---
title: "What if I was only the driver or lookout during the robbery?"
description: "Rhode Island allows prosecutors to charge accomplices as principals under aiding-and-abetting doctrine. In theory, a driver or lookout can face the same sentence as the person who entered the store...."
url: https://bankandmunns.com/faq-items/what-if-i-was-only-the-driver-or-lookout-during-the-robbery/
date: 2026-04-22
modified: 2026-04-22
author: "Bank and Munns"
type: avada_faq
lang: en
---

# What if I was only the driver or lookout during the robbery?

Rhode Island allows prosecutors to charge accomplices as principals under aiding-and-abetting doctrine. In theory, a driver or lookout can face the same sentence as the person who entered the store. In practice, the state must prove two things beyond a reasonable doubt: that you knew the robbery was going to happen, and that you intended to help it succeed. Mere presence is not enough. Getting a ride from someone who then committed a crime you knew nothing about is not aiding and abetting. A defense lawyer dissects what the state can prove about your knowledge and intent - texts, calls, statements - and often forces a reduction or dismissal when accomplice evidence is thin.