 demominations.
Buchanan made off with $1,011 in cash – and the note.
Seven days later, Buchanan entered another Citizens Bank about two miles away – on Westminister Street – once again passing a note to a teller demanding money.
“Robbery!” said the note, which was admitted into evidence. “Gun! Loose 50s N’ 100s. No Dye Packs! Quick!”
Buchanan fled with $1,550 in cash, but this time he left the note behind, according to the federal prosecutors.
According to court documents, on Nov. 9, 2015, Woonsocket police were assisting their counterparts in Blackstone, Mass., investigate a bank robbery that occurred in the neighboring Bay State town that day when they advised an FBI agent about information they had developed and evidence they had seized regarding the holdup.
The information they seized and follow-up investigation by the FBI and Providence police eventually led those agencies to identify Buchanan as the person responsible for the Providence bank robberies, federal prosecutors said. Buchanan was subsequently arrested on March 30, 2016.
Buchanan’s sentence was announced jointly Tuesday by Dambruch; Harold H. Shaw, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division; Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.; and Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas F. Oates III.