PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The leader of the Hells Angels in Rhode Island has been sentenced to five years in prison for felony assault and battery, as well as carrying a gun without a license.
Joseph Lancia pleaded no contest on Friday and was sentenced under a plea agreement in which several more serious charges were dropped.
The main case against Lancia stemmed from a June 2019 incident when he fired a gun at a truck driven by a man with whom he had a dispute. He also faced charges stemming from an altercation outside a strip club while he was on bail for the shooting incident.
Defense attorney Joseph Voccola said his client decided to change his plea because “we thought it was in his best interest to do so and he wanted to put these matters behind him,” WPRI-TV reported.
Lancia must return to court on Feb. 18 to turn himself in so he can begin his sentence at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.
