Fall River man — who says he inspired Ben Affleck heist movie — charged in another robbery
FALL RIVER — So much for second chances.
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. Yet two years ago, he appeared on the popular "Caught in Providence" TV show and received a reprieve for several outstanding traffic tickets, largely because he expressed remorse for his bank robbing past and a desire to change his life.
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.
Fall River police were able to help law enforcement officials connect the dots, after a September bank robbery on Rodman Street.
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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. Once inside, Sequeira allegedly approached a teller and stated, “Give me all the $100s in the drawer,” and “Give me all the money before I blow your brains out.” Sequeira fled on foot after obtaining money from the teller. It is alleged that surveillance footage of the robbery and subsequent interviews positively identified Sequeira as the robber.
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. 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. Sequeira was immediately apprehended.
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Sequeira is also facing charges in Fall River, in connection to a robbery at the Citizens Bank located at 501 Rodman St.
Detective Luis Vertentes of the Major Crimes Division was assigned as the lead investigator in this case, according to a press release from FRPD. During his investigation, Vertentes shared photographs of the robbery suspect within the department in hopes of identifying him. Members of the Gang Unit told Vertentes that the suspect resembledan individual suspected of multiple bank robberies in and around Boston. In fact, Officer Eric Pachecoof the Special Operations Division remembered speaking to a man during a detail who told him that Ben Affleck had made a movie — "The Town," about a band of bank and armored car thieves — in which the main character was based on him. He also told Pacheco that he had been on an episode of "Caught in Providence" with Judge Frank Caprio.
In the episode, he told Caprio he had served 37 years in federal prison for bank robbery. He was asking for leniency with regard to some traffic tickets. Caprio seemed intrigued by his story. Sequeira told him when he was caught, he had half a million dollars hidden in his fridge in milk containers. He also claimed to have been involved in the largest police chase in Rhode Island history, after robbing a bank in Cranston. 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.
Caprio ended up wiping out his $150 in traffic tickets thanks to a donation he received for "someone who deserves a break."
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On Oct. 4, Vertentes was able to alert law enforcement in Boston that Sequeira was en route to that city.
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. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River man who says he inspired Affleck movie charged in robbery
