West Warwick Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Coventry Bank Robbery

PROVIDENCE, RI — John Ryder, 29, of West Warwick, was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty earlier to charges he showed tellers a machete when he robbed a BankRI branch office in Coventry on May 2, 2016. He stole more than $6,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E Smith also ordered Ryder to pay full restitution to the bank. He will also serve 3 years probation after his prison release.

According to court papers, Ryder started planning the robbery on April 29, 2016, and on the days leading up to the robbery, he spent a considerable amount of time in and around a shopping plaza where the bank is located and in a wooded area directly behind the plaza. After robbing the bank of $5,937, he ran away into the woods.

Ryder was arrested by Coventry Police Detectives and FBI agents, with the assistance of the West Warwick Police Department, on May 13, 2016.

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