CT Man Off To Prison In Twin River Casino Assault Case

LINCOLN, RI — A Connecticut man is headed to prison in connection with a robbery and assault in the parking lot of Twin River Casino in Lincoln.

Putnam resident Isaiah Snell, 27, pleaded nolo contendere in Providence Superior Court to one count of first-degree robbery of a person over 60 and one count of assault on a person over 60 causing bodily injury, Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today.

Snell was sentenced to serve eight years at the Adult Correctional Institutions with four to serve and the balance suspended with probation. He was ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to the victim, undergo substance abuse counseling, and to have no contact with the victim.

Neronha said that in the early hours of December 19, 2019, Snell targeted a 62-year-old man after watching him count a large amount of money on the casino floor. Snell followed the man to the parking lot, yelled that he had a gun, demanded the money, then punched the man and knocked him down when he tried to flee. The man handed $1,500 to Snell, who then turned and ran, Neronha said.

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“Every Rhode Islander should feel safe in all aspects of their lives, whether it be in their homes or as a patron of local businesses,” Neronha remarked. “Under state law, the penalties for assaulting a person 60 and over are increased to protect older Rhode Islanders from those who target this part of our community, and the significant sentence here reflects this.”

Neronha thanked the Lincoln Police Department and said their detectives used surveillance footage to track Snell to Connecticut.

Special Assistant Attorney General Molly Kapstein Cote, investigator Mickaela Driscoll of the AG’s Elder Abuse Unit, and Lincoln Police Detective Kyle Wingate led the investigation and prosecution of the case.