LYNN — On Tuesday evening at the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Trustee meeting, board member Vincent DeMore provided an update on two pending criminal cases stemming from the May 2025 break-in at the GAR Museum, including a restitution dispute that could now move toward appeal.
DeMore said he and museum curator Wendy Joseph attended a restitution hearing approximately two weeks ago in Lynn District Court.
Although Ashlee Mootrey, who was involved in the break-in with Zachary Bridges, was not present in court for the hearing, the parties were informed that she did not plan to contest the restitution amount.
Instead, she was expected to request a ‘Henry hearing,’ a proceeding used to assess a defendant’s ability to pay.
DeMore said he and Joseph provided the court with the requested information and left with the understanding that the matter would proceed the following week.
However, he later received a call from the prosecutor assigned to the case with unexpected news. According to DeMore, the court, without a formal motion before it, determined that Mootrey had no ability to pay and entered an order setting restitution at zero dollars.
“In my view, at least, it’s an unlawful order,” DeMore said, adding that he expects to hear from the prosecutor by the end of the week regarding possible next steps, including whether the decision will be appealed.
DeMore emphasized that the dispute is not about the $100 restitution amount at issue.
“This is not about the money,” he said. “I’ve certainly spent far more of my own time sitting in court on this. I probably could have written a check two months ago. But there is a principle behind it that I think is important that we continue to enforce.”
He said he will continue working with the district attorney’s office to ensure the matter proceeds appropriately.
Separately, DeMore said Bridges’ case remains pending, with no substantive updates at this time.
