Advertisement

25-year sentence for Minneapolis man whose 3 armed robberies included 2 bank heists

He and his accomplices also robbed Minneapolis clothing store employees and customers at gunpoint, prosecutors alleged.

March 18, 2022 at 2:30PM
Richard A. Woods (Anoka County jail/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A Minneapolis man will spend 25 years in prison for his role in a series of armed robberies that included a bank heist that netted nearly $90,000.

U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright on Wednesday sentenced Richard Alonzo Woods, 38, for holding up two banks and a clothing store in the Twin Cities over a three-month span in 2018.

Woods pleaded guilty earlier to interference with commerce by robbery, two counts of armed bank robbery, two counts of carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery.

Along with his prison time, Woods' sentence includes five years of supervision after his release and $97,000 in restitution.

His 25-year sentence was a near match to what the prosecution argued for him to receive, while the defense asked Wright to give Woods about 17 12 years in prison.

"Victim impact statements from a teller and a customer at one of the banks described the psychological aftermath of being robbed at gunpoint by masked men," the prosecution wrote in a pre-sentence filing with the court.

"They noted suffering from anxiety, depression, sleep disorder, panic disorder, and other symptoms," the filing continued. "The bank teller left her job after the robbery, and the customer has not entered any bank since the incident."

According to prosecutors:

Advertisement
Advertisement

On Feb. 4, 2018, Woods and two accomplices entered Project SoZo, a business that sold apparel and accessories in Minneapolis, brandishing handguns and threatening customers and employees. They stole jewelry, money, and cellphones from the customers, approximately $600 in cash from the register along with store merchandise, including Nike Air Jordan shoes valued at $1,900.

On Feb. 22, 2018, Woods and two accomplices entered Lake Area Bank in White Bear Lake. Surveillance video images showed Woods jumping over a counter and demanding money from a teller's drawer. The three made off with $9,816.

On May 4, 2018, Woods and one accomplice entered Bremer Bank in Brooklyn Center while brandishing guns and threatening to kill the tellers. A third accomplice was waiting in a getaway car. Woods and his accomplices stole $88,618 from the bank.

Authorities arrested Woods in Minneapolis on May 18, 2018, after a 16-block chase. Two guns were in the vehicle.

Two accomplices, 34-year-old Samuel L. Brantley, of Eagan, and Tyrone S. Oaks, 47, of St. Paul, have pleaded guilty. A jury convicted a third co-defendant, 38-year-old Pierre C. Stewart, of Minneapolis.

about the writer

about the writer

Paul Walsh

Reporter

Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

See Moreicon

More from No Section

See More

Peek inside homes for sale in the Twin Cities area.

card image
Advertisement
Advertisement

To leave a comment, .

Advertisement