A Rhode Island couple accused of robbing a Federal Hill bank three years ago allegedly pulled off something straight out of a crime movie — disappearing from their old lives, moving to New York, changing their names and building what appeared to be a completely new life.
But according to investigators, the past eventually caught up with them.
Stanley Palmer, 45, and Tracey Delgado, 33, were arrested earlier this week after authorities allegedly connected the couple to a bank robbery in Providence’s Federal Hill neighborhood dating back three years.
The arrests reportedly ended a years-long mystery surrounding the couple, who investigators say had managed to leave Rhode Island behind and establish themselves in upstate New York.
Attorneys involved in the case have reportedly referred to the pair as “Rhode Island’s Bonnie and Clyde,” a nickname that has quickly spread as details of their alleged disappearance and new life emerged.
FROM RHODE ISLAND TO NEW YORK
According to the investigation, Palmer and Delgado didn’t simply leave town after the alleged robbery.
They allegedly reinvented themselves.
The couple reportedly got married, changed their names and sold a home they owned in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. They then relocated to New York, where they purchased a three-bedroom home in the foothills of the Adirondacks.
From the outside, it appeared they were starting over.
But investigators had allegedly never forgotten about the Federal Hill robbery.
Authorities continued working to identify the people they believed were responsible, eventually linking Palmer and Delgado to the case.
The couple’s alleged transformation makes the case even more unusual. Rather than remaining in hiding or constantly moving around, investigators say they established roots in another state and began living what appeared to be an ordinary life.
YEARS LATER, THE ARRESTS
That new life came crashing down earlier this week.
Palmer and Delgado were taken into custody, bringing renewed attention to the robbery investigation and raising questions about how the couple allegedly managed to remain under the radar for so long.
The case is now putting a spotlight on the Federal Hill robbery, the couple’s years in New York and the investigation that authorities say ultimately led them back to Rhode Island.
While the “Bonnie and Clyde” comparison makes for a dramatic headline, it’s important to remember that Palmer and Delgado are accused of the robbery and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The investigation also shows just how dramatically a criminal case can resurface years later.
For Palmer and Delgado, authorities allege that the Federal Hill robbery was the beginning of a new chapter somewhere far away from Rhode Island.
They allegedly changed their names.
They got married.
They bought a new house.
They built a new life.
And for years, they apparently lived as though the old case was behind them.
Now, with both suspects arrested, prosecutors will have to prove their allegations in court — and investigators will have the opportunity to lay out exactly how they say the couple went from an alleged bank robbery in Providence to a quiet life in the Adirondacks.
What looked like a fresh start in New York may have only been temporary.