New Bedford Robbery Suspect Sentenced to State Prison

FALL RIVER — A 49-year-old New Bedford man who assaulted and robbed a woman inside her own home was sentenced to serve six to nine years in state prison last Friday in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Timothy Gregory pleaded guilty to indictments charging him with unarmed robbery, and assault and battery.

Just after midnight on February 23, 2017, Gregory and 42-year-old co-defendant Lawrence Hendricks of New Bedford, whose criminal case is still pending, knocked on the door of a New Bedford woman’s home. The woman, who was home alone with her two children, answered the door and let the two men inside after they made up a ruse to get in.

Once in the front door, Gregory forcibly moved the victim to the bathroom and struck her so hard that she fell into the bathtub. While Hendricks allegedly kept the victim in the bathroom, Gregory ran into the basement and grabbed a safe. While bringing the safe back up the stairs, the victim was able to get out of the bathroom and stabbed Gregory with a pair of scissors. During the struggle, Gregory lost a sneaker.

Hendricks is alleged to have then picked up the safe. He and Gregory then fled the home with the safe. Gregory was eventually arrested in September 2018 in western Massachusetts.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney William Flynn and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Gregory Pasquale.

Gregory is well known to police and has an 18-page criminal record, which includes numerous convictions for offenses ranging from breaking and entering to assault and battery.

“The defendant is a career criminal who continues to commit serious crimes. Unfortunately, the victim would not cooperate in this case. However, thanks to the prosecution team’s efforts, this defendant will be kept off the street for up to nine years,” District Attorney Quinn said.

Hendricks is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on February 6 in Fall River Superior Court. He is charged with unarmed robbery and larceny from a building.

— Bristol County District Attorney’s Office