Special to the Record
A Chelsea man was arrested last week in connection with the armed robberies of banks in Weymouth, Jamaica Plain and Hyde Park. Keywan Kelly, 29, was charged with three counts of armed bank robbery.
According to the charging documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, at approximately 11:52 a.m. on July 1, 2024, a male – later allegedly identified as Kelly – entered a Bank of America branch in Weymouth wearing gloves and a medical mask. Kelly allegedly approached a teller window and pushed a handwritten note towards the teller demanding $20,000 and threatened that he would “kill you all,” while pointing a firearm at the teller.
It is alleged that the teller then handed Kelly $15,000, after which Kelly demanded more and the teller gave him additional cash of approximately $4,000 to $5,000 before leaving the bank. During the robbery, Kelly allegedly made verbal threats such as, “Run that s**t before I blow this place up” and “I’ll kill all of you.”
Similarly, at approximately 1:41 p.m. on July 16, 2024, a male – later allegedly identified as Kelly – entered the Rockland Trust Bank in Jamaica Plain wearing a black balaclava style mask, black clothing and white latex gloves. Kelly allegedly approached the teller window and handed the teller a note that read, “I need 20K no DyPacks I have 4 bombs I’ll Kill everyone make quick,” while brandishing a firearm. Kelly allegedly fled the bank on foot after receiving approximately $2,480 in cash from the teller.
It is further alleged that, at approximately 10:09 a.m. on July 26, 2024, a male – later allegedly identified as Kelly – entered another Rockland Trust Bank branch in Hyde Park, again wearing a black balaclava style mask and gloves. There, Kelly allegedly handed the teller a handwritten note that included words to the effect of, “you’re being robbed give me cash,” before pointing a firearm at the teller. It is alleged that Kelly verbally threatened to “shoot” and demanded $20,000. Upon receiving approximately $3,000 in cash, Kelly took back the demand note and fled the bank.
A subsequent investigation allegedly identified Kelly on the Weymouth bank’s video surveillance and identified Kelly’s fingerprints on the vehicle used as a getaway car following the Weymouth robbery. The investigation also allegedly revealed connections between Kelly and vehicles that were identified as being in the vicinity of the Jamaica Plain and Hyde Park banks at the time of the robberies. Cell phone location data allegedly revealed that Kelly’s cell phone was present in the vicinity of each of the banks near the time of the robberies, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Massachusetts Legislature has passed the Affordable Homes Act, the largest housing investment in Massachusetts history and a powerful first step in tackling the state’s housing affordability crisis. On August 6th, Governor Healey signed this historic bill into law.
The legislation authorizes $5.16 billion in bond authorizations and tax credits to spur housing production in Massachusetts, while implementing sweeping policy initiatives to facilitate the development of affordable housing and preserve public housing in Massachusetts.
“I am excited to see this transformative investment addressing the housing crisis pass through the legislature and signed into law,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “This bill will repair and create housing, help countless individuals find the home they need, and ensure people can continue to live in the community they have lived in their entire lives. I want to thank Governor Healey, Senate President Spilka, Senator Rodrigues, and Senator Edwards for bringing this ambitious plan to life and shepherding it through the legislative process.”
To help municipalities convert commercial properties into multi-unit residential or mixed-use properties, the bill makes project sponsors eligible for a tax credit of up to 10 percent of the development costs upon completion of a project.
The bill includes a new tax credit to incentivize production of homeownership units targeting households with incomes of up to 120 per cent of the area median income (AMI). It also makes permanent the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) while expanding the statewide cap on donations from $12 million to $15 million. Further, it extends the sunset of the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit through December 31, 2030, while increasing the total available amount from $55 million to $110 million.
Among the many policy initiatives included in the bill to create more housing is a provision to permit one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) equal to or less than 900 square feet to be built by-right on a property in single-family zoning districts in all Massachusetts communities. The bill further provides consumer protections to help prevent homeowners from being pressured into waiving a home inspection, protects tenants who have a years-old eviction record from having that record held against them when securing new housing, gives seasonal communities new tools to tackle their unique housing challenges, and protects renters from having their unit redeveloped into a condominium.
Bond authorizations include:
Public housing
• $2 billion to support the repair, rehabilitation, and modernization of over 43,000 public housing units across Massachusetts, with 25 per cent of the funds dedicated to preserve housing for those with incomes below 30 percent AMI.
• $150 million to decarbonize the public housing stock and $15 million for accessibility upgrades.
• $200 million to support Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) who partner with developers to add mixed-income developments on LHA land, leveraging funds to maintain and preserve public housing while increasing the overall housing supply.
Housing vulnerable
populations
• $200 million to support innovative and alternative forms of rental housing, including single person occupancy (SPO) units, transitional and permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness, housing for seniors and veterans, and transitional units for persons recovering from substance use disorder. 25 per cent of funds must be used to fund projects which preserve housing for those with incomes below 30 per cent AMI.
• $70 million to support the development of appropriate community-based housing for Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Department of Developmental Services (DDS) clients
• $60 million to modify homes of individuals or families with disabilities or seniors so that they may maintain residency or return home from institutional settings.
• $55 million to support appropriate housing for people with disabilities who are not DMH or DDS clients.
Housing development
• $800 million for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund which provides resources to create or preserve affordable housing for households earning less than 100 per cent of AMI.
• $200 million to accelerate the development of mixed-income multifamily housing.
• $100 million for the Middle Income Housing Fund which funds housing development for households earning less than 120 per cent of AMI.
• $100 million for the Commonwealth Builder program for the construction of affordable single-family homes for households earning between 70 and 120 per cent of AMI, primarily in Gateway Cities.
HousingWorks • $425 million to support preservation, new construction, and rehabilitation projects through the Housing Stabilization Fund and the Community Investment and Preservation Fund. • $275 million to consolidate the existing Transit Oriented Housing Program and the Climate Resilient Housing Program and create a new, innovative program to accelerate and unlock new housing. 25 per cent of the funds must be used to fund projects which preserve housing for those with incomes below 60 per cent of AMI. • $175 million for municipal infrastructure projects to encourage denser housing development. • $50 million to provide payments to municipalities that receive a Housing Choice designation through high housing production and/or demonstration of best practices, including a grant program to assist MBTA Communities in complying with the multi-family zoning requirement in the MBTA Communities Law. • $50 million for grants to municipalities for planning and zoning initiatives that support housing production, workforce training and economic opportunities, childcare and early education initiatives and climate resiliency initiatives. • $20 million to provide incentive payments to municipalities who adopt smart growth housing districts.