A Boston man was recently charged with burglary in connection with several Massachusetts jewelry store robberies, and authorities believe that he may also be responsible for several more.The suspect pleaded not guilty in Salem District Court on Monday to two counts of each of breaking and entering, malicious destruction of property, and to being a fugitive from justice. His bail was set at $750,000.
The charges stem from incidents which occurred at the same Beverly jewelry store, roughly one week apart, in December and January. During both instances, a fifteen to twenty pound dumbell was found within the store, which authorities believe was used to smash open glass doors and display cases. Police believe that the suspect may be responsible for more than a dozen similar “smash and grab” robberies in New York and New England, in which almost $500,000 of merchandise was taken.
Prosecutors said that the man’s blood, and thus DNA, was found at the store involved in the crime. The man’s attorney pointed out that this was the only evidence tying him to the alleged incident.
The media seems to have already convicted this individual of all of the alleged crimes that authorities believe that he may be responsible. So far, based on reports, the only thing linking him to the case is blood. We aren’t even told where the blood was found. It is possible that there is further evidence, which we simply aren’t being revealed for reasons relating to the investigation. We would certainly hope that more would be required for an arrest warrant than the haphazard discovery of someone’s blood at a crime scene.
Under Massachusetts law there are many different sorts of theft crimes which an individual may be charged with. Theft offenses include both misdemeanors and felonies. Additionally, there is a wide range of possible potential punishment depending on the facts of the crime, such as: whether or not violence was used, of if the defendant has a prior criminal record, etc.
The Law Office of Patrick J. Murphy has extensive experience defending against accusations of the following theft-related offenses:
- Armed Robbery
- Bank Robbery
- Burglary and Possession of Burglarious Tools
- Buying or Receiving Stolen Property
- Credit Card Fraud
- Embezzlement
- Fraudulent Insurance Claims
- Health Care Fraud
- Home Invasion
- Identity Theft
- Larceny over $250
- Larceny under $250
- Larceny of a Motor Vehicle
- Larceny by Stealing
- Larceny by Stealing in a Building
- Larceny from the Person
- Mail Fraud
- Shoplifting
- Telemarketing Fraud
- Theft of Services
- Unarmed Robbery
- Welfare Fraud
- White Collar Crimes
If you have been accused of a theft crime or are facing charges related to any other crime, you will want to ensure that you have an aggressive, knowledgeable, and experienced Boston defense attorney on your side. Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. Murphy, Esq. today in order to schedule a free and confidential legal consultation. You can contact us by calling 617-367-0450 or through our website.
More Blog Posts:
U.S. Supreme Court Affirms Warrantless DNA Collection Following Arrest, Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog, published June 4, 2013
Boston “Gang Sweep” Leads to Arrest of 33 Individuals, Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog, published May 23, 2013