Police charge three men in series of bank robberies Two are charged with working together in two of five robberies investigated by the police.
01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, February 8, 2005
BY RICHARD C. DUJARDIN
Journal Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE -- Three men, who among them are suspected of robbing a total of five banks within seven days, were arraigned before District Court Judge Richard Gonella yesterday on charges brought by the Providence, East Providence, Cranston and Smithfield police.
William J. Corvese, 37, of 705 Greenville Ave., Johnston, is suspected of holding up two Citizens Bank branches, one Friday at the Super Stop & Shop at 446 Putnam Pike, Smithfield, and the other Sunday at the Super Stop & Shop on West River Street in Providence.
He was captured when an off-duty Providence patrolman, Robert Heaton, tackled him outside the Providence store about 1:10 p.m. Sunday, just moments after seeing the holdup unfold from his place on line.
As the police tell it, Corvese used the same procedure in both holdups: giving the teller a note saying he was armed and he was to be given money.
Yesterday at the Garrahy Judicial Complex, he was taken into court in a wheelchair, because authorities would not allow him to use his artificial leg while in detention.
He entered no plea to the two charges of second-degree bank robbery and was ordered held on $50,000 bail with surety, pending a conference on April 11, and a Superior Court arraignment on April 18.
In unrelated charges, the two other suspects --
Michael J. Capaldi, 20, of 215 Rutland St., Cranston, and John W. Chiellini, 21, of 113 Summer St., Central Falls -- were arrested over the weekend in connection with the robbery of a BankRI branch on South Broadway, East Providence, at 2:19 p.m. last Wednesday, and the robbery of the Coastway Credit Union at 1155 Reservoir Ave., Cranston, at 9:20 a.m. Saturday.
In addition to counts of second-degree bank robbery and conspiracy brought against both men for each of those two robberies, Chiellini was also charged with second-degree bank robbery in connection to the holdup of a Sovereign Bank branch on Newport Avenue, East Providence, on Jan. 31.
In each instance, according to the police, a man walked into the bank and handed a note declaring that he had a gun and wanted cash.
The Cranston police said they apprehended the two men after receiving a tip that one suspect had a white Jeep Cherokee. After discovering a vehicle matching the description at the Days Inn in Cranston, the police placed it under surveillance. They waited for only a short time when, according to the police, a car with three people inside rode up to the Jeep. One of the occupants, the police said, had the tell-tale markings of red dye on his shirt and hand, similar to the exploding dye packets the bank puts in the bills given to the robbers.
Capt. Walter Barlow, head of the East Providence detectives, said that in both East Providence holdups they believed Chiellini was the one who went inside and left the note demanding money. He said Capaldi was believed to be the driver of the getaway car for the BankRI holdup.
Gonella set bail for Capaldi at $100,000 with surety, pending a conference on April 11 and Superior Court arraignment on April 18.
Based on statements that Chiellini had violated his probation on previous charges, the judge ordered him held without bail, pending a hearing on Feb. 24.