Massachusetts man sentenced to prison after armed robbery in New Bedford

November 3, 2020 4:02 pm

ABC6 News,

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE)- A 29-year-old man was sentenced to serve three to four years in state prison after committing an armed robbery in February of 2019, announced Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III.

George Cowen of Carver, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to a single indictment charging him with armed robbery in Fall River Superior Court last Thursday.

On February 19, 2019, an off-duty police officer suspected that he saw a man, which turned out to be Cowen, shoplift from Shawmut Package store. Cowen had been standing by the beer cooler with his hand in his sweatshirt pocket until the owner asked if he needed help.

Cowen responded that the store didn’t have what he was looking for and he then exited the store.

The off duty officer trailed Cowen out of the store and then to his car where he obtained Cowen’s license plate number. After reviewing the surveillance footage, the officer was able to see that the suspect entered the store with his hand in his pocket, keeping it there for the duration of his time in the establishment, as if he was holding something.

Following the surveillance footage, it was determined that he had not shoplifted.

Almost 20 minutes later, New Bedford Police responded to an armed robbery at JC’s variety store.

The clerk described a 5’10” white heavy set man who was wearing a black baseball hat. The man had entered the store armed with a knife, threatened the clerk with it, and took money from the cash register. The clerk told police that the suspect took $400 before fleeing the store.

JC’s variety store is just 0.3 miles away from Shawmut Package store, where police had already been informed of the off duty officer’s previous report.

Police compared the surveillance footage from both stores and deemed both men to be the same person, George Cowen.

Cowen was out on probation from a prior arrest in Plymouth County.

“Despite being on probation, the defendant committed a violent armed robbery against the victim who was just trying to make a living. He is a danger to the community and needs to be kept off the street,” District Attorney Quinn said.