New Bedford Armed Store Robber Sentenced to Prison

A 41-year-old New Bedford man with a long criminal history has been sentenced to serve six to eight years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Jeffrey Raposo pleaded guilty last week in Fall River Superior Court to charges of armed and masked robbery and larceny of a motor vehicle.

On August 20, New Bedford police were dispatched to Lucky 7 Convenience Store on Nash Road where the clerk told officers that a masked man had brandished a knife and demanded money, according to a media release from Quinn's office. The clerk gave the defendant $250 from the register, then the defendant demanded that the clerk open the Massachusetts Lottery machine. When the clerk said he couldn’t open it, the defendant went behind the counter and attempted to pry the register with the knife before eventually giving up and fleeing.

When police located the defendant, he admitted to the robbery and told police where they could find the knife that he previously discarded, the DA's office said. The defendant told police he bought heroin with some of the money. The clerk indicated the defendant is a regular customer who is in the store often.

At the time of his arrest, Raposo was out on bail for a pending car theft charge. In that case, the defendant stole a motor vehicle from a New Bedford gas station parking lot then drove to Pawtucket, RI, where he crashed and totaled the vehicle. The defendant has a lengthy history with the court, riddled with convictions and prison sentences, Quinn's office said.

The case was prosecuted by ADA Gillian Kirsch. The state prison sentence was imposed by Judge William Sullivan. The defendant was also ordered to serve an additional two years of supervised probation.

"I am very pleased that these cases were resolved quickly and the defendant was held accountable. He committed the armed robbery while out on bail for stealing a car.  The defendant is a career criminal who is a danger to the community and belongs off the street to protect society," Quinn said in a statement.