DA: Foiled prison break included elaborate disguise
By John R. Ellement and Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff
WRENTHAM -- The elaborate disguise included sunglasses, a wig, fingernail polish, makeup, what a prosecutor described as "latex skin," and a full correction officer's uniform, complete with badges and the proper insignia.
The clothes and accessories were allegedly found in the locker of a nurse who works at the super-maximum unit of a prison in Walpole. It was supposed to be the final touch in what was described by Assistant Norfolk District Attorney Jennifer Rowe today as an intricate plan to break one of the state's most dangerous inmates out of prison this coming Friday.
The nurse, Deborah Girouard, 44, had developed a "relationship" with the inmate, Che Blake Sosa, the prosecutor said today during her arraignment in Wrentham District Court. Girouard had allegedly smuggled a cellphone into MCI Cedar-Junction so she and Sosa could chat, and she gave him a pair of her underwear, Rowe said.
Prosecutors allege that Girouard had agreed to get Sosa a knife and some dental floss that would help him cut the Plexiglas in his cell. She had allegedly smuggled to him three saw blades, a handcuff key, and a steel clip. Girouard drew the line and said no, however, when Sosa asked for a gun, Rowe said. That made Sosa angry, prosecutors said, and he allegedly threatened her in a cellphone call. That call prompted Girouard to go to the Department of Correction on Tuesday, Rowe said.
Girouard's attorney, Thomas Iovieno, questioned the credibility of anything involving Sosa, who is serving life in prison for a series of rapes and awaiting trial for allegedly stabbing his own lawyer.
"She disputes these allegations," Iovieno said, who described his client as a hardworking mother of five.
Iovieno added: "She's upset, she's distressed, and she's very despondent."
Judge Warren Powers ordered Girouard held without bail pending her next court appearance on Dec. 17.
It was unclear how long she has worked at the prison and what her relationship is with Sosa, who is housed in a super-maximum security single-man cell in the prison's Department Disciplinary Unit. He is essentially serving a life sentence for rape convictions this year and last year, because he would not be eligible for parole until he is 118 years old.
"I don't know what this nurse was thinking," said Steven Kenneway, president of the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union. "If she's done what she's accused of, she endangered the lives of every employee and inmate at the facility and every citizen of the surrounding communities."
Kenneway said the charges highlight the importance of the screening process for contract personnel hired to work at the prisons.
"Inmates like Che Sosa have nothing but time to try to figure out a way to get out of prison and when they get help like this, it puts us all at risk," Kenneway said.
Sosa has a long history of violence. The convicted serial rapist was accused of stabbing two correction officers with a piece of fencing in his cell at Walpole two years ago.
He is also accused of stabbing his lawyer in the face and collarbone with a makeshift plastic knife in February 2007 during jury selection in a Dedham courtroom for his trial on charges of raping a Quincy woman in 2001. His lawyer survived the attack, which authorities say was unprovoked.
Sosa, defended by a new lawyer, was convicted of the rape and sentenced to 55 years in prison.
Earlier this year, the 5-foot-11, 240-pound Sosa was shackled to a chair and flanked by about a dozen court and correction officers during his trial in Suffolk Superior Court for the 1995 rape of a Jamaica Plain woman. He was convicted and sentenced to 35 to 40 years, to be served after his previous sentence.
Testifying in his own defense, Sosa told jurors, "I love women, all type of women. But, I certainly don't rape them."
On the website www.friendsbeyondthewall.com, Sosa offers a profile of himself, lists his release date as "unknown," and tells potential pen pals, "don't be dismayed by my projected release date."
He writes that in the 20 years he has spent in and out of prison, this is the first ad he has placed seeking companionship.
He says he gives loyalty and expects it back.
"I'm looking for a friendship and I am open for more, if that is to be," Sosa wrote. "I'm extremely passionate and my empathy is far and wide. Thus, I seek a woman of like makeup. She has to be compassionate, nonjudgmental."
Globe correspondent John M. Guilfoil contributed to this report. Shelley Murphy can be reached at shmurphy@globe.com.
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If she is guilty, I hope that she gets the maximum allowed. I have a son who works there and it could have been his life that was taken because of her stupidity.
Why do convicted sex predators get any access to the internet. It is just insane.He is a convicted rapist trolling for other women as weak headed as this nurse to help him escape.
Prison is like a shark tank. The sharks prey on the weak, Obviously she was weak and fell for this monster. Too bad.
I agree, they should lock her away and throw away the key, what a loser.
You can't called it a "foiled" plan if the authorities still had no idea it was going to happen. The dumb nurse turned herself in.
What was she thinking? Hopefully this is not true. It's hard to take seriously anything Sosa may say, but the facts will come out either way.
Throw her in the slammer, now.
Sometimes we do not realize what we are getting ourselves into. I am sure she was co-erced with the idea that no one would get hurt. She realized what a bad idea it was before it was executed and turned her self in and exposed the plan.
i do believe that she should be punished, but to say lock her away and throw away the key is pretty stupid.
Who in their right mind wants to break out a convict. Especially a woman-THAT'S WHY HES'S THERE! RAPING WOMAN!
How does someone "who is housed in a super-maximum security single-man cell" get access to a web enabled computer to post a profile on www.friendsbeyondthewall.com looking for 'pen pals'? I don't understand that.
Excellent comment by justthinking23, you are spot on.
To some extent you have to give her credit for eventually realizing she was being used and turning herself in. Although amazingly stupid and criminal to get involved in the first place, she did attempt to make things right in the end.
If this isn't a wake-up call for comprehensive psychological screening for ALL personnel who interact with extremely dangerous inmates, what is? How did she get those items past prison security? Was she allowed to be alone with this inmate? I guess we should be somewhat thankful that Sosa threatened her when she refused to give him a gun, causing her to fear for her own life. If he had not, we would be reading about a bloodbath at the prison and surrounding community on Friday. If she is guilty, may she receive separate on- and after-sentences (not concurrent) for every single prison employee and Sosa victim she put in danger.
He should be executed - except liberals like to keep these people alive for some reason - to break out of prison I guess.
So I guess knives don't kill people? Saw blades?
The cell phone alone should be grounds for her being in jail.
What if he contacted people to threaten witnesses in his upcoming trial?
Permanent loss of license should be automatic. Also professional counselling mandatory. Some jail time as well, this is not a naive young person but a professional and mother of five. She has serious emotional issues and possibly cognitive impairment.
She ended up doing the right thing, she should be cut some slack. I too find it rediculous that the inmates have privilege to internet access.
FYI - Inmates DO NOT get access to the internet. They do, however, have access to phone which provides them access to the outside world. These inmates have people out in the community who monitor and add/delete to their web pages. The bottom line is that people could have been killed....lets focus on that and advocate she get the maximum amount of time possible.
well i think it's a shame and after everthing come to the end i hope she get enough time to think of what she has done or almost done.
Inmates do not have internet access. They have people on the outside do it for them. They simply write letters to friends to do it for them and then they receive responses via mail, which is allowed.
The inmates don't have access to the internet, they have others, usually pen pals or friends on the outside, post profiles for them.
She's kinda hot.
okay its understandable that it was a bad decision on her part, but you also have to think that he must have been manipulating her as well, and the only argument you people have is what "could have" happened.. yea she should be punished but not so far as to say "lock her away and throw away the key" she turned herself in, give her some credit
Inmates do not have internet access. They have people on the outside do it for them. They simply write letters to friends to do it for them and then they receive responses via mail, which is allowed.
He's jailed and looking for "women who are non-judgemental." Apparently he finds women who lack judgement attractive as well. The nurse is a nut to get involved with this guy. Did she not read up on his history? She should have notified authorities when he first suggested she help him escape. How did she ever get saw blades past security? They tightened up security at Logan for employees who have access to secure areas. I would have thought the prison system would have such a system in place from day 1.
inmates do not have access to internet they can mail out there profiles that's it.
She put everyone who works there's lives in danger as well as the public. She committed a felony and will have to suffer the consequences. He has already stabbed two officers. He would have killed many if he had the chance.
For the record there is NO internet access for the inmates in any Massachusetts County Jails or Massachusetts Department of Corrections Facilities. The inmates have people on the outside do it for them. They simply write letters to friends to do it for them and then they receive responses via mail, which is allowed. Cigarettes are banned and cell phone are NOT permitted by uniformed & non-uniformed staff inside. Donald Blakey A.K.A. Che Sosa has not only raped woman. He also raped (sodomized) a male inmate at a medium security facility. He really is one nasty hardcore criminal.
I worked with her at MCI Shirley, she has no self esteem and had major psychological issues. She was unprofessional there and this is not surprising in the least. There should be extensive psychological testing on all prospective employees and it should be especially stringent in the DCU unit.
Well she went to the police that counts for something. But she must have been seriously lonely to go for a guy in prison who has no chance of living a normal life beyond the bars of a cell. Furthermore for argument's sake, say he did escape. did she really think they would be able to have a normal relationship? He would be on the run. its surprising she is a nurse because her thinking was far from rationale.
The Department of Correction should be sued. I am an attorney who frequently visits clients at most of the Mass facilities Medium and Maximum. I have been the subject of scrutiny many times for the mere buttons on my shirt not being of "standard", and I personally on numerous occasions have had to be cleared by a shift commander for literally nonsense questionable reasons. As an attorney and an officer of Superior Court I have been treated like a criminal during the initial visit screening, yet this employee has the security clearance to GET THESE ITEMS IN? Lawsuit, please I'll file this one FOR $0
If anybody can help me it would be extremely appreciated. I'm the father of the 2 younger children. Just now learning how deep the rabbit hole goes on her alleged plot and get away. They are letting her out on 25k bail. I would think its a no brainer to have custody of my children,but living here in mass only proves otherwise. Any and all info/suggestions for my upcoming custody case would be bennifical.
thanks,
David
"The elaborate disguise included sunglasses, a wig, fingernail polish, makeup, what a prosecutor described as "latex skin,""............... Was she going to disguise him as Micheal Jackson?
hey David, no loyalty at all. What about innocent until proven guilty? Maybe just maybe there is more to this story. Won't you look like a fool. Shame on you!
bennificial????????? Ever think David you may of contributed to some of this ladies problems. We all know you cannot spell and is also quite obvious you are attempting to cash in on a very unfortunate situation.
so....To everyone who found this nurse guilty before hearing all the evidence.
news report tonight explains a little about what this woman went through w/ Mr Che Sosa. Being threatened is an under statement. This man had information about her children. That would terrify any mother. How were these letters given to her? How was the items handed to Sosa without being checked? Lets all not judge until all the evidence comes out. On another note, anyone wondering how her poor children are doing? I know I am, every single day.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
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