BOSTON – Prior to his wife’s mysterious disappearance, Brian Walshe was set to be locked up at their home in Cohasset. He is among about 6,000 people currently wearing location surveillance bracelets in the federal system after pleading guilty to the charges Sale of counterfeit art.
“You can wear a bracelet and go to church, you can go to your doctor, you can go to the grocery store, these are all exceptions, and sometimes you have to call ahead,” explained Phil Tracey, a Boston attorney who is familiar with the home Captivity.
In some cases, Tracey said, being grounded really means the person can never leave the house, but in many cases they’re given special permission to go on a limited basis.
Prosecutors say Walshe lied about going to the Home Depot, where he allegedly spent $450 on cleaning supplies.
“I don’t think they were afraid that he would engage in nefarious activities,” Tracey said. “It wouldn’t raise that much of a red flag.”
Photos by Cohasset Police and Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool
Court filings setting out the terms of Walshe’s release state: “You are restricted to stay at all times, except for activities pre-approved by the parole board.”
Sources told WBZ-TV that Walshe’s bracelet doesn’t use the GPS tracking that some inmates have. Instead, he uses a radio frequency that can alert authorities if he leaves home without specifying where he went.
“Let’s say it’s an hour and a half release. As long as he’s back in an hour and a half, they generally let it go,” said defense attorney JW Carney, who has had many clients under house arrest.
“Let’s say, for example, a person passes by a hardware store on their way back from taking the kids to school and goes in and buys a few things. Generally, that’s not going to be something that’s going to get the parole officer’s attention,” Carney said.
Brian Walshe is currently being held on $500,000 bail for misleading investigators in the disappearance of his wife Ana Walshe. He pleaded not guilty in his arraignment Monday in Quincy Circuit Court.
Christina Hager
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