News Release
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Rhode Island
April 29, 2008
Taunton man is sentenced in extortion attempt
A federal judge today sentenced Larry W. Crites, 37, of Taunton, Massachusetts to 24 months in federal prison for trying to extort money from two men in the Taunton area at the behest of Anthony St. Laurent, Sr. St. Laurent and two other men – Ricky E. Silva, of North Providence, and James G. Manning, of Cranston, are serving prison terms for their roles in the extortion attempt.
United States Attorney Robert Clark Corrente announced the sentence, which Chief U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi imposed in U.S. District Court, Providence.
In July, Crites pleaded guilty to interstate travel to commit extortion. At the plea hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha said the government could prove that, in April 2006, Crites met in Johnston with St. Laurent, who told him there were two Massachusetts men who owed him money, that he would send two other men to meet with Crites, and that Crites was to lead them to the intended victims to collect money.
On April 6, at St. Laurent’s direction, Silva and Manning drove to Taunton, where they met Crites in the parking lot of a donut shop. Crites led Silva to two locations where they hoped to find one of the intended victims. “Smack him and grab him, let’s go and it’s done,” Crites advised Silva in a conversation monitored by FBI agents. “You’re dealing with the Saint,” he said of the intended victim, “so you’re paying now and that’s it.” Crites also cautioned Silva that the second victim would report them to law enforcement. They did not locate either intended victim.
Silva, 48 when he was sentenced in April 2007, has a long criminal history, consisting of 31 convictions in 31 years as an adult, 15 of those convictions for felonies. Judge Lisi sentenced him to the statutory maximum penalty – five years in federal prison. In August, Manning, 61, was sentenced to 24 months in prison. In January 2007, St. Laurent was sentenced to 56 months in prison for illegally attempting to collect a debt and for violating the terms of his supervised release that followed a previous prison sentence for an extortion offense.
The FBI, Rhode Island State Police, and Providence Police investigated the case.