PROVIDENCE, R.I.
A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to charges stemming from a series of bank robberies committed in Rhode Island in 2019, according to officials.
Joseph Hickson, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Melissa R. DuBose to his role in the robberies of a TD Bank branch in Cranston and a Washington Trust Bank branch in East Providence.
Hickson is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15.
Quick Facts
- Defendant: Joseph Hickson
- Age: 42
- Residence: Massachusetts
- Charges: Federal bank robbery
- Court: U.S. District Court, Rhode Island
- Judge: Melissa R. DuBose
- Banks Robbed: TD Bank (Cranston, Rhode Island) and Washington Trust Bank (East Providence, Rhode Island)
- Dates of Robberies: April 28, 2019, and May 28, 2019
- Arrest Date: May 29, 2019
- Sentencing Date: Sept. 15, 2026
- Investigating Agencies: Cranston Police Department, East Providence Police Department, and Franklin, Massachusetts, Police Department.
According to court documents, Hickson robbed the TD Bank on April 28, 2019, and the Washington Trust Bank on May 28, 2019. In each robbery, Hickson handed a teller a note claiming he had a gun and specifying the denominations of cash he wanted.
Investigators from the Cranston Police Department, East Providence Police Department and Franklin, Massachusetts, Police Department identified Hickson as a suspect in the Rhode Island robberies, as well as in a May 16, 2019, robbery at a Digital Federal Credit Union branch in Franklin.
Authorities arrested Hickson on May 29, 2019, at a casino in Foxborough, Massachusetts. After his arrest, Hickson admitted his involvement in the robberies. Search warrants executed on his vehicle and residence uncovered evidence linking him to the crimes.
Hickson was charged with bank robbery in Massachusetts state court, where he pleaded guilty and served a prison sentence. He was later returned to Rhode Island to face federal bank robbery charges.