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A 32-year-old Fall River man who violently assaulted a convenience store clerk while robbing the establishment last May was sentenced to serve four to seven years in state prison this week, District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Michael Brown pleaded guilty Monday in Fall River Superior Court to a two-count indictment charging him with armed robbery, and assault and battery.
On May 15, 2016 at 5:10pm, Fall River Police responded to Stop & Save at 201 Rock Street for an armed robbery. The convenience store clerk, who was bleeding from the nose, stated Michael Brown, a regular customer in the store, robbed and assaulted him.
According to the victim, the defendant entered the store wearing a black sweatshirt and a black knit hat. The defendant placed some items on the counter and asked the victim about some coffee products at far end of the counter. After a short conversation, the defendant punched the victim in the face, breaking his glasses. The defendant then began strangling victim with his hands. When the defendant released his hands from around the victim’s throat, the victim stated “I can give you money.”
The defendant then bear hugged victim and carried him to the register. The victim opened the register and gave the defendant around $250 in cash. The defendant then brandished a baseball bat and ordered the victim to lie on the floor. The victim told police he feared the defendant would strike him with the bat if he looked up. The defendant then fled with the cash.
The robbery was caught on surveillance video inside the store. Police presented a photo array to the victim and he immediately identified the defendant as the robber.
The defendant has a lengthy criminal record and has served committed time on four separate occasions during the past decade.
During his sentencing hearing before Judge Raymond Veary, Assistant District Attorney Carolyn Morrissette argued that based on the defendant’s extensive criminal record and the violent nature of the robbery, the defendant should serve five to seven-and-a-half years in state prison. The defendant, through his attorney, requested a more lenient three year state prison term.
“This was a very violent assault on a clerk just trying to make a living. This defendant has a history of violence and is a danger to the community,” District Attorney Quinn said. “Hopefully this sentence will protect the public from a violent individual, who cannot obey the laws of our society.”
