Attleboro Super Bowl Ring Thief Sent Back to Prison
ATTLEBORO — The man convicted of stealing Super Bowl rings and gold from an Attleboro jewelry maker in an infamous 2008 heist has landed back in prison on accusations that he conned the public into donating to a fake charity.
The Bristol County D.A.'s office said 58-year-old Sean Murphy violated his probation by claiming to be a homeless veteran, and soliciting donations for a veterans charity that doesn't exist.
Murphy, who called himself a "master thief," made headlines in 2019 when he was convicted of stealing $2 million worth of gold and New York Giants Super Bowl rings from Attleboro custom jewelry manufacturer E.A. Dion in 2008.
Fall River Superior Court Judge Raffi Yessayan found Murphy to have violated the terms of his probation during a hearing last week, according to the D.A.'s office.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg gave evidence that Murphy has een defrauding the public and lying to his probation officer about his home address.
Murphy was sentenced to serve 18 months in state prison.
He is now also facing new charges of fradulently representing himself as military and larceny under $1,200 in Lynn District Court.
The D.A.'s office said Murphy — a former leader of a gang of thieves called the "Lynn Breakers" — was sentenced to two years in prison and five years on probation for the Attleboro Super Bowl ring heist.
Murphy and others broke into the E.A. Dion manufacturing building by cutting a hole in the roof and disabling the alarm system before making off with the gold and the Giants' Super Bowl rings.
The rings were later recovered.
According to the D.A.'s office, Murphy had previously served prison time in Ohio for a robbery at a Brink's Warehouse in which millions of dollers were set on fire by accident.
"The defendant is a career criminal who has a history of stealing from and defrauding people," said Bristol D.A. Thomas Quinn.
"He lied to his probation officer and was defrauding the public under the guise of helping veterans...This is clearly despicable conduct, but fits the pattern of his past criminal behavior," Quinn added.
"Unfortunately it appears the defendant is not going to stop his long term pattern of deception and fraud."