By Janae Willardson
Richard A. Ricci may spend the rest of his life in prison, but not on any charges related to the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart.
Ricci, a former handyman for the Richard Smart family, was questioned about the missing 14-year-old Elizabeth when she disappeared from her home June 5.
He has been under close scrutiny because of the disappearance of Elizabeth and was questioned by a grand jury.
On Wednesday afternoon, a Salt Lake City federal grand jury returned with an indictment charging Ricci with armed bank robbery.
'The indictment is not related to (Elizabeth) Smart,' said Richard Lambert, U.S. assistant attorney general and criminal division chief.
David Yocom, Salt Lake City district attorney said the state would proceed first with state armed robbery charges.
Federal prosecutors also notified the U.S. District Court Wednesday that they intend to apply a 'three-strikes' sentence against Ricci if he is found guilty of the state charges.
'We will proceed with federal charges against Ricci if they are concurrent with the armed robbery charges,' said Melodie Rydalch, U.S. attorney public information officer.
The armed bank robbery occurred at Far West Bank in Sandy on Nov. 2, 2001, where $1,713 was taken.
Ricci, along with Sandy residents Douglas Young and John Remington, was charged with three counts of felony, said Lambert.
The first count is a charge of armed bank robbery with a maximum penalty of 25 years, Lambert said. The second count is a charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, with a minimum seven-year sentence. The third count is a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon, with a punishment of up to 10 years.
Ricci is the only one of the three men with two prior accounts of convicted crimes.
He was convicted of burglary on June 18, 1973 and aggravated robbery and attempted homicide on Oct. 21, 1983.
Because of this, if Ricci is found guilty of armed bank robbery the federal 'three-strikes' law would send him to prison for life, Lambert said.
He is being held in the Utah State Prison.
Remington was arrested at the scene of the crime 10 to 15 minutes after the robbery occurred, said Dan Roberts, FBI investigative member. Remington has been held in Salt Lake City since.
'We were aware of the robbery and made the arrest,' Roberts said.
Young has been in custody for the past two weeks under parole violation charges.
Lambert was not able to comment on the involvement and relationship between the three men.