Fall River Woman Sentenced in Severed Finger Case

FALL RIVER - A Fall River woman is sentenced in connection with the severing of a man's finger.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office says 51-year-old Donna Silvia, owner of Columbia Towing in Fall River, has been sentenced to serve eight to ten years in state prison with two years of supervised probation and must pay a $5,000 fine.

The DA's office says in March of 2012, Silvia suspected one of her employees of stealing cash from the business. After repeated denial of the robbery by the employee, Silvia conspired with another man to cut off part of the man's finger with pipe cutters, and then told the victim to tell others the injury was the result of an accident.

Silvia was convicted earlier this month of mayhem, intimidation of a witness, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing substantial injury.