Video recorded the dramatic moment police took Sequeira into custody. Although we dont have the exact figures for Charlestowns crime rate in the 90s, statistics suggest that there was indeed a surge in the rate of robberies in Massachusetts in the 80s and 90s, which substantially dropped in the mid-aughts. an episode of "Caught in Providence" with Judge Frank Caprio, Houston House helps residents get back on their feet, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Fall River police were able to help law enforcement officials connect the dots, after a September bank robbery on Rodman Street. An accused banker robber who claimed Ben Affleck played him in "The Town" has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges in connection with a spree of bank robberies in Massachusetts earlier this year. William Sequeira, 59, has previously claimed that Ben Affleck's character in "The Town" is based on him. Sequeira was arrested Wednesday afternoon, allegedly caught in the act of robbing the Citizens Bank branch at Berkeley and Boylston Streets in Boston. Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com. He was taken into custody moments later. Sequeira was immediately apprehended. They also argued that there are identification issues in the cases. You notice were still here., Bob Fitzpatrick, a retired townie who says he was paid $107 to be an extra in The Town, says he grew up in a family of 14 kids. contact customer service Doug tries to back out of the next heist at Fenway Park. A judge ordered Sequeira to stay away from Boston and the banks involved. All rights reserved. The Town is a 2010 American crime drama film co-written, directed by, and starring Ben Affleck, adapted from Chuck Hogan 's 2004 novel Prince of Thieves. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. He still cares about us, Looney says. The reason the detective was there is he is also a suspect in a robbery in Dedham.. In the episode, he told Caprio he had served 37 years in federal prison for bank robbery. The police officer stood behind Seqeira in line, and when he heard Sequeira making his demand, the officer took Sequeira down to the ground. In its opening shot itself, the film establishes that it is set in Bostons Charlestown. 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. Explore them here. Frawley interrogates them but is forced to release them. In one heist in Hudson, New Hampshire, two guards were killed, and is alluded to in the film - during a scene where Agent Frawley is briefing his task force, he mentions that Doug's father is serving life for a notorious robbery in Nashua. William Sequeira, 59, has previously claimed that Ben Affleck's character in "The Town" is based on him. When the film first premiered in 2010, there was some backlash on its representation of the people in Charlestown. "The bottom line is, the statistics speak for themselves, Mr. Comcowich says. BOSTON At 59 years old, William Sequeira has spent much of his adult life doing time. At about 3pm, as an undercover Dedham Police officer warned the Citizens Bank manager about the possibility that Sequeira might rob the bank, in walked Sequeira wearing a hospital mask and a cap. Moreover, even the films Charlestown setup makes you wonder if it draws its inspiration from real crimes of the Boston neighborhood. Many locals opened their homes to filming for The Town, and they were shocked to see the end results, said Bernie Evers Sr., a townie in his 70s who was relaxing with friends in the Dunkin Donuts. However, this film all but ignores the great majority of the residents of Charlestown, past and present, who are the same good and true people found most anywhere,"[35] to whom the film is dedicated. We believe news can and should expand a sense of identity and possibility beyond narrow conventional expectations. 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. Mr. Peletier has a lot of company. Monitor journalism changes lives because we open that too-small box that most people think they live in. People can draw their own conclusions.. Now she's facing charges. [26] In his review for The New York Times, A. O. Scott commented on the opening heist, "That sequence, like most of the other action set pieces in the film, is lean, brutal and efficient, and evidence of Mr. Affleck's skill and self-confidence as a director. you are agreeing to our. or call us at 1-617-450-2300. They don't deserve negative scrutiny. Sequeira was placed in handcuffs and taken into custody after an apparent bank robbery spree. log out. Sequeira was once featured in an episode of the show "Caught in Providence." He allegedly approached the teller, said Give me hundreds, and then threatened to shoot the teller if they did not move fast enough. "[31] Writing in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Laremy Lengel titled his review "The Town Works Best if You Avoid the Heat," also referencing Mann's film. A Fall River man with a history of attempted bank robbery was charged in connection with a September incident at a TD Bank branch in Boston. But after his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court on charges of robbing three Boston banks over the last week,. A Fall River man, who claims to be the inspiration for Ben Affleck's character in the bank heist film "The Town," has been charged in connection with robbing a TD Bank branch in downtown Boston. A Fall River man with a history of attempted bank robbery was charged in connection with a September incident at a TD Bank branch in Boston. What we know after a Fall River man was killed outside the Cadillac Lounge. Sequeira is a serial bank robber who served decades in prison. Within that subgenre, which includes The Boondock Saints, The Departed, Mystic River and Affleck's Gone Baby Gone, The Town is more of a straightforward crime-procedural and has a more optimistic outlook. 2023 www.southcoasttoday.com. William Sequeira, 59, of Providence, Rhode Island, was arraigned Thursday in Boston Municipal Court on a charge of attempted unarmed bank robbery, according to the Boston Police Department.. The film ends with a written disclaimer: "Charlestown's reputation as a breeding ground for armed robbers is authentic. All rights reserved. Later, while she is gardening, Claire finds a buried bag containing money, a tangerine, and a note from Doug that suggests that she can make better use of the money than he can and that they might see each other again. This set includes the previously released theatrical and extended cut Blu-ray disc as well as a second Blu-ray disc and a DVD which feature a new extended cut with an alternate, darker ending. In a new complaint, filed this week in U.S. District Court, Providence, Whitehouse charged the men with armed bank robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence. At 59 years old, William Sequeira has spent much of his adult life doing time. FBI Special Agent Adam Frawley recognizes their ties to local Irish mobster Fergus "Fergie" Colm. One month free trial to the Monitor Daily. [8][9] In 2006, director Adrian Lyne brought the novel to producer Graham King. William Sequeira, 59, was indicted this week on four counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, the United States Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins announced. [34][36] The film makes reference to the definition of "Toonies" during one of Doug and Claire's dates. Its gentrified and diverse now. One of them pointed a handgun at bank employees and told them to get down on the floor while the other jumped over the counter and took money from the teller drawers. The Town is a scintillating crime drama that grips from its very onset and keeps you hooked till the end. Caught in a firefight with FBI SWAT operators, Dez and Gloansy are killed. Peter Looney, a townie who hosts a local TV show called Charlestown Live, went to the Boston premire of The Town Tuesday night at Bostons Fenway Park, where Affleck appeared. Boston's historic Freedom Trail ends in Charlestown, home to the Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides). They suspect Sequeira might return to Boylston Street where two banks were hit in the last few days. But instead of solely relying on the content of the novel for the movie, Ben Affleck, who is both the director and actor in the movie, did a lot of his own research to make the film look more realistic. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. A supporting affidavit filed with the new complaint confirms and reiterates the sequence of events that police reported in the wake of the robbery and chase. His plan works, and she does not talk. However, unlike the movie, this shop is actually located in South Boston, not Charlestown. But in recent decades, Charlestown has changed, says Looney. Do celebrities in Africa make you cringe? Boston police say they can't verify that: They don't track bank robberies nationwide, and they dont break out bank-robbery statistics from all robbery numbers for the city. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. William Sequeira, 59, was charged with one count of bank robbery and faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Well, if statistics can't prove that Charlestown is the bank robbery capital of America, then it must not be, right? The movie itself aspires to create a cinematic representation of Boston and in no way attempts to antagonize Charlestown or its people. 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. 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. [25], Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, praising Renner's performance and Affleck's direction. "[23] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". We lived in Charlestown all our lives, Linda McNelley says. Thank you.\r---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\rCaught in Providence airs on television weekdays, please visit www.caughtinprovidence.com/showtimes for local listings.\r\rSUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW:\rFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/caughtinprovidence/\rTwitter: https://twitter.com/caughtinprov\rInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/caughtinprovidence/\rReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CaughtinProvidence/\r\rContact us for sponsorship opportunities! Based on actual events, it received praise from critics for its direction, screenplay, editing, and the performances of the cast (particularly Renner) and grossed $154 million worldwide. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. At 59 years old, William Sequeira has spent much of his adult life doing time. Whitehouse said he will refer the case to a federal grand jury. Watching from across the street via binoculars, he sees the FBI are with her as she tells him to come over. The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. In fact, there were 23 reported bank robberies in the entire state of Massachusetts in the first quarter of 2010, compared with 49 in Illinois and 136 in California, according to the FBI.[34]. Is it even true that this wedge-shaped, one-square-mile neighborhood claims title to the bank robbery capital of America? "I'm going to put a gun to your head if you don't give me $100 bills" the M&T Bank robber said, according to prosecutors. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date, according to United States Attorney Rachael Rollins. The film was released in the United States on September 17, 2010. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Doug asks Claire to go away with him, and she accepts. I guess the author of the book or the author of the movie might be able to shed more light on that, he adds. The federal charge of bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. [22][additional citation(s) needed], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Town has an approval rating of 92% based on 235 reviews, with an average rating of 7.70/10. 19802023 The Christian Science Monitor. 2023 Cox Media Group. But the Boston FBI does track bank robberies nationwide, and its statistics show that the whole state of Massachusetts has fewer than 3 percent of all bank robberies nationwide. On the show, he claims Ben Afflecks character in the movie The Town is based on him, and tells the judge that he has robbed more than one hundred banks. The Monitor Daily amplifies and clarifies how we deliver on the Monitors purpose, to benefit humanity by reporting what is happening in the world and why and how this information matters to you. This is a person who has clearly not learned from his prior arrests and convictions. William Sequeira, 59, was. He also talks about how he almost became a professional ice hockey player before he threw it away to follow in his father's footsteps as a bank robber. A deeper view that unites instead of divides, connecting why the story matters to you. The chase ended on the side of Route 95 south, where police arrested Philip Lafond. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The next day, prosecutors say, officers were called to the M&T Bank on Boylston Street around 3:55 p.m. and demanded money, saying Im going to put a gun to your head if you dont give me $100 bills. He left with $388. He was asking for leniency with regard to some traffic tickets. He allegedly approached a teller and stated, give me all the hundreds in the drawer, and give me all the money before I blow your brains out. He then fled on foot. He. You can renew your subscription or According to prosecutors, a man told the teller to give me a hundred dollar bill or Ill shoot you.He left with $500. In 2003, Paramount Pictures had optioned the rights to Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves before it was even published, and Dick Wolf signed on to produce before the project fell through. Affleck and Stockard conducted many interviews with the Charlestown community, as well as the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Boston. Ben Affleck plays me in the movie.. At Fenway, Doug and Jem enter disguised as Boston police officers, steal $3,500,000 in gate cash, and prepare to escape in an ambulance while disguised as paramedics. [11] Later the film's actors also researched within the community to make for more believable characters and performances. I dont think we want to officially comment on whether a certain place has a higher count of robberies than another place, he says. You dont have a Christian Science Monitor The extended/unrated version is a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy bundle which includes 28 minutes of additional footage, taking the runtime to over 153 minutes. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. 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. [18] The Town grossed $92.1 million in the United States and Canada with an additional $61.8 million in other territories for a total of $154 million worldwide on a production budget of $37 million. If its on TV, Ill watch it. In the early 1990s, an increase in the number of bank and armored car robberies by Townies focused attention on Charlestown. But after his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court on charges of robbing three Boston banks over the last week,. On Oct. 5, law enforcement surveilling the Back Bay area in an effort to locate Sequeira spotted him entering a Citizens Bank branch on Boylston Street in Boston. Ever see the movie, The Town? Sequeira asked Judge Frank Caprio. Most of these professionals live in a 1-square-mile neighborhood called Charlestown." 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. The actors remarks, Mr. Looney says, made it clear that the movie is in no way a poor reflection on the people of Charlestown. Determined to not go back to prison, Jem commits suicide by cop by running out with empty guns in hand. Caprio ended up wiping out his $150 in traffic tickets thanks to a donation he received for "someone who deserves a break. According to the charging documents, on Sept. 30, a white male later identified as Sequeira entered the TD Bank branch on Union Street in Boston. Police had that location under surveillance and were able to arrest Sequeira after he allegedly went from one teller to the next, demanding "give me hundreds.". Federal officials last March also charged Donald Lafond in connection with bank robberies in Boston. A Providence man who claims he's robbed at least 100 banks and that Ben Affleck's character in "The Town" was based on him was held without bail Thursday on charges of robbing two Boston banks and attempting to rob a third, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said. FBI found over $500,000 . Others in the Dunkin Donuts, including William McNelley and his wife, Linda, also defended Charlestowns image. Science Monitor has expired. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Its not the same town as it was in the early 90s and the 80s., When asked about the films portrayal of Charlestown, Bill Peletier, wearing a green Charlestown Townies sweat shirt at the Dunkin' Donuts, says, Movies are fixated on the bad part. In the movie, Its evident that a lot of it is fiction., But the films portrayal, he says, just doesnt define the town.. Four lifelong friends from the neighborhood of Charlestown, Boston, Douglas "Doug" MacRay, James "Jem" Coughlin, Albert "Gloansy" MacGloan, and Desmond "Dez" Elden, rob a bank. [21], On February 5, 2012, to promote the upcoming The Town: Ultimate Collector's Edition set, the AMC Loews Boston Common theater hosted an "exclusive engagement" of The Town (Take 2), wherein three showings of the film were shown with the alternate ending featured in the new home media release. The Boston Police Department's Bank Robbery task force tackled. Frawley deduces that Claire tipped him off, but her tip is too cryptic to provide grounds for an arrest. For instance, one of its bank robberies refers to a real-life robbery in Hudson, New Hampshire in which two-guards got killed. Sequeira was once featured in an episode of the show "Caught in Providence." The scenes in this flower shop, labeled as 'Town Flowers' in the movie, were filmed in an actual shop known as Thornton Flower Shop, 111 Dorchester Street. The couple cites a long history of involvement with Charlestown youths, through the Kiwanis Club, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Bunker Hill Day parade. "Thanks to diligent investigative work he was apprehended before anyone got injured.". School security lapses exposed:This Freetown mom tried to expose school security failures. In some cases, he demanded money and threatened to shoot bank tellers. [29] The film also takes influence from Boston bank robbery film The Friends of Eddie Coyle; several scenes in The Town, including the release of the blindfolded hostage to walk to the water's edge, mirror sequences in this film. [24] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. Your honor, attorney Sam Cheng began, My client, because of covid, hes unemployed right now. Caprio seemed intrigued by his story. He also claimed to have been involved in the largest police chase in Rhode Island history, after robbing a bank in Cranston. Charlestown hopes not Affleck's new film is the talk of the Townies", "Robbed of its new image? All rights reserved, Mass. He will appear in. First published on October 5, 2022 / 11:09 PM. William Sequeira, 59, was charged with one count of bank robbery and faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Brick houses and old-fashioned gaslights line Charlestowns narrow colonial streets, and ordinary folks bustle about the Dunkin Donuts, and the CVS drugstore. The movie is actually a loose adaptation of Chuck Hogans novel Prince of Thieves. They feel we were abused, says Mr. Evers, who adds, Im not rushing to see the movie. He went to the teller, demanding hundreds, prosecutor Daniel Nucci said in court. We outnumber the bad guys.. We [9][11] By 2008, The Town was decided as the title and Ben Affleck, fresh off his directorial debut in Gone Baby Gone, was brought in by Warner Bros. to serve as the films star, director and co-writer. [4][5] It also stars Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Titus Welliver, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper and Slaine, and follows a Boston bank robber who begins to develop romantic feelings for a victim of one of his previous robberies, while he and his crew set out to get one final score by robbing Fenway Park. [14][15] The former MASSBank branch located in Melrose, Massachusetts, was used as the location for the first robbery of the film, taking on the name Cambridge Merchants Bank[16] (the exterior shots, however, are of Cambridge Savings Bank in Harvard Square). Frawley notes that this incident led to the passing of regulations prohibiting the driver from leaving the cab even if his partner is being held at gunpoint. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. Now much of the neighborhood has been gentrified. subscription yet. This message will appear once per week unless you renew or Rebecca Hall (l.) and Ben Affleck appear in 'The Town. So ultimately, although there seems to be some truth to the films depiction of Charlestown, its authenticity should be taken with a grain of salt. Its sad, Peletier says. The hour-long chase drew state police and officers from Johnston, Coventry and Hopkinton, R.I., as it proceeded onto Routes 295 and 95. https://www.caughtinprovidence.com/ We want to bridge divides to reach everyone. continue to use the site without a The paper reported there is some sense of rivalry between Townies, people who lived in the historically Irish-Catholic neighborhood for decades, and "Toonies", largely white-collar workers who arrived with gentrification, but most of that has died down. Right now, Sequeira is charged with three Boston bank robberies. After finding out that Claire lives in their neighborhood, Doug follows her to find out how much she has told the police and to ensure that the hot-headed Jem does not eliminate her as a witness. ', This website uses cookies to [29] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film an A+, noting that he found the film incredibly similar to Michael Mann's Heat, which he described as "one of [his] favorite movies of all time. Cranston police spotted the car and took up pursuit. Boston. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. View the profiles of people named William Sequeira. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lovegreen ordered the men held pending further investigation. 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. William Sequeira appears in Boston Municipal Court, Thursday, Oct 6, 2022. William Sequeira CBS Boston Sequeira appeared in Boston Municipal Court Thursday and was held on $50,000 bail for bank robbery charges.
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