Minneapolis man gets 25 years in prison for 2 armed bank robberies, other crimes
A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in two armed bank robberies and the armed robbery of an apparel store in 2018.
Richard Alonzo Woods, 38, was sentenced this week to 300 months in prison (25 years) and five years of supervised release in connection to three armed robberies during which he and his accomplices stole more than $100,000 in cash and merchandise, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota said.
He pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), two counts of armed bank robbery, two counts of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery.
Court documents said on Feb. 4, 2018, Woods and two accomplices were armed with guns when they went into Project SoZo, an apparel and accessories store in Minneapolis, and threatened the people inside. They stole jewelry, money and cell phones from customers, about $600 in cash from the store register and store merchandise, including Nike Air Jordans valued at $1,900,
Later that month, on Feb. 22, 2018, Woods and two others were armed with guns when they went into the Lake Area Bank in White Bear Lake and demanded money. Video from the bank showed Woods jumping over a counter, point a gun at a teller's head and demand cash.
They stole about $9,816 in cash from that bank.
And then on May 4, 2018, Woods and one other person went into Bremer Bank in Brooklyn Center armed with guns. They threatened to kill the tellers if they didn't comply with their demands.
They stole about $88,618 in cash from the bank. A third person was waiting in a getaway car.
The U.S. Attorney's Office did not identify Woods' accomplices in its news release.
