2 arrested, including former employee, charged in connection with theft of almost $500K from bank

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Police say the theft of nearly $500,000 from a Rhode Island bank was an inside job.

A former bank employee and her boyfriend were arraigned Thursday in connection with the robbery at a Santander Bank branch in Providence in June on charges of breaking and entering, conspiracy, and larceny.

Tracey Delgado, 30, who was the branch operations manager at the bank, as well as Stanley Palmer, 42, were released on $10,000 bond.

They were arrested on Wednesday at a Pawtucket hotel after returning to the area from out of state, police said. Because their appearance was in district court, they did not enter pleas.

Emails seeking comment were sent to their attorneys. They declined comment when questioned by WJAR-TV outside their hotel.

A third suspect, Justine Fernandes, was arrested last month and remains behind bars. An email seeking comment was sent to her attorney.

According to police, bank surveillance video captured two people entering the bank in the early morning hours of June 29. Masked and dressed in black, one keyed in an employee access code to enter the building while the other wheeled in a red suitcase.

The same person who accessed the door pressed in a code to open the vault, police said.

Just minutes later, two suspects were seen on video leaving the bank’s back door, moving toward a nearby car, which then left the area. About $488,000 was taken.

Police say Delgado and Fernandes were the suspects who entered the bank while Palmer acted as the getaway driver.

Police were led to Fernandes by an informant, who then described what happened to investigators, police said in court documents.

Santander security officials told police that the suspect who opened the bank and the vault had a body type and mannerisms similar to one of the bank employees, according to court documents.