A serial offender with a history of breaking into businesses in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood is facing new charges after yet more commercial break-ins in the same area — less than 10 days after he was released from jail on probation.
James Schaff, 59, has been charged with breaking and entering during the nighttime, larceny from a building, and common and notorious thief, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
“This man wasted no time returning to the conduct that has become a quality-of-life detriment to the residents and merchants in and around Beacon Hill,” DA Kevin Hayden said in a statement. “Luckily for everyone, officers were just as quick to identify and apprehend him.”
Officials say Schaff was released from the Suffolk House of Correction on May 11 after serving a six-month sentence for two 2023 break-ins in Beacon Hill. Schaff, who has a 24-page criminal record dating back to 1998, is on probation until February 2027.
Over on Beacon Hill, multiple businesses were broken into overnight and the suspect was caught in the act by Boston police.
The new charges against Schaff stem from a series of commercial break-ins along Charles Street around 2:15 a.m. on May 20. Boston police say four businesses were targeted within an 18-minute window, with incidents reported between Revere Street and Mt. Vernon Street.
Officers responding to commercial alarm activations found there was forced entry with broken panes of glass at the following locations: 63A Charles Street (Soodee Boutique), 75 Charles Street (Sloane Merrill Gallery), 105 Charles Street (Avigail Adam Jewelry), and 109 Charles Street (Covet Consignment). Investigators processed all four scenes, collecting evidence and photography. A police K9 unit swept the area but was unable to find the suspect.
The owner of Avigail Adam Jewelry provided police with the store’s surveillance footage which showed an unknown male, later identified as Schaff, punch out a glass door pane, reach inside to manipulate the deadbolt, open the door, and head straight to the cash register, taking $152 in cash, officials said.
The owner, Avigail Adam, tells NBC10 Boston that the police stayed at the store until they were able to get an emergency repair guy to come fix the window.
“It’s very violating, it’s not a good feeling,” Avigail Adam said of what happened at her jewelry store. The video she provided police shows Schaff was allegedly in and out in less than a minute, with cash in hand.
“He should be locked up forever. After two years he come back,” said Tserang Sangpo, who owns Tibet Emporium, which he says had a window broken by Schaff in 2024.
Tibet Emporium is located right next door to Avigail Adam Jewelry, which was hit by Schaff last week, in addition to Soodee Boutique, which was also robbed nearly three years ago.
Adam says Schaff created $1,000 worth in damage at her store, on top of the cash he stole.
“It’s this specific guy’s issue I don’t think it’s a Beacon Hill issue,” she said. “Part of the charm of Beacon Hill is that safe feeling that people don’t have to over guard their stores and everything.”
Officers were able to identify Schaff from still images and incident descriptions that were disseminated department wide after the break-ins, and detectives were able to corroborate his presence in the area around the time of the incidents. They also identified a prior pattern of similar commercial break-ins along the same stretch of Charles Street, and subsequently obtained a warrant for Schaff’s arrest.
Police said they found Schaff around 2:07 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, in Dewey Square at the intersection of Summer Street and Atlantic Avenue. He was arrested without incident and transported to the Nashua Street jail.
At his Boston Municipal Court arraignment this week, Schaff’s bail was set at $1,000, and the judge ordered him to be held pending a violation hearing on June 25. Attorney information wasn’t immediately available.