Worcester man charged with having machine gun

Jose Rivera, 24, of Worcester, was charged in federal court in Boston with unlawful possession of a machine gun after prosecutors say he was found in possession of a pistol turned into a machine gun.

A federal agent alleges that a Tuesday search of Rivera’s residence on Pilgrim Avenue turned up a Glock Model 23 .40 caliber pistol converted with a switch — which an affidavit states makes the gun capable of firing 20 rounds per second with a single pull of the trigger, according to the agent’s affidavit in the case.

‘Master thief’ fails again

Sean Murphy, 58, calls himself a “master thief,” but that didn’t stop him from getting caught four years ago for the 2008 theft of gold and New York Giants Super Bowl rings from a jewelry store in Attleboro and it didn’t stop him from getting caught conning people while out on probation.

Murphy, who spent two years in prison and was in the middle of his five years of probation for the Attleboro heist, pretended to be a homeless veteran and directed people to donate to his fake veterans charity, the Bristol County DA says, and was sentenced this week in Fall River Superior Court to 18 months in state prison for the probation violation.

He also faces additional charges in Lynn District Court of stolen valor and larceny under $1,2000 by false pretense.

Murphy also served 13 years for a heist of a Brink’s facility in Ohio.

Ex-con gets busted with gun … again

Kevin Blackmore, 45, of Dorchester, the subject to many past restraining orders and violator of those orders, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon.

The charge carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 Boston-based federal Judge Denis J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 29.

Blackmore — who was already convicted back in 2009 for a firearms violation and assault and battery — was in some kind of “possible domestic violence” incident with his girlfriend at a hotel in Sharon on June 19 last year, for which the police were dispatched at 4 a.m., according to court docs.

The girlfriend told police she needed help to retrieve some personal items that were in a black duffel bag in Blackmore’s car. When police went to retrieve the items, they found a Taurus Model G3C 9mm pistol and 80 .45 caliber rounds and 67 9mm rounds in Blackmore’s gym bag.