Man pleads guilty to Dartmouth robbery

Mar 11, 2022

A New Bedford man could face up to 20 years in prison for the July 2021 robbery of the Bristol County Savings Bank in Dartmouth, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

On March 10, 43-year-old New Bedford resident David Frates pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery at the Route 6 branch.

According to the department, the New Bedford man approached a teller, demanded $20,000 and threatened to stab a second teller if his demands were not met. Frates then produced a long-handled knife and repeatedly stuck it on the counter.

Based on evidence gathered by Dartmouth Police detectives, Frates was without incident at his home and charged with armed robbery while masked, threats, and assault with a dangerous weapon. 

At the time of his arrest, Frates was in possession of over $9,000 in cash.

The New Bedford resident was previously convicted in 2014 on federal bank robbery charges for the armed robbery of a St. Anne’s Credit Union branch in New Bedford and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

In May 2020, that sentence was reduced to 81 months in prison based on changes in the United States Sentencing Guidelines. At the time of his arrest, Frates was on supervised release.

Frates currently awaits sentencing following his plea. Under federal guidelines, the sentence for a bank robbery is up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000.

His sentence will be set by a federal district court judge.