A Warwick, R.I. man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a January 2024 armed bank robbery followed by a police chase and crash that injured a father of two, Attorney General Peter F. Neronha’s office announced Friday.
Roy L. Mangum, 40, pleaded no contest in Kent County Superior Court Wednesday to three counts of first-degree robbery, eluding police in a high-speed chase, dangerous driving causing serious bodily injury, and three firearm offenses, Neronha’s office said in a statement.
A no contest plea means the defendant neither admits nor disputes the charges but accepts punishment.
Magnum was sentenced to a total of 35 years, 18 in prison followed by 17 years on probation, the statement said.
On January 5, 2024 at around 5:50 p.m., Magnum entered the TD Bank at 2625 West Shore Road in Warwick wearing a face mask and carrying a .25 caliber handgun, the statement said.
He robbed three tellers at gunpoint, stealing a total of $5,057, according to the statement. He then fled in a black rental pickup truck.
Responding police officers spotted the vehicle on Warwick Avenue minutes later and attempted to pull it over, the statement said. Mangum initially yielded but then suddenly sped off, leading officers on a high-speed chase onto Airport Road that reached over 100 miles per hour.
Mangum then ran a red light while turning left from Airport Road onto Post Road and collided with a Honda minivan, according to a statement from Warwick police at the time of the incident. The minivan’s driver suffered moderate injuries, and his two children suffered minor injuries.
Mangum also suffered minor injuries. He was arrested at the scene, and authorities recovered the firearm and the stolen cash, Neronha’s office said.
“Unfortunately, this defendant’s actions are not the plotline of some action movie, but rather real-life crimes which demonstrate an utter disregard for both the law and public safety,” Neronha said in the statement.
“In his attempt to escape police, this defendant seriously injured the father of two young kids, and put many other people in harm’s way … the lengthy sentence matches the severity of his crimes.”
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