Winchester Man Convicted Of North Reading $100K Robbery

WINCHESTER, MA – A Winchester man was convicted of a 2009 robbery from a North Reading home that resulted in the theft of $100,000 worth of guns, jewelry, and more, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and North Reading Chief of Police Michael Murphy announced Monday morning.

Michael S. Tranchita, 37, was found guilty of breaking and entering in the nighttime with the intent to commit a felony, larceny over $250 and possession of burglarious tools by a Middlesex Superior Court Jury on June 14. He was sentenced to 4-5 years in state prison with three years of probation. He also must pay the victim $500 per month during the three years of probation and stay away from the victim's family, home, and business.

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"This conviction was secured as a result of a lengthy investigation involving the collection and analysis of a substantial amount of evidence," said Ryan. "The investigators from the North Reading Police Department, my office and several other law enforcement agencies worked collaboratively and diligently to bring this complicated case to a conclusion."

On July 19, 2009, North Reading Police responded to a reported break-in at a Central Street home. Police discovered a 1,000-pound safe had been robbed; The safe, located in the second floor bedrooom, contained 12 firearms, including long-arms, semi-automatic pistols and revolvers, jewelry, cash, silver bars and other valuables had been removed from the second floor bedroom. About $100,000 worth of items were stolen.

Tranchita had entered the property through a temporary fence surrounding the victim’s in-ground swimming pool, police said. Tranchita entered the victim’s shed and removed an axe and claw-hammer which he used to break into the home. Once inside, Tranchita destroyed a temporary wall and caused damage to the structure of the home while he moved the safe.

Police said Tranchita was known to the victim and had ascertained knowledge of the valuables in the safe. Tranchita used social media to check with the victim’s family and make sure they would be away during the weekend of the break-in. ensure the victim and his family would be out of the home on the weekend of the break-in.

Investigators collected a 14 karat white gold bracelet similar to one seen being worn by Tranchita, paint chips, sheet rock samples and impressions of tire marks left in the victim’s garage as evidence. They also also examined cell phone records and collected more evidence at Tranchita’s workplace which matched evidence form the victim’s home.

Five of the stolen firearms and contents of the safe were located when they washed ashore on the Boston waterfront.

Tranchita was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court on December 9, 2015.