Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Jason Dias, age 42, with a last known address of 627 Cranston Street, Providence, pleaded guilty today before Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause to the August 18, 2013 armed robbery of the Kendal Food Mart in Central Falls.
Dias was sentenced to 35 years, with 25 years to serve and the remainder suspended with probation, on one count of armed robbery. In addition, he was sentenced to 20 years, to run concurrent, on the count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and 10 consecutive years suspended, non–parolable on the count of discharging a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that at about 8:45 p.m. on August 18, 2013, Jason Dias entered the Kendal Food Mart in Central Falls wearing a t-shirt over his face and brandishing a sawed-off shotgun. Dias pointed the shotgun at the pregnant cashier and demanded all the money in the cash register. He then swung around, pointed the gun and threatened to kill all those in the convenience store.
Dias turned his attention back to the cashier, poking her with the gun until she handed over the money. As he fled the store, he fired a shot in the direction of the cashier. The force of the blast caused a piece of the gun to separate from the rest, and the defendant re-entered the store to retrieve the piece. As Dias again exited the store, a customer ran after and tackled him, at which point several other bystanders assisted in detaining him until the police arrived.
Central Falls Police Officer Robert Matook and Detectives Sandy Robinson and Frank Rodrigues led the investigation. Special Assistant Attorney General John H. Dean prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.