Man faces assault and battery charges after theft at Target store

BOSTON, June 22, 2023 – A man with a 29-page criminal record is facing assault and battery charges in BMC Central for assaulting an employee at the Government Center Target store who tried to stop him from stealing almost $200 worth of items and assaulting police who tracked him down to City Hall Plaza, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.  

NEIL FINN, 56, of Boston was charged Tuesday with unarmed robbery, resisting arrest, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot), and assault and battery on a police officer. Judge Paul Tressler set bail at $2,500 and ordered Finn to stay away from the Target.  Tressler also revoked Finn’s bail on nine open cases, all out of Central BMC.  Finn will return to court July 19 for a pre-trial hearing.

At about 5:50 p.m. on June 19, a man, later identified as Finn, attempted to exit the Target on Cambridge Street with a basket of unpaid razors and shaving cream totaling nearly $200.  When approached at the checkpoint by the store manager, Finn struck the manager in the stomach with his elbow and left the store.

Police, acting on identification information provided by Target employees, found Finn sitting on a bench at City Hall Plaza with a red Target basket.  Finn denied being inside the Target while he slid the basket at the police officers and started to walk away. Officers grabbed his arm to stop him. Finn became aggressive and attempted to violently pull away. Officers moved Finn to the ground to restrain him. Once on the ground, Finn kicked one of the officers in the leg.

Finn has a 29-page criminal record dating back to 1984, including district and superior court convictions with sentences for assault, shoplifting, breaking and entering, malicious destruction or property and assault and battery on a disabled individual. 

“This is precisely the type of serial offender who deserves to have bail revoked in order to prevent additional threats to businesses and their employees, police, and the larger community. Quality of life for people in Boston and elsewhere is a top priority for our office, and this man’s repeated criminal behavior is not just unacceptable.  It is intolerable,” Hayden said.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

 James Borghesani, Chief of Communications