'Career criminal' from Dartmouth sentenced

A Dartmouth man prosecutors call a “career criminal” from Dartmouth has been sentenced to six to eight years in prison in connection to a crime spree in 2016.

According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, Shane O’Donnell, 34, was sentenced in Fall River Superior Court on Nov. 30 for a 2016 on multiple charges from a spree of crimes which occurred in Seekonk, Fairhaven, and New Bedford.

“This defendant, a convicted felon, is a career criminal who continues to rob and steal from people,” District Attorney Thomas Quinn said. “The only alternative is to lock him up and keep him off the streets to protect the public.”

On Feb. 29, 2016, O’Donnell cut the locks off two lockers in the men’s locker room at Total Fitness in Seekonk and stole phones, credit cards, and keys. He then used a set of keys to steal a car from the gym’s parking lot.

On March 2, 2016, O’Donnell robbed the Fairhaven Santander Bank. He approached the teller, wearing gloves, with a note stating he had a gun. He left in the vehicle stolen from Seekonk, which he abandoned in Fairhaven.

The Fairhaven and Seekonk Police found a fingerprint on a package of gloves which surveillance showed O’Donnell purchased before the bank robbery. The print matched O’Donnell. The gym manager recognized O’Donnell, shown on bank security footage, as the man who went into the gym and had signed in as “Shane Donnell.”

O’Donnell’s phone records showed a call to the gym on the day of the robbery.

On March 12, O’Donnell stole credit cards and wallets out of lockers in the Gold’s Gym in New Bedford after snapping the locks. He was identified through video surveillance.

Assistant District Attorney William Flynn recommended a 10 to 13 year state prison sentence, while the defendant recommended a 5 year prison sentence. Judge Mark Hallal sentenced O’Donnell to 6 to 8 years in state prison for the charges of Larceny over $250, Breaking into Depositories, Armed Robbery and Receiving a Stolen Motor Vehicle.

O’Donnell was also recently convicted in Norfolk Superior Court for similar charges in that county and sentenced to 3.5 to 5 years in state prison.