Three Woonsocket Men Sentenced To Federal Prison In Providence Home Invasion

Three Woonsocket men who robbed a Providence homeowner of $2,800 and half a kilo of marijuana were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence on federal conspiracy, Hobbs Act Robbery, firearm and drug trafficking charges. 

Julio Candelario, 30, Robert Beauparlant, Jr., 27, and Pedro Cuadrado, 22,  from charges stemming from an armed home invasion in Feb. of 2009. The men were identified by Woonsocket Police and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents as being responsible for the Providence home invasion and drug rip-off while the agencies were jointly investigating unrelated illegal firearms cases in Woonsocket.

Candelario and Beauparlant, Jr., were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 180 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Cuadrado was sentenced by Judge Smith to 111 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised released.

The three are no strangers to the criminal justice system with a combined 34 previous charges brought against them in Superior Court, most stemming from cases in Woonsocket. Candelario has faced drug possession charges 13 times, driving without a license 5 times, obstructing an officer 3 times, reckless driving twice, resisting arrest twice, possession with intent to distribute twice, and domestic assault once. The three men have been held without bail since 2009.

The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas S. Carey and Guy N. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Boston Field Office.

“This investigation reflects the importance and success of law enforcement agencies working together to curb this kind of violent criminal behavior and make our communities safer," said Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas S. Carey.  My officers, working closely with agents from ATF, identified these men and were successful in getting them off the street and into federal prison for a long time.”

 “As the federal agency charged with fighting violent crime ATF is committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who commit these violent acts” stated Guy Thomas, Special Agent In Charge of ATF’s Boston Field Division.  “I would like to acknowledge ATF’s Providence Field Office and the men and women of the Woonsocket Police Department for their exceptional work in this investigation.”

"Our partnership with ATF is great," said Lt. Det. Eugene Jalette. "They help us out a lot and we've been very, very happy with the work they've done."

According to court documents and information presented to the court during today’s sentencing hearings by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose, on February 13, 2009, Candelario, Beauparlant, Jr., and Cuadrado traveled from Woonsocket to Providence to meet with an individual they believed had a large quantity of marijuana for sale. The individual was staying at a residence he was working to prepare for tenants. When the three men entered the house, a firearm was drawn and pointed at the individual, and he was then robbed of a half kilo of marijuana and, among other items, a leather bank bag which contained $2,800 dollars in cash and several receipts.  The money belonged to the property owner and was to have been used to purchase construction supplies for the home.  At today’s sentencing hearing Judge Smith ordered the defendants to make full restitution to the property owner.

The three robbers fled the house and drove back to Woonsocket in a car owned by the mother of one of the co-defendants.  The marijuana was later sold and the proceeds were divided among the three men.

Information which led investigators to identify the defendants as being responsible for the home invasion and drug rip-off was developed during an unrelated joint firearm investigation by Woonsocket Police and ATF. On March 27, 2009, an ATF undercover agent purchased a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle from Beauparlant. The investigation revealed that Beauparlant received the weapon from Candelario who, in Jan. 2009, acquired the weapon in a trade for crack cocaine from a person known to investigators. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to firearm charges in connection with this incident.