The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon and
the Portland, Oregon Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
announce on March 1, 2005, ERIC CHRISTOPHER PROVENCIO, age 36, was sentenced
by United States District Court Judge Michael R. Hogan to serve a 137-month
term of imprisonment for the October 8, 2002 robbery of the Siuslaw
Valley Bank in Springfield, Oregon and the October 16, 2002 robbery
of the Bank of Orange County in Fullerton, California. Provencio was
also sentenced to an additional 24 months imprisonment, to be served
consecutively to the Oregon and California sentences, for a supervised
release violation for prior bank robberies he committed in Washington
in 1995, resulting in a total sentence of 161 months imprisonment. Judge
Hogan further ordered that Provencio pay restitution for the two robberies,
as well as for two Portland area robberies in which he was a suspect.
When released from prison, Provencio was ordered to be on supervision
for three years.
At the sentencing hearing it was established that on October 8, 2002,
after having been released from prison less than one month after serving
a federal sentence for prior bank robberies, Provencio robbed the Siuslaw
Valley Bank in Springfield, Oregon of $1,941 and fled in a stolen Lincoln
Navigator which he eventually wrecked following a high speed chase by
police, after which he managed to evade capture.
It was also established that on October 21, 2002, Provencio, driving
a stolen 1994 Dodge Intrepid with Oregon license plates, was apprehended
by New Mexico State Police after a high speed chase which ended with
Provencio being forcibly stopped using spike strips and police cars.
Further investigation by the FBI revealed that he had robbed the Bank
of Orange County in Fullerton, California on October 16, 2002, obtaining
$1,800 in the robbery.
The sentencing followed entry of guilty pleas by Provencio on April
29, 2004 to the Oregon indictment charging him with the robbery of the
Siuslaw Valley Bank in Springfield, Oregon, and to an information charging
him with robbing the Bank of Orange County in Fullerton, California.
The information from the Central District of California, Southern Division,
was transferred to the District of Oregon for resolution by guilty pleas
in a single proceeding.
The Eugene Resident Office of the FBI successfully investigated the
case with the valuable assistance of the Springfield Police Department,
the Lane County Sheriff's Office and the New Mexico State Police.
For further information, contact Assistant United States Attorney
Leslie K. Baker at 541-465-6903.
