Former ’Deis athlete arrested in Longmeadow bank robbery
Published: April 16, 2010Section: Front Page
William Murphy, 23, a former Brandeis soccer player and his brother Thomas Murphy, 22, allegedly robbed a bank in Longmeadow, Mass., Thursday March 25, according to an article from The Republican, a Western-Massachusetts based newspaper. A Brandeis student told The Hoot William Murphy hid the money from the bank at a Russell Street house where many members of the baseball team reside.
Residents of the house had no prior knowledge of the robbery, said the student who asked not to be identified to the sensitivity of the issue.
The student said FBI agents arrived at the house on Russell Street looking for the brothers and the money. At that time, the student told The Hoot, that a resident told the agents “look, we had nothing to do with this” before the agents found a duffle bag filled with cash.
The Murphys allegedly stole more than $300,000 from a TD Banknorth bank on 847 Williams St. in Longmeadow. Police believe the brothers entered the bank at 7:55 p.m. during the evening on March 25, armed with baseball bats and wearing masks.
William Murphy, who played soccer at Brandeis, would have graduated this spring, but is no longer enrolled at the university.
Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said he was unable to comment on the incident at the Russell Street home where Murphy hid the money, explaining that because the FBI participated in the arrest, it was a federal investigation and he could not address it.
The Hoot’s requests for more information from the FBI’s Boston Office, were deferred to both the Longmeadow and State Police Departments by FBI Special Agent Gail Marcinkiewicz. She said that the investigation was being organized by The Longmeadow and State Police Departments.
Further attempts to obtain a copy of the police report were unsuccessful.
Longmeadow Police Lieutenant Gary Fontaine did not return a call seeking comment about the investigation.
Police arrested the Springfield brothers in Kenmore Square on Friday March 26 after learning about the Murphys’ whereabouts from their friends, according to the article.
Contributing to the arrest were the Boston Police Special Investigation Unit, the State Police and the FBI Bank Robbery Task Force, according to the article’s information obtained from Fontaine.
A teller at the bank said in a statement to police that he was with the Murphys and another friend between two to four weeks ago, at which time William Murphy said, “I should pass you a note, and you give me the money,” according to the article.
The friend said he thought Murphy was joking, but added that he might have said to Murphy that a teller’s drawer at the bank contains $8,000, the article, referencing the police report said. Another man, who the police report mentions is friends with the Murphy brothers, identified the Murphys’ photos online and notified the Longmeadow Police Department, the article said.
The Murphys were arraigned in District Court on Monday March 29 and pleaded not guilty to charges of “armed robbery and stealing from a depository,” the article said. Bail was set in cash at $100,000 in Judge William J. Boyle’s courtroom.