Community Corner

War Veteran Convicted and Sentenced for Robberies

By Matt Schooley

A Wilmington resident who robbed three banks and one supermarket last summer was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Tuesday, according to a report in the Boston Herald.

Joseph Costello, 27, robbed banks in North Andover, Chelmsford and Reading last June and July along with a Citizens Bank inside Shaw's Supermarket in Salem, N.H. 

Following his arrest, Costello said in court proceedings that he struggled with post traumatic stress disorder after serving in Afghanistan. Costello was discharged after he suffered injuries as a member of the United States Army.

"During the course of recovery and treatment from that injury, Mr. Costello was prescribed some pain medications, and unfortunately that kind of spun off into an issue regarding substance abuse. Since then Mr. Costello... is trying to reach out and get assistance for that," Costello's lawyer at the time, David Timmons, said during his arraignment last July.

According to the Herald report, Costello's current attorney Thomas Gleason sought a reduced sentence based on his military service. The newspaper also reported that Costello began using heroin after his discharge from the Army and used the bank robberies to support his habit.

The prosecution was seeking a sentence of 46 months, according to the Herald.

Click here to read the full report on the sentencing in the Boston Herald.


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