Lynn man pleads guilty to pharmacy burglary

SALEM – A Lynn man who was tracked down after burglarizing a pharmacy in Hamilton and stealing hundreds of stolen prescription drugs may serve up to six years in prison before being placed on probation.Sean M. Driscoll, 43, of 5 South Street Court, #3, pleaded guilty Monday in Salem Superior Court to the following charges: breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony, larceny from a building, larceny under $250 as well as possession of Hydrocodone with the intent to distribute, a derivative of opium, subsequent offense; possession with the intent to distribute Hydro morphine, a derivative of opium, subsequent offense; possession with the intent to distribute amphetamine, subsequent offense, all Class B narcotics, and possession with the intent to distribute Methylphenidate, subsequent offense, Class C narcotic.Driscoll was sentenced by Judge Timothy Q. Feeley to serve not less than five years and not more than six years in state prison. Upon his release, Driscoll will be on probation for another three years at which time he will be evaluated for substance abuse counseling and treatment as needed, must refrain from all non-prescribed drugs and consent to random screenings.Assistant District Attorney Marsha H. Slingerland said she was prepared to show evidence at trial that on Oct. 30 in Hamilton Driscoll burglarized Connolly’s Pharmacy, located at 44 Bay Road.Several locked prescription cabinets were broken open and a crow bar was left on the counter along with a gym bag. Thousands of prescription pills had been stolen from the pharmacy.Police observed footage from the store’s camera in which a male and female are shown in the area.On Nov. 3 police executed a search on a separate charge at Driscoll’s third-floor apartment at 5 South Street Court, #3, Lynn and found Driscoll seated in a recliner chair surrounded by hundreds of prescription pills and bottles labeled Connolly’s Pharmacy.In total 22,000 pills were stolen with a listed cost of $24,000, but the pharmacy was covered by insurance, Slingerland told Feeley.Inside Driscoll’s red Cadillac police also said they retrieved a pair of two-way hand-held walkie talkies and a police scanner, which was set to the Hamilton Police Department.Slingerland proposed a sentence of up to 10 years in state prison, pointing out that Driscoll has a seven-page prior criminal record and was convicted in 2009 for drug distribution charges out of Lynn District Court as well as prior breaking and entering convictions in 1998 out of Salem Superior Court.Defense lawyer Thomas Pierce asked the judge to impose the five- to six-year punishment, explaining that his client has “struggled many years from a drug addiction.”The judge credited Driscoll the 235 days he has spent in jail awaiting trial.