CHARLESTOWN AND SOUTH BOSTON MEN CONVICTED FOR 2005 ARMORED CAR ROBBERY

BOSTON, MA - Two men from Charlestown and one from South Boston were convicted today in federal court of conspiracy, attempt, and firearms offenses in connection with the attempted robbery of an armored car in June 2005.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New England, announced today that DENNIS QUIRK, age 38, and MARTIN O’BRIEN, age 37, both formerly of Charlestown, and ARTHUR BURGESS, age 45, formerly of South Boston, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf to conspiracy and attempt to rob an armored car, and using firearms during and in relation to the attempted armored car robbery. QUIRK and BURGESS also pled guilty of being felons in possession of firearms.

At today’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that just before noon on June 16, 2005, on Hanover Street in the North End of Boston, QUIRK, O’BRIEN, and BURGESS, armed with handguns and an AK-47 rifle confronted two armored car guards employed by Loomis, Fargo, Co., and ordered them to the ground next to their truck at gun point. When one of the guards took cover behind the armored truck and obtained a line of fire on the robbers, they aborted the robbery and fled the scene without taking the money that had been removed from the truck and was on the street near the guards. A search conducted later that day by FBI agents recovered the three firearms used by the robbers. The court had been informed at an earlier time that DNA testing by the FBI found DNA from QUIRK, O’BRIEN, and BURGESS on various pieces of evidence found on Hanover Street next to the armored car, in Everett where the robbers switched cars, and in the house in Malden where the guns were recovered .

Judge Wolf scheduled sentencing for O’BRIEN, and BURGESS for June 20, 2007, and for QUIRK on August 25, 2007. At that time all three men face up to 20 years in prison on the conspiracy and attempted robbery convictions, and additional mandatory minimum sentences on the firearms convictions.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Boston and Malden Police Departments, and the Massachusetts State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert E. Richardson and Timothy Q. Feeley of Sullivan’s Major Crimes Unit.