Former Corrections Officer Sentenced in Fall River Robberies

FALL RIVER — A former corrections officer has been sentenced in connection to a pair of armed robberies in Fall River last year.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office says Joseph Farias, 47, of Westport, entered the 7-Eleven convenience store on North Main Street in Fall River on September 4, 2017, and demanded money from the clerk while showing a knife. The clerk opened the drawer and handed $100 to Farias, who then fled the scene.

On October 4, 2017, Farias entered the Rite Aid on South Main Street in Fall River while wearing a tarp around his neck and back. Farias informed the clerk that he was carrying a gun, prompting the clerk to open the register. Farias stole approximately $365 and fled.

Surveillance video from the October 4 robbery showed a large tattoo on the suspect's back that read "Back Roads." Farias' parole supervisor from a prior conviction recognized the tattoo as Farias'. Farias' ex-wife also identified him as the man responsible for the Rite Aid robbery.

On Wednesday, November 27, a Fall River Superior Court judge sentenced Farias to four years in State Prison with three years of probation to follow.