How did Anthony O’Shea go from a life of crime to seeking redemption in prison. What led to his resentencing and potential early release. Can a convicted felon truly change and make amends for past crimes.
The Crime That Shook Charlestown: Anthony O’Shea’s Involvement in the 1994 Armored Car Robbery
In 1994, a violent armored car robbery in Hudson sent shockwaves through the community. Anthony O’Shea, then 32, was part of a Charlestown crew that carried out this heinous crime. The robbery resulted in the tragic deaths of two security guards, Ronald Normandeau and Laurence Johnson, who were executed during the heist.
The brutality of the crime was evident in the testimony presented during the trial. Dennis Normandeau, Ronald’s brother, recounted that his sibling had pleaded for his life before being shot in the head. This act of violence would haunt the families of the victims and the community for decades to come.
The Extent of O’Shea’s Criminal Activities
O’Shea’s involvement in criminal activities extended far beyond this single incident. He was part of a larger racketeering operation that committed numerous armed robberies across four states. In total, the group was responsible for 55 crimes, showcasing the extent of their criminal enterprise.
The Trial and Initial Sentencing: Justice Served?
In 1997, O’Shea and four co-defendants faced trial for their crimes. The jury found them guilty of racketeering and multiple armed robbery conspiracies. Initially, O’Shea received a life sentence for his role in these crimes, seemingly closing the chapter on his life of freedom.
How did the initial sentencing impact O’Shea and his co-defendants?
- Four co-defendants, including Stephen Burke, Michael O’Halloran, and Matthew McDonald, continue to serve life sentences.
- The fifth man, Patrick McGonagle, passed away while incarcerated.
- O’Shea received additional 30-year sentences for separate bank robbery cases in Londonderry and Wakefield, Massachusetts.
A Legal Twist: The Supreme Court Ruling and Its Impact on O’Shea’s Case
In an unexpected turn of events, a Supreme Court ruling regarding sentencing guidelines opened the door for a potential reduction in O’Shea’s sentence. This legal “quirk,” as described by Judge Steven McAuliffe, meant that O’Shea could no longer be sentenced to life in prison as a career criminal.
How did this ruling affect O’Shea’s existing sentences?
- His 30-year sentences for the Londonderry and Wakefield bank robberies were reduced to 12½ and 13½ years, respectively.
- The life sentence for the armored car robbery was nullified, necessitating a resentencing hearing.
The Resentencing Hearing: A Chance for Redemption?
On a Friday in 2024, 30 years after the initial crime, Anthony O’Shea, now 60, found himself back in federal court for a new sentencing hearing. The courtroom was filled with an array of individuals, including O’Shea’s daughter (who was a toddler when he was first incarcerated), her baby, and approximately 50 relatives and friends who came to show their support.
The Defense’s Strategy: Highlighting O’Shea’s Transformation
O’Shea’s defense team presented a compelling case for a reduced sentence, focusing on his remarkable transformation during his time in prison. They showcased various aspects of his rehabilitation:
- Educational pursuits: O’Shea had taken college courses while incarcerated.
- Mentorship: He became a mentor to other inmates, helping them navigate life behind bars.
- Creative outlets: O’Shea developed skills in painting and crocheting.
- Community service: He ran a crocheting circle for inmates, creating blankets and toys for children with cancer.
The defense presented a video featuring O’Shea, his wife, and other supporters describing his journey of change. His artwork, including paintings of Winnie the Pooh and Marilyn Monroe, was displayed as evidence of his newfound creative pursuits.
O’Shea’s Personal Plea: Regret and Hope for the Future
During the hearing, O’Shea expressed deep remorse for his past actions. “I have a lot of regret,” he stated, his voice cracking with emotion. He reflected on the impact of his crimes, not only on the victims’ families but also on his own:
- His children grew up without a father figure.
- His 21-year-old son tragically died of a drug overdose in Charlestown.
- He missed countless milestones and opportunities to be present for his family.
O’Shea’s plea focused on his desire for a second chance: “I want my daughter to be proud of me. I want to see my grandson grow. I want to see my son’s grave.”
The Victims’ Families Speak: A Plea for Justice and Remembrance
While O’Shea and his supporters painted a picture of rehabilitation, the families of the victims provided a stark reminder of the enduring pain caused by his actions. The brother and two sons of Ronald Normandeau addressed the court, describing the intense grief they continue to feel every day.
Unanswered Questions and Doubts
Dennis Normandeau raised pointed questions about O’Shea’s claimed transformation: “If Shea is a wholesome, changed man then why won’t he reveal the name of the gang member who pulled the trigger on August 25? Why?” This query highlighted the lingering suspicions about O’Shea’s full disclosure and commitment to justice.
Christopher Normandeau, Ronald’s son, poignantly expressed the irreversible nature of the loss: “Keep making hats in prison where he belongs, unless he can crochet me back another 30 years.”
Judge McAuliffe’s Decision: Balancing Justice and Rehabilitation
After considering the arguments from both sides, Judge Steven McAuliffe delivered his ruling. He sentenced O’Shea to 35 years, making him eligible for release in approximately 15 years.
What factors influenced the judge’s decision?
- Recognition of O’Shea’s transformation: McAuliffe acknowledged the “remarkable and amazing” work O’Shea had done in prison.
- The gravity of the original crimes: The judge stated that he didn’t believe O’Shea could ever be fully “redeemed” after committing such horrific acts.
- Legal considerations: The Supreme Court ruling that prevented a life sentence as a career criminal.
Judge McAuliffe’s statement to O’Shea encapsulated the complexity of the decision: “You have some hope today that you didn’t have yesterday,” while also affirming that one cannot “walk your way out of that by being a model prisoner and helping others.”
The Broader Context: Charlestown’s Criminal Culture and Its Impact
O’Shea’s case cannot be fully understood without considering the broader context of Charlestown’s notorious criminal culture. In a letter to the judge, O’Shea described growing up in an environment where crime was glorified:
- He idolized his father, “thereby setting the stage for me to fully embrace a life of crime.”
- As a teenager, he “wanted to be a gangster” and had no shortage of role models for this “unfortunate life trajectory.”
This cultural backdrop raises questions about the cycle of crime in certain communities and the challenges individuals face in breaking free from such environments.
The Influence of Media Portrayals
Dennis Normandeau pointed out that social media posts suggested O’Shea had embraced his celebrity as a notorious bank robber, potentially influenced by movies that glamorized Charlestown’s criminal culture. This observation highlights the complex relationship between media portrayals of crime and their real-world impact.
The Road Ahead: Potential for Further Legal Developments
While the resentencing hearing provided some closure, O’Shea’s legal journey may not be over. His lawyer, Jeffrey Levin, revealed that they are still waiting for a federal appeals court to rule on whether to vacate two of O’Shea’s gun sentences. If successful, this could potentially lead to an even earlier release date.
The Ongoing Debate: Rehabilitation vs. Punishment
O’Shea’s case reignites the age-old debate about the purpose of incarceration. Is it primarily about punishment, or should it focus on rehabilitation and preparing inmates for eventual reintegration into society? The contrasting views presented during the hearing exemplify this ongoing discussion in the criminal justice system.
Can long-term inmates truly change and deserve a second chance? O’Shea’s final words to the judge before sentencing encapsulated this question: “All I can do is strive to be a better person … try in some way to make amends.”
Reflections on Justice, Redemption, and Societal Responsibility
The case of Anthony O’Shea raises profound questions about the nature of justice, the possibility of redemption, and society’s role in both punishing and rehabilitating offenders. It challenges us to consider:
- The long-term impact of violent crimes on victims’ families and communities
- The potential for personal transformation within the prison system
- The balance between punishment and rehabilitation in sentencing decisions
- The influence of cultural and environmental factors on criminal behavior
- The role of the legal system in adapting to changing societal views on justice
As O’Shea begins this new chapter in his incarceration, with the possibility of release on the horizon, his case serves as a complex tapestry of crime, punishment, remorse, and the enduring quest for redemption. It reminds us that behind every headline-grabbing crime, there are multifaceted human stories – of perpetrators, victims, families, and a society grappling with the consequences of violence and the possibility of change.
The story of Anthony O’Shea is far from over. As he continues his journey behind bars, the debate over his fate and the broader implications of his case will undoubtedly persist. It serves as a poignant reminder of the lasting repercussions of criminal actions and the challenging path towards reconciliation and healing for all involved.
‘I have a lot of regret,’ Charlestown bank robber says of 1990s carjacking, slaying of two security guards
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On Friday, Shea, now 60, was back in federal court for a new sentencing hearing, as the daughter who was a toddler when he went to prison sat in the courtroom along with her own baby and some 50 relatives and friends who showed up to support him.
This time, US District Judge Steven McAuliffe, who presided over the 1997 trial, sentenced Shea to 35 years, which makes him eligible for release in about 15 years.
“You have some hope today that you didn’t have yesterday,” said McAuliffe, adding that he believed Shea had done “remarkable and amazing” work while in prison. But he said he didn’t believe he could ever be “redeemed” after committing such horrific crimes.
“No you can’t walk your way out of that by being a model prisoner and helping others,” McAuliffe said. He rejected the defense’s request for a 30-year sentence that would allow Shea to go free when he’s 70.
The judge said Shea had benefited enough from a “quirk in the law,” resulting from a Supreme Court ruling that meant he couldn’t be sentenced to life in prison as a career criminal.
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During the hearing, the defense played a video for the judge, showing Shea, his wife, and other relatives and friends describing his transformation in prison, where he has taken college courses, mentors other inmates, paints and runs a crocheting circle of inmates. They showed blankets and toys he had crocheted in prison for children with cancer, and artwork he painted of Winnie the Pooh and Marilyn Monroe.
“I have a lot of regret,” Shea said as he appeared on the video in an olive-green prison suit, his voice cracking at times as he reflected on his life, how his two children grew up without him and his 21-year-old son died of a drug overdose in Charlestown.
“I don’t think I was a bad person. I did bad things,” said Shea, describing himself as weak when he joined a Charlestown crew that robbed armored cars in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the 1990s.
“I just wish I could take it all back and change my world. I want my daughter to be proud of me. I want to see my grandson grow. I want to see my son’s grave.”
But the brother and two sons of Ronald Normandeau, one of the two guards killed during the holdup, described the intense grief they feel every day by his loss and urged the judge to keep Shea in prison for the rest of his life.
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“If Shea is a wholesome, changed man then why won’t he reveal the name of the gang member who pulled the trigger on August 25? Why?” asked Dennis Normandeau, citing trial evidence that his brother pleaded for his life before he was executed with bullets to the head. “Could it be the Charlestown code of silence is still part of his character?”
He said he had seen social media posts that suggested Shea had embraced his celebrity as a notorious bank robber in the wake of movies that glamorized Charlestown’s criminal culture.
Normandeau’s son, Christopher, said he misses his father every day and Shea should “keep making hats in prison where he belongs, unless he can crochet me back another 30 years.
”
A jury found Shea and four other men guilty of racketeering and a dozen armed robbery conspiracies involving 55 crimes in four states, including the Aug. 25, 1994, carjacking of the armored car in Hudson. Northeast Armored Transport guards, Ronald Normandeau, 52, of Bow, and Laurence Johnson, 57, of Epping, were killed execution-style.
Four of Shea’s co-defendants remain in prison serving life sentences, including Stephen Burke, Michael O’Halloran, and Matthew McDonald. The fifth man, Patrick McGonagle died in prison.
In a letter to the judge before the hearing, Shea described growing up in Charlestown and wrote that he idolized his father “thereby setting the stage for me to fully embrace a life of crime.”
He noted, “As a young teenager I wanted to be a gangster and I was certainly not lacking in role models for this unfortunate life trajectory.”
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In separate cases from the 1990s, Shea was previously sentenced to 30 years each for a bank robbery in Londonderry and an aborted bank robbery in Wakefield, Mass.
Those sentences were also reduced to 12½ and 13½ years, because of Supreme Court rulings regarding sentencing.
“I’m so sorry for the way I’ve lived my life,” Shea told the judge just before sentencing, apologizing for the harm he caused to the Normandeau and Johnson families, and his own. “I feel so sad for the person I was.”
“All I can do is strive to be a better person … try in some way to make amends,” he said.
After Shea was led away in shackles, his lawyer, Jeffrey Levin, said he’s still waiting for a federal appeals court to rule on whether to vacate two of Shea’s gun sentences. If that happens, he said Shea could be freed in as little as seven years.
Shelley Murphy can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @shelleymurph.
Notorious bank robber Anthony Shea gets new sentence on appeal
Anthony Shea, left pictured with convicted drug smuggler and money launderer Clay Roueche. Source: Vancouver Sun/2014
CONCORD, NH – Anthony Shea, a member of a violent Massachusetts gang behind dozens of bank robberies and armored car heists is getting the jail term in one of his convictions lessened thanks to a new ruling from the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
Shea was part of a gang that terrorized New England with more than 100 robberies over the years, including a New Hampshire armored car robbery that left two security guards dead.
Shea was sentenced in 1998 on felonies for his role in an armed bank robbery in Londonderry. In a separate case, also brought in the United States District Court in Concord, Shea and members of the gang were sentenced to life in prison on 54 federal felonies, including charges related to the 1995 Hudson armored car robbery that left the two guards dead.
On Friday, Judge Paul Barbadoro resentenced Shea in the Londonderry case after prosecutors were forced to drop one of the charges because of the appeal. Assistant United States Attorney Seth Aframe said the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that one of the original 1990s charges, that Shea is a career criminal, was Constitutionally flawed. Aframe is dropping that charge, requiring a new sentence.
Shea presented letters and evidence that he’s reformed in his decades in prison, and is deserving of a lesser sentence.
“I spent many hours drafting many letters to express how I feel today,” Shea said.
Shea is active in prison ministry, spending many hours volunteering at the chapel, according to his letter. He has pursued his education, and helped other inmates work toward their GEDs, he wrote. Shea also wrote that he devotes to time crocheting hats and clothing for children with cancer.
Barbadoro cautioned Shea that while his rehabilitation is admirable, he still needed to consider the actions that led to the convictions.
“I’m not just considering the Anthony Shea of today, but I’m considering the Anthony Shea who was an unrepentant gangster terrorizing people with violent bank robberies,” Barbadoro said.
Shea’s new sentence is for between 120 to 150 months in prison on the Londonderry bank robbery case. The new sentence is unlikely to matter as he is still sentenced to life in prison along with his other gang members.
Shea’s attorney, Jeff Levin, said there is an effort underway to appeal the life sentence.
David Vicinanzo, an attorney with Nixon Peabody, was one of the original prosecutors on the case, and he does not want to see Shea ever leave prison.
“There are certain criminals, thankfully few in number, who demonstrate at a fairly young age that they can never be trusted to follow the law or to refrain from hurting people,” Vicinanzo said. “In my view, Anthony Shea and the other ruthless criminals involved in the Hudson armored truck murders fall in that category and should never be released from prison.”
According to the Associated Press, Shea, along with Patrick McGonagle, Michael O’Halloran, Stephen Burke, and Matthew McDonald, were all from the same rough neighborhood in Charlestown, Mass., and their gang was responsible for more than 100 armed robberies and made off with millions of dollars. All five men are serving life sentences.
Marc Anthony, 100% Virgin Coconut Oil & Shea Butter, Conditioner, 1.
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