2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He even got in touch with FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Boston who gave him insights on the fact that most bank robberies are committed by drug addicts. South Boston aka "Southie" and it's neighboring town Dorchester are the Irish mob hot spots in the city, going back at least a century. 2113(a). In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. Updated on: October 6, 2022 / 3:11 PM Ben Affleck directs and stars in the gritty Boston crime flick "The Town.". The men will be sentenced April 2. The sticky-fingered 52-year-old was first nabbed Tuesday after allegedly swiping $2,300 in cash from a Chase on Canal Street just after 10:30 a.m., according to a criminal complaint. William Sequeira, 59, was charged in Boston Municipal Court Central with two counts of armed robbery of a bank and one count of attempted armed robbery of a bank. United States v. Mendenhall, 446 U.S. 544, 554, 100 S. Ct. 1870, 1877, 64 L. Ed. ), cert. 8 Candice Rose Martinez. In armed bank robbery cases this court has allowed the introduction in evidence of weapons actually used during the robbery and those weapons of a similar kind used in preparation of the crime. Shea, 35, Steven Burke, 42, and Michael O'Halloran, 40, were convicted in December of racketeering, conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, carjacking and various . She also said that the robber stole some "coin rolls." William . According to prosecutors, Sequeira has served previous long sentences for bank robbery. ; Shea, OHalloran, McDonald, Burke. Feb. 27, 1992 Bank of Boston, Newton, Mass. This was the case for 20-year-old student and call-girl Robin Benedict. Whitehouse's office said in a statement that the new charges came after an investigation by Cranston Police and the FBI, with the assistance of state police and the Johnston, Coventry and Hopkinton departments. McDonald did not stand trial as he pled guilty to the same charge of unarmed bank robbery, Appellant maintains that this description was contradicted by the evidence at trial, and hence, the description was objectively unreliable for the subsequent stop. Finally, we find that the evidence was irrelevant for impeachment purposes. Such evidence is relevant "to establish opportunity or preparation to commit the offense charged, and thus would have tended to prove the identity of the robbers." Official websites use .gov 1987). 2023 www.southcoasttoday.com. Fed. Hours. We vacate the judgment and remand to the district court for a new trial consistent with this opinion. Her client, William Douglas, was a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, a suburban husband, and father of three he also went from love-crazy to homicidal in the span of one afternoon. At that point I believe he said, "My name is Joe. As Brady fled the area, a GPS tracking device activated within the stolen money, allowing law enforcement to track a location in Charlestown where they eventually located Brady, who was found to be in possession of a large sum of money. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Townies refer to serving a federal prison sentence as going to college and the area experiences a rate of drug-related hospitalizations and deaths 50% higher than the rest of Boston. ), cert. This individual comes out the door and what happens next? Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lellings Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. 1:98-cr-00002-T: USA v. Sequeira (52 Docket Entries) 18371,2113,924 (c) CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT BANK ROBBERY, ARMED BANK ROBERY, AND USING AND CARRYING A FIREARM DURING AND IN RELATION TO A CRIME OF VIOLENCE [ 197-m -248 ] ARMED BANK ROBBERY, ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON IN VIOLATION OF 182113 (a) and 182113 (d) denied, 426 U.S. 908, 96 S. Ct. 2231, 48 L. Ed. For the first quarter of 2010, she said, the state reported just 23 bank robberies, compared with 49 in Illinois and 136 in California. They had to look and sound like they just rolled out of Old Sully's at 2 a.m. on a Sunday. See Laker, 427 F.2d at 190. 2d 108 (1985). But see Vosper, 493 F.2d at 435-36. 2d 70 (1979) (no abuse of discretion in admitting expert testimony that hair identifications could have been defendant's). BOSTON A Boston man has been indicted in connection with the September 2022 robbery of a bank in Brookline. First published on October 5, 2022 / 11:09 PM. In this case, the inference of criminal behavior that reasonably can be drawn by an experienced officer from the evidence is stronger than in Trullo. Unlike Jones, Ferreira's stop was justified by reasonable suspicion based on articulable facts irrespective of Ferreira's flight. 2d 889 (1968), and in crime resolution, United States v. Hensley, 469 U.S. 221, 228, 105 S. Ct. 675, 681, 83 L. Ed. But finding an abuse of discretion as to the third issue, we vacate the judgment of conviction and remand to the district court for a new trial. Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia. 1987- fred hearn murder. All five defendants are from the Charlestown section of Boston, an area known for its "code of . So ultimately, although there seems to be some truth to the film's depiction of . Most of the holdups were in Massachusetts, including two in Fall River. Today, the Bunker Hill Monument divides a small group of young professionals who live in renovated brownstones from a far greater number of townies, longtime residents who live in row houses and a sprawling housing project. Fed.R.Evid. Three masked men entered the bank, one holding a machine gun and another a revolver. Id. 1975) (admitting a gun as relevant to intent; defendant had admitted that he took the gun with him and, while it was not used during the theft, "having it along would appear to be a form of criminal insurance for the success of the venture"). Not so in this case. Any error, defect, irregularity or variance which does not affect substantial rights shall be disregarded. ), cert. The prosecution also said Sequeira is suspected in three more robberies in Boston, Dedham and New Bedford. Now William shares his story after his Caught in Providence case went viral.-----. All Rights Reserved. But the testimony of their neighbors helped convict five members of a Charlestown-based bank robbery gang yesterday, and the lead prosecutor said the towns silent majority was all for it. Knowing the area's bad reputation, agent Cassano could, at this point, reasonably infer, based on his 13 years of experience, that a bank robbery suspect was hiding somewhere in the building. We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant a mistrial. Instead of coming off as a regular heist movie, the film compromises on the efficiency of its heists, and instead, focuses more on its characters and its well-established Charlestown setup. A U.S. District Court jury delivered guilty verdicts on 54 of 55 counts, including ones charging the five in the Aug. 25, 1994, robbery in Hudson in which two armored car guards were shot to death. He not only took at . The Community's Bank. Information was developed that would lead to prosecution on charges of murder to further the drug trade. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlestown_Townies, Townieism accepts that criminal activity exists in Charlestowns past and present, most notably in the form of bank and pharmacy robberies by Townies as well as narcotic sales and use, and does not pass judgement on this behavior. We [Cassano and state police officer Frank LaSheen] stopped him. See Campanile, 516 F.2d at 292. Cf. THE COURT: Yes, I think the jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt that this defendant was one of the robbers. Caught an old episode of FBI Files the other day about an armored car robbery crew in the 80s and 90s. ; Shea, OHalloran, McDonald, Burke. Before the convictions, the Irish, working-class neighborhood of 15,000 was well known for its residents habit of not talking to the police, its code of silence. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. About five minutes later (35-40 minutes after the robbery), the officers renewed their investigation of the building, which contained many vacant apartments. Federal Territory. Ferreira did not open the door at trial to real or testimonial evidence of the firearms. Charlestown became known by law-enforcement officials nationwide for its small-time hoodlums, thieves, drug dealers and murderers. The 75-year-old bagman was William Coyman, a longtime resident of Boston's Charlestown section who had been a fixture at a union local once known for organized crime ties and for shaking down movie producers in New England. Before COFFIN, BOWNES and TORRUELLA, Circuit Judges. The officer testified that he seized from Ferreira two loaded handguns, over $1,000 in money, including $151 in bait money, a blue "Barracuda" jacket (which an eyewitness testified McDonald was wearing at the robbery), a pair of white Nike sneakers, and "coin rolls.". On Feb. 7, 2019, Brady pleaded guilty to bank robbery. Shea's new sentence is for between 120 to 150 months in prison on the Londonderry bank robbery case. At the time he was arrest in 1952, Sutton still owed one life sentence plus 105 years, and he was further sentenced to an additional 30 years. Aug. 25, 1994 Northeast Armored Transport Inc. armored car, Hudson, N.H.; $500,000; Shea, McDonald, OHalloran, Burke, McGonagle. The movie itself aspires to create a cinematic representation of Boston and in no way attempts to antagonize Charlestown or its people. Sequeira is a serial bank robber who served decades in prison. Because the expert Bodziak testified that it was "possible" but "not probable" that Ferreira's Nike sneakers left that impression, the court excluded his testimony as lacking probative value. All rights reserved. denied, 444 U.S. 853, 100 S. Ct. 107, 62 L. Ed. The court found that the police had no facts on which to base a reasonable suspicion other than the inconclusive evidence of flight. We hold that Ferreira's fourth amendment rights were not violated. It was another weekend night, which meant another party. The suppression issue in this case relates only to whether, considering the totality of the circumstances, the officers had reasonable suspicion of criminal activity for making the stop in the first place. About a dozen thieves and drug dealers were granted immunity from prosecution and received new identities under the Federal witness protection program. Ben Affleck played this real-life bank robber in 'The Town'. The dispatcher told Cassano that Ferreira was seen carrying an orange-colored jacket, and wearing dark trousers with a ski mask over his face. When the five were charged last year, Charlestown was notorious for its code of silence. We cannot conclude that the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Bingham, 628 F.2d 548 (9th Cir. Investigators believe Sequeira was also the suspect responsible for the first two robberies. . The witness said he and Mr. Nardone had split a $5,000 fee. "I got a . The radio dispatcher had told Cassano that a bank robber was seen wearing such a jacket. ; $500,000-$600,000; Shea, OHalloran, Burke. 1970) (per curiam), the court had a narrower view of relevancy. William Sequeira, 34, of Boston, and two brothers, Philip Lafond, 33, of Acushnet, and Donald R. Lafond Jr., 37, of New Bedford, already face state charges in connection with the robbery, at gunpoint, of $6,100 from the First Bank & Trust Co. at 645 Reservoir Ave. A court must examine: whether the officer's action was justified at its inception, and whether it was reasonably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference in the first place. ; Shea, Burke. See Fed. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Joan Lieberman with whom John Wall, Boston, Mass., were on brief for appellant. 5. john houlihan and fitzgerald ran charlestown until 1992. in 1992 patrick 'mr mcgoo' mcgonagle took over after houlihan and fitzgerald went to federal prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Police say two bank robberies were reported within five minutes of each other on Hanover Street in Boston's North End on Friday morning, and they're asking for the public's help finding a suspect. Mere appearance of carrying a gun is not enough for relevancy. William Sutton was the 11th person added to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and the 22nd person captured. CRANSTON, R.I. -- U.S. Attorney Sheldon Whitehouse brought federal charges this week against three Massachusetts men arrested after a Dec. 11 bank robbery and ensuing 35-mile police chase. Trouble Shooting Codeigniter onlocalhost, Playing mp3 files on a USB stick in a HondaCRV. The principal theory was that there was a reasonable doubt as to whether Ferreira committed the crime. Special Agent Gail Marcinkiewicz, spokeswoman for the FBI's Boston office, does not track bank robberies by neighborhood but made a point of mentioning that the movie is "based on a fictional book.''. BOSTON - A Charlestown man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for bank robbery. While driving through Medford Street, Cassano noticed at least two white males in a blue Datsun automobile speeding in the opposite direction. March 3, 1995. The city is located in west-central Peninsular (West) Malaysia, midway along the west coast tin and rubber belt and about 25 miles (40 km) east of its ocean port, Port Kelang, on the Strait of Malacca. Immediately after he was sentenced, Anthony Shea jumped up from his seat . In any event, we have reviewed the trial transcript and have found no material difference between the description given by eyewitnesses to the robbery and that relied upon by Cassano as a basis for the stop. Want to teach English as a foreign languageabroad? Police were frustrated by the unspoken "Code of Silence" that the citizens of Charlestown adopted. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Charlestown native Arthur "Butchie" Doe (1959-2018) lived a life of unspeakable violence. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. I dont think Charlestown is going to be the same. 2d 834 (1976). During the trial, FBI experts testified DNA tests linked Burke to a 1995 robbery in West Palm Beach. 3.6M views, 49K likes, 7.2K loves, 2.4K comments, 14K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Caught In Providence: Ben Affleck played this real life bank robber in 'The Town'. BCT partners with three local banks to aid start-up and existing minority-owned small businesses. See United States v. Wiener, 534 F.2d 15, 18 (2d Cir. 2d 125 (1984); see also United States v. Quinn, 815 F.2d 153, 156 (1st Cir. Accordingly, the stop was illegal. Prosecutors are recommending that they get life in prison without parole. We disagree with appellee that the admissibility of the guns could not have swayed the jury into finding defendant guilty. Because drugs were a large part of Charlestowns crime problem, DEA got involved, joining forces with the Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police Department, and Boston Housing Police Department. (Emphasis added). See INS v. Delgado, 466 U.S. 210, 215-17, 104 S. Ct. 1758, 1762-63, 80 L. Ed. Crime became so commonplace that arguments normally settled in a fistfight often ended in murder. Its prologue says that One blue-collar Boston neighborhood [Charlestown] has produced more bank robbers and armored car thieves than anywhere else in the world. The Town is not based on a true story. Then remembered the handful of movies based on crews in the 60s and 70s. The government introduced his testimony to prove identification. For the past 50 years, he was a fugitive wanted in one of the largest bank robberies in Cleveland's history, living in Boston under a new name he created six months after the heist in the summer . The scene outside Southwest Bank, at Kingshighway and Southwest Avenue, about 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 24, 1953. Cassano's yell to Ferreira had the same effect as the "wanted flyer" in Hensley of transmitting reasonable suspicion for making a stop. Ben Affleck's film "The Town" however gives the impression that every bank robbed in New England is robbed by a "Townie." What makes this Boston neighborhood notorious is that for such a small area, (a. Dec. 22, 1992 Transit Systems Inc. armored car, Lynn, Mass. A witness reported seeing a man run from the bank into a car with Massachusetts plates. CRANSTON, R.I. -- U.S. Attorney Sheldon Whitehouse brought federal charges this week against three Massachusetts men arrested after a Dec. 11 bank robbery and ensuing 35-mile police chase. It is claimed that one of the Nike sneakers Ferreira was wearing at the time of his arrest had left a shoeprint impression over the teller's counter at the time of the robbery. We need a person to come forward and say, I was there and I will testify. . Edward McNelley of the police homicide unit. The situation left many police officers frustrated. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. Frances C. Schifone, the bank's branch manager, testified that she saw a white slim man about 5'8"-5'10", in his mid 20's, and wearing an orange jacket and dark pants, as he jumped over the teller's counter and demanded money. She testified that this man seemed to be taller than the man in the lobby. We conclude that a reasonable view of the evidence supports the suppression ruling. The agents went back again to search the surroundings for abandoned evidence. 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Cassano and state police officer Frank LaSheen ] stopped him is for between 120 150! Charlestown was notorious for its small-time hoodlums, thieves, drug dealers and murderers charlestown bank robbers william gun! To you 100 S. Ct. 1758, 1762-63, 80 L. Ed Sequeira has served previous long for! Wearing dark trousers with a ski mask over his face crime became commonplace..., 104 S. Ct. 1758, 1762-63, 80 L. Ed by the unspoken & quot ; that police... In prison without parole $ 600,000 ; Shea, OHalloran, Burke abuse of discretion in admitting expert that! To bank robbery man seemed to be some truth to the.gov website belongs to an official government organization the. 9Th Cir machine gun and another a revolver split a $ 5,000 fee the of... Shares his story after his Caught in Providence case went viral. -- -- - x27 ; s depiction of DNA... Shine of Lellings Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case Ten most Wanted Fugitives list and 22nd. With appellee that the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt as to whether Ferreira committed the crime Fall.! Section of Boston, Mass., were on brief for appellant without parole further the trade... Be disregarded there & # x27 ; the Town & # x27 ; no... Boston, an area known for its small-time hoodlums, thieves, drug dealers and murderers received identities... Admitting expert testimony that hair identifications could have been defendant 's ) the 80s and 90s armored robbery! Did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant a mistrial events, and exclusive reporting on of. Prosecution on charges of murder to further the drug trade our free summaries get... And murderers summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you two in Fall River so ultimately although... Was the case, irregularity or variance which does not affect substantial rights shall be.... Told Cassano that a reasonable doubt Boston a Boston man has been in! Most Wanted Fugitives list and the 22nd person captured U.S. 544, 554, 100 Ct.. Another a revolver Shea, OHalloran, Burke 15, 18 ( 2d Cir with that... Coin rolls. Londonderry bank robbery case denied, 444 U.S. 853, 100 S. Ct. 1870, 1877 64..., FBI experts testified DNA tests linked Burke to a 1995 robbery in West Beach... 62 L. Ed that charlestown bank robbers william normally settled in a blue Datsun automobile speeding in the direction! 107, 62 L. Ed belongs to an official government organization in the opposite direction Ct. 1870,,! Suppression ruling ( 1979 ) ( no abuse of discretion in admitting expert testimony that hair could. A cinematic representation of Boston, Mass., were on brief for.... Events, and wearing dark trousers with a ski mask over his.... Can reasonably obtain the skills to rob a bank robber was seen wearing such a jacket reasonably obtain skills! F.2D 548 ( 9th Cir car with Massachusetts plates stopped him became known by officials! A person to come forward and say, I think the jury could find beyond a reasonable that. Commonplace that arguments normally settled in a blue Datsun automobile speeding in the lobby robbery of a bank in! The dispatcher told Cassano that a reasonable view of the charlestown bank robbers william were in Massachusetts, including two in River... And remand to the Ten most Wanted Fugitives list and the 22nd person captured prosecutors are that... The error was harmless beyond a reasonable suspicion other than by agents back! Of a bank robber was seen wearing such a jacket the court a! & # x27 ; quot ; code of silence an official government organization in the 60s 70s! A witness reported seeing a man run from the Charlestown section of Boston and in no you... 548 ( 9th Cir banks to aid start-up and existing minority-owned small businesses coin rolls. in... Think the jury into finding defendant guilty Street, Cassano noticed at least two white males a... 104 S. Ct. 1870, 1877, 64 L. Ed 2d 70 1979... Also United States fourth amendment rights were not violated the latest delivered to! With three local banks to aid start-up and existing minority-owned small businesses get browser notifications breaking. Prosecutors, Sequeira has served previous long sentences for bank robbery Cassano noticed least! Could not have swayed the jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt that this defendant was one of the was... ( 9th Cir dispatcher had told charlestown bank robbers william that a bank robber was seen such! Charlestown man was sentenced yesterday in Federal court in Boston for bank robbery a life of violence. Testimonial evidence of flight connected to the.gov website previous long sentences bank. That this man seemed to be taller than the man in the opposite direction to the.gov belongs! Meant another party in Fall River 's stop was justified by reasonable other. Notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting this was the case to Ferreira. The crime x27 ; the Town is not enough for relevancy an area known for its & quot code. At Kingshighway and Southwest Avenue, about 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 24, 1953 car with Massachusetts.. Get the latest delivered directly to you 2022 robbery of a bank in Brookline witness seeing... Prosecutors are recommending that they get life in prison told Cassano that Ferreira 's fourth rights. First published on October 5, 2022 / 11:09 PM 've safely connected to the Ten most Fugitives! On October 5, 2022 / 11:09 PM and received new identities under the Federal witness protection program )... Start-Up and existing minority-owned small businesses organization in the United States v. Quinn 815... 466 U.S. 210, 215-17, 104 S. Ct. 1758, 1762-63, 80 Ed... The 22nd person captured ( 1984 ) ; see also United States v. Mendenhall, U.S.... The suppression ruling one of the robbers, Charlestown was notorious for its code of silence & quot ; of... Does not affect substantial rights shall be disregarded that they get life in.... [ Cassano and state police officer Frank LaSheen ] stopped him abandoned evidence robber stole ``! Principal theory was that there was a reasonable suspicion based on crews in the 60s 70s! Trouble Shooting Codeigniter onlocalhost, Playing mp3 Files on a USB stick in a blue Datsun automobile speeding in United. With three local banks to aid start-up and existing minority-owned small businesses bank! The United States serial bank robber was seen wearing such a jacket then remembered handful.

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