Swansea man pleads guilty, sentenced, in armed Fall River bank robbery; “money was all over the sidewalk”

A Swansea man pled guilty on Tuesday concerning a previous armed robbery at a Fall River bank.

According to Sergeant Moses Pereira, on February 21st, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., the Fall River Police Department received an alarm activation from the Rockland Trust Bank, located at 768 Robeson St.

A male entered the business and handed a note to a teller. The employee complied with his demands, and the individual fled the bank on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.

With the assistance of a witness, police discovered that the suspect had fled the area in a motor vehicle, which was parked nearby. The witness was able to provide officers with a vehicle description and license plate number.

Witnesses stated to Fall River Reporter at the time that money was all over the sidewalk and the front yard of a home next to the bank.

A dye pack also exploded according to scanner transmissions.

Shortly thereafter, the vehicle was located in the area of North Eastern Avenue. Officers conducted a stop of the vehicle, and 42-year-old Nicholas Belmore of Swansea was taken into custody without incident.

Belmore was charged with Armed Robbery While Masked.

On Tuesday, according to court records, Belmore pled guilty to a lesser charge of Armed Robbery and was sentenced to 3 years of probation. Among the conditions of the probation are to stay at least 100 yards away from Rockland Trust Bank on Robeson Street, no consumption of alcohol, and no leaving Massachusetts without permission.