Caprio ended up wiping out his $150 in traffic tickets thanks to a donation he received for "someone who deserves a break. Our work isn't possible without your support. 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. 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. 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! By continuing to browse the site 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. He also told Pacheco that he had been on an episode of "Caught in Providence" with Judge Frank Caprio. Federal officials last March also charged Donald Lafond in connection with bank robberies in Boston. [citation needed], The film took #1 at the box office during its opening weekend, taking in $23.8 million. New Bedford brothers sentenced for bank robberies Last year Sequeira appeared on the popular Caught In Providence You Tube channel where he bragged about robbing a hundred banks and even compared himself to Bostons Ben Affleck. BOSTON At 59 years old, William Sequeira has spent much of his adult life doing time. 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. He was ordered held on $50,000 bail Thursday, and is next scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 3 for a pre-trial hearing. William Sequeira appears in Boston Municipal Court, Thursday, Oct 6, 2022. He was asking for leniency with regard to some traffic tickets. Ever see the movie, The Town? Sequeira asked Judge Frank Caprio. [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. Accused bank robbery suspect who says Ben Affleck played him in 'The Sequeira was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon, the .357 Magnum. Accused bank robbery suspect who says Ben Affleck played him in - MSN On the TV show "Caught in Providence", Sequeira bragged that the movie "The Town" starring Ben Affleck is based on his life. A judge set bail at $50,000.00 and Sequeira was sent back to jail where, its likely no one will confuse him with Ben Affleck. A witness reported seeing a man run from the bank into a car with Massachusetts plates. Investigators believe Sequeira was also the suspect responsible for the first two robberies. Prosecutors revealed he's also suspected in a September. Accused bank robbery suspect who says Ben Affleck played him in 'The School security lapses exposed:This Freetown mom tried to expose school security failures. In that show he claims to have robbed over 100 banks, and is seen telling a judge that Ben Affleck's bank-robbing character in "The Town" was based on him. 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. "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. [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. According to prosecutors, a man told the teller to give me a hundred dollar bill or Ill shoot you.He left with $500. Greg Comcowich, Boston Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman, would not confirm the truth of the movies dramatic claim either. William Sequeira, 59, was charged with one count of bank robbery and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date, according to a press release from the office of United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. Frawley interrogates them but is forced to release them. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. People can draw their own conclusions.. Explore them here. William Sequeira CBS Boston Sequeira appeared in Boston Municipal Court Thursday and was held on $50,000 bail for bank robbery 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. "[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. 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. He. 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. [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. 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. So many viewers must be wondering if bank robbery actually became a family trade in Charlestown? There was already a detective on the scene to intervene and placed Mr. Sequeira under arrest. Fall River man who says he inspired Ben Affleck heist movie charged Angered, Jem fights him and says that he is in too deep to walk away. [33], A voice in the trailer of the film says: "There are over 300 bank robberies in Boston every year. Caught in the act: Accused bank robber who says Ben Affleck played him Search in titles only Search in THE MEDICAL MEN AND DOCTOR REPORTS only 2023 www.southcoasttoday.com. 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. But after his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court on charges of robbing three Boston banks over the last week, it might be some time before he ever gets his freedom back. [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). 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. 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. 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. It is alleged that surveillance footage of the robbery and subsequent interviews positively identified Sequeira as the robber. Was the small community of Charlestown really a locus of bank robbers? We lived in Charlestown all our lives, Linda McNelley says. Boston 25 News facebook feed(Opens a new window), Boston 25 News twitter feed(Opens a new window), Boston 25 News youtube feed(Opens a new window), School administrators: Create a closings account, Caught in the act: Accused bank robber who says Ben Affleck played him busted during heist spree, Deepest condolences: Boston Childrens Hospital pays $15M to family of baby who died during study, Hopkintons former deputy police chief indicted on child rape charges, Hingham Police officer accused of brandishing gun while off duty on Stoneham roadway, 12-year-old girl suffers cardiac episode during soccer practice, 4 men from Mass., NH arrested in Lawrence-based drug trafficking ring, federal authorities say. Infamous bank robber William Sequeira arrested in attempted Back Bay 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. The movie itself aspires to create a cinematic representation of Boston and in no way attempts to antagonize Charlestown or its people. Police Oversight Committee Eyes Next Steps, Marty the Mini Pony is Looking for a Good Retirement Home, Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter, Ex-Hopkinton Deputy Police Chief Charged With Child Rape, Defense Team's Claim in Case of Officer's Death Stirs Controversy in Canton, 2 Teens Charged in Unprovoked' Attack on Woman at South Boston MBTA Station, Tens of Thousands of New Englanders Wake Up Monday to No Power, Aerosmith Announces Farewell Tour, Including New Year's Eve Show in Boston. "This is a person who has clearly not learned from his prior arrests and convictions," Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. Doug knows that Jem will kill her if he knows so, to dissuade her from talking, Doug tells her that if she tells the police, they will put her in witness protection and send her to live in another state. I-Team: Serial bank robber arrested for attempted heist in Back Bay. 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. Bostons historic Freedom Trail ends in Charlestown, home to the Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides). Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com. 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. [24] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. Moreover, although the story of the movie is purely a work of fiction, it actually passes references to several real-life crimes. William Sequeira, 59, was. Whitehouse said he will refer the case to a federal grand jury. [11] Later the film's actors also researched within the community to make for more believable characters and performances. 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. 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. ', This website uses cookies to There, it is alleged that Sequeira approached the teller, said Give me hundreds, and then threatened to shoot the teller if they did not move fast enough. They feel we were abused, says Mr. Evers, who adds, Im not rushing to see the movie. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Here's a picture of Charlestown's Old Sullys at 56 Union Street which was another filming . BOSTON - An infamous criminal, who claims he's robbed more than 100 banks, was arrested in an attempted heist in the Back Bay. Infamous bank robber William Sequeira arrested in attempted Back Bay heist The film was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2010, while Renner was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor[6] and Postlethwaite was posthumously nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.[7]. 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. Cranston police spotted the car and took up pursuit. The Town is not based on a true story. [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. June 30, 2020 'The Town' is a scintillating crime drama that grips from its very onset and keeps you hooked till the end. But he also said he was trying to turn his life around, making deliveries for a produce company, and said he didn't ever want to end up in prison again. Using a firearm in a crime of violence brings a mandatory sentence of 5 years in prison. "Thanks to diligent investigative work he was apprehended before anyone got injured.". 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. In fact, Boston real estate agents routinely advise young professionals and families to move to Charlestown, citing its safety. Townies, those born and raised here, dont take kindly to being portrayed in Mr. Afflecks film as a bunch of dumb bums" (to use the words of one resident). Charlestown hopes not", "Author Hogan talks about his kind of Town", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Town_(2010_film)&oldid=1151377935, Ben Affleck, Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 17:30. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Claire donates the money, in memory of Doug's mother, to refurbish the local ice hockey arena in which Doug once played. A lawyer said Sequeira is currently unemployed due to COVID. Determined to not go back to prison, Jem commits suicide by cop by running out with empty guns in hand. Area robbery suspects face federal charges - New Bedford Standard-Times In court a prosecutor revealed an undercover Dedham Police Officer tripped up Sequeira. The Boston Police Department's Bank Robbery task force tackled William Sequeira inside the Citizens Bank on Boylston Street Wednesday afternoon, I-Team sources said. Thats me. Fall River police were able to help law enforcement officials connect the dots, after a September bank robbery on Rodman Street. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. They also argued that there are identification issues in the cases. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Video recorded the dramatic moment police took Sequeira into custody. Now much of the neighborhood has been gentrified. 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. 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. 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. Now she's facing charges. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Rebecca Hall (l.) and Ben Affleck appear in 'The Town. In the last week, William Sequeira drew the heat big time, allegedly robbing a series of banks in Fall River and Boston. Please keep that in mind when you comment. Fall River man who claims he inspired 'The Town' charged in Boston bank The Boston Police Department's Bank Robbery task force tackled. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. However, one must not forget that the movie only draws some inspiration from Charlestowns past and is no way implying that the Boston neighborhood is still replete of crime. I guess the author of the book or the author of the movie might be able to shed more light on that, he adds. 2023 Cox Media Group. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He also claimed to have been involved in the largest police chase in Rhode Island history, after robbing a bank in Cranston. When the film first premiered in 2010, there was some backlash on its representation of the people in Charlestown. [citation needed], The Town was shown at the Venice Film Festival and premiered at Boston's Fenway Park. The FBI, having received information from Doug's ex-girlfriend and Jem's single-mom sister Krista, whom Frawley had threatened, surround the perimeter with the Boston police and State police. According to Frawley, the elder MacRay hijacked a "bread truck" (armored car) up to New Hampshire, and when one of the guards saw his face, he executed both of them with their own weapons. [8][9] In 2006, director Adrian Lyne brought the novel to producer Graham King. I dont think we want to officially comment on whether a certain place has a higher count of robberies than another place, he says. Well, if statistics can't prove that Charlestown is the bank robbery capital of America, then it must not be, right? 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. Science Monitor has expired. FBI Special Agent Adam Frawley recognizes their ties to local Irish mobster Fergus "Fergie" Colm. Boston's historic Freedom Trail ends in Charlestown, home to the Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides). William Sequeira said in 2020 to Providence Judge Frank Caprio on his web series "Caught in Providence" that Ben Affleck's character was based on him. Moreover, even the films Charlestown setup makes you wonder if it draws its inspiration from real crimes of the Boston neighborhood. Donald Lafond and Sequeira fled into the woods, but were soon captured by police, who found a loaded .357-caliber pistol on Sequeira and a .22-caliber pistol in the snow near Donald Lafond. BOSTON - An infamous criminal, who claims he's robbed more than 100 banks, was arrested in an attempted heist in the Back Bay. logged you out. The reason the detective was there is he is also a suspect in a robbery in Dedham.. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. All rights reserved. Monitor journalism changes lives because we open that too-small box that most people think they live in. On Wednesday, Sequeira was on the move again, traveling from his home in Providence to Boston, unaware that the Joint Violent Crime Task Force was already on his tail. 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.. The U.S. Attorney's Office said 59-year-old William Sequeira of Fall River has been charged for robbing a TD Bank branch near Faneuil Hall in Boston, days before he was arrested for trying to rob another bank in the same city. Along with Aaron Stockard, who he invited to work with him on the scripts, Affleck interviewed several locals of the Charlestown community. Claire tells Doug she saw a tattoo on one of the robbers but did not tell the FBI, and he realizes that she can identify Jem and send them all to prison. We 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Soon, a romance grows between them, which Doug hides from the gang. The actors remarks, Mr. Looney says, made it clear that the movie is in no way a poor reflection on the people of Charlestown. The robbery attempt. We tackle difficult conversations and divisive issueswe dont shy away from hard problems. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. subscription yet. Affleck and Stockard conducted many interviews with the Charlestown community, as well as the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Boston. In the early 1990s, an increase in the number of bank and armored car robberies by Townies focused attention on Charlestown. 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. His plan works, and she does not talk. 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. Its likely he may be charged with a fourth, as well as a recent bank robbery in Fall River. log out. A judge ordered Sequeira to stay away from Boston and the banks involved. But as depicted in the movie, the task force had recently busted a gang which was very similar to the movies AK-47-wielding crew. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. 'The Town': Is Charlestown really America's 'bank robbery capital'? The attorney placed his hand in front of Sequeiras face urging him to keep quiet. 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. The Town, a crime-thriller film released in 2010, was directed by Ben Affleck, who also starred as the main antagonist, Doug Macray. William Sequeira Profiles | Facebook He will appear in. Where Was The Town Filmed? - The Cinemaholic Hollywood will do anything that will sell tickets. The Town (2010 film) - Wikipedia Sequeira was once featured in an episode of the show "Caught in Providence." Is The Town Based on a True Story? - The Cinemaholic "[23] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [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. In some cases, he demanded money and threatened to shoot bank tellers. [20], On March 6, 2011, the three-disc The Town: Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD/Blu-ray set was released. You dont have a Christian Science Monitor EPHS names students to 2022-23 third quarter honor roll Ben Affleck plays me in the movie.. We outnumber the bad guys.. The movie brought in over $154 million worldwide and was named one of the top 10 movies of 2010. . And because of the depth of its characters and the stellar performances of its cast, its hard not to wonder if it is actually based on the lives of real people. He used to work for. Caught in the act: Accused bank robber who says Ben Affleck played him Sequeira was arrested Wednesday afternoon, allegedly caught in the act of robbing the Citizens Bank branch at Berkeley and Boylston Streets in Boston. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. In a stroll of Charlestown on a sunny day, its hard to believe this tiny Boston neighborhood could be the bank robbery capital of America the Warner Bros. hype about Ben Afflecks new film The Town, which opens Friday. Charlestown is a nice town no different from any other town. Fall River man who claims he inspired 'The Town' charged in Boston bank Sequeira told him when he was caught, he had half a million dollars hidden in his fridge in milk containers. At 59 years old, William Sequeira has spent much of his adult life doing time. [32], As a Boston-based crime drama, the film forms part of a "crime-movie subgenre" typically marked by "flavorsome accents, pungent atmosphere and fatalistic undertow", according to Chang. On Oct. 4, Vertentes was able to alert law enforcement in Boston that Sequeira was en route to that city. Man claiming he inspired 'The Town' charged with robbing Boston banks Prosecutors revealed he's also suspected in a September 27 Santander Bank robbery on Berkeley Street and another robbery the following day at M&T Bank on Boylston Street. But youll find in each Monitor news story qualities that can lead to solutions and unite usqualities such as respect, resilience, hope, and fairness. If its on TV, Ill watch it. "[27] Xan Brooks, in The Guardian, wrote that the action sequences were "sharply orchestrated" but added "it's a bogus, bull-headed enterprise all the same; a film that leaves no cliche untrampled. But their statistics do show that Charlestown has barely more than 2 percent of all Boston robberies, not just bank robberies. This Freetown mom tried to expose school security failures. 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.". But after his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court on charges of robbing three Boston banks over the last week,. Sequeira appeared in Boston Municipal Court Thursday and was held on $50,000 bail for bank robbery charges. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. The first was a bank robbery at the Santander Bank on September 27. From the deck of a small house, Doug looks out over the water, forlorn, but seemingly safe in Florida. Now she's facing charges. Frawley deduces that Claire tipped him off, but her tip is too cryptic to provide grounds for an arrest. In the hours following the arrests, police charged Sequeira and Donald Lafond with two counts of armed robbery and two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery. At first, he thinks she means to betray him, but she gives a clue verbally to warn him away. 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.