Pair Stole Vans, Cash In Multi-City Robbery Through Stoughton: DA

BOSTON, MA — A Texas man accused in a statewide carjacking and burglary spree was arraigned Thursday. Frederick Williams, 28, of Dallas allegedly stole three motor vehicles and committed six commercial burglaries last year as far north as Woburn and as far south as Brockton.

Williams was arrested by Texas authorities and extradited Wednesday to Massachusetts. He is being held on $500,000 bail.

A second Texan, 32-year-old Matthew Gallagher, will be arraigned Friday on the same charges.

Suffolk County prosecutors said Williams and Gallagher are accused of two vehicle thefts and six convenience store/gas station break-ins over a two-day stretch last May. Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Everett, Stoughton, and Woburn Police departments, as well as Massachusetts State Police and the Massport Drug Task Force, investigated.

Williams and Gallagher are believed to be part of a group that stole a van in Woburn in the early morning hours of May 18 and broke into an Everett gas station, damaging an ATM and stealing a safe, and fleeing a Cambridge gas station after setting off an alarm. The group then allegedly stole another van in Mattapan and broke into a Dorchester gas station, failing to pry open a pair of safes and fleeing when an alarm went off.

In the early morning hours of the next day, the group allegedly stole a third van in Stoughton and took part in break-ins at three convenience stores in Brockton, where two store safes and two ATMs were stolen.

The group allegedly used wrecking bars and a sledgehammer to open locks.

Prosecutors said Williams and Gallagher were also among a group questioned May 19 at Logan Airport when security screeners saw more than $50,000 in their carry-on bags.

Police and prosecutors used security video from each location, cell records, and other evidence through the course of the investigation.

Williams was indicted Dec. 20 on six counts each of breaking and entering at night with intent to commit a felony, breaking into a depository, and malicious destruction of property; four counts of larceny over $250; two counts of attempted larceny over $250; three counts of larceny of a motor vehicle; and one count of possession of burglarious instruments.

The charges were consolidated in Suffolk County under a clause that says certain crimes “committed in different counties or the territorial jurisdiction of different courts … may be charged and prosecuted in any court having jurisdiction of at least 1 of the crimes.” Prosecutors in Middlesex, Norfolk, and Plymouth counties also contributed to the case.

By Mike Carraggi (Patch Staff)

Image via Shutterstock