Career thief sentenced in Fall River to state prison

Shane O’Donnell, a 34 year old Dartmouth man, was sentenced in the Fall River Superior Court on November 30, 2018, after pleading guilty for Larceny and Robbery offenses stemming from a 2016 crime spree in Seekonk, Fairhaven and New Bedford, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

According to Jennifer Sowa from the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, on February 29, 2016, the defendant went into Total Fitness in Seekonk. While inside the men’s locker room he cut the lock off of two lockers and stole phones, credit cards and keys. He utilized one set of stolen keys to steal a motor vehicle from the lot of the gym.

On March 2, 2016 the defendant robbed the Santander Bank in Fairhaven of $1,000 after he approached the teller, wearing gloves, with a note stating he had a gun. Surveillance video from Santander Bank showed the defendant in the stolen car from the February 29th incident. The defendant abandoned the stolen vehicle in Fairhaven.

After a joint investigation between Fairhaven and Seekonk Police, they were able to develop a fingerprint off of a package of gloves that surveillance showed the defendant purchased just prior to the bank robbery. The fingerprint came back as a match to the defendant. The gym manager viewed the surveillance video from Santander Bank and indicated he appeared to be the same individual who went into Seekonk Total Fitness on February 29th and signed the gym form, “Shane Donnell”.

Police also obtained the defendant’s phone records which showed a call placed from his phone to the Seekonk Total Fitness on the date of offense. On March 12, 2016, the defendant went into Gold’s Gym in New Bedford with a large gym bag and snapped the locks off of three lockers. The defendant stole credit cards and wallets out of the lockers. The defendant was identified through video surveillance.

At sentencing, the Commonwealth, represented by Assistant District Attorney William Flynn, recommended a 10 to 13-year state prison sentence. The Defendant recommended a 5 year State Prison sentence. Judge Mark Hallal imposed a State Prison sentence of 6 years to 8 years for the charges of Larceny over $250, Breaking into Depositories, Armed Robbery and Receiving a Stolen Motor Vehicle. The defendant was also recently convicted in Norfolk Superior Court for similar charges in that county and was sentenced to 3.5 to 5 years in the State Prison.

“This defendant, a convicted felon, is a career criminal who continues to rob and steal from people.” District Attorney Quinn said. “The only alternative is to lock him up and keep him off the streets to protect the public.”