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ATTLEBORO - A suspect police say is the mastermind behind the largest jewelry heist in the city's history has been arrested along with two women on Boston's North Shore in an intensive investigation by local and state police and the FBI's Boston Robbery Task Force.

Sean D. Murphy, 44, of Lynn, who police say organized the break-in discovered June 8 at E.A. Dion Inc., is being held in jail without bail. He faces arraignment Monday in Lynn District Court on charges of receiving stolen property and possession of a counterfeit license.

Attleboro police have charged Murphy with breaking and entering, larceny and possession of burglar's tools. He faces arraignment in Attleboro District Court, possibly this week.

An estimated $2 million in jewelry, gold and diamonds, including New York Giants Super Bowl rings, were stolen from the E.A. Dion plant at 33 Franklin McKay Drive, in Attleboro, after thieves disabled the building's alarm and cut a hole in the roof and took a 1,000-pound safe.

Murphy was arrested Friday at his condominium at 407 Walnut St., in Lynn, where state police executed a search warrant with the assistance of police from Attleboro, Lynn and Peabody and federal agents. Authorities say they seized 12 gold rings - including a demo Super Bowl ring - gems and coins connected to the theft, and estimated at least $100,000.

Arrested with Murphy was his girlfriend, whose name was not immediately available. Also arrested was Kristen A. Sullivan, of Saugus, who police say was wearing a gold ring and a 1.5 karat diamond believed to be linked to the theft.

The women were charged with receiving stolen property and face arraignment Monday in Lynn District Court, but were not tied directly to the E.A. Dion break-in.

Additional evidence, including documents and receipts police say are tied to the theft, were found when police executed search warrants for Murphy's vehicles and business, North Shore Movers in Lynn.

Among the documents seized from Murphy by police were papers with descriptions of various business staked out for potential break-ins and receipts for gold he sold, police said.

"There were descriptions of buildings all over Southeastern Massachusetts," said Attleboro Detective Richard Campion, one of the lead investigators.

Campion worked with lead investigators with detectives James Cote and Russell Castro, who were assisted by Detective Jeffrey Peavey.

Murphy's arrest is a major development in a continuing investigation into the daring break-in uncovered by an employee who went to the plant when she could not access her company e-mail account from home.

"We've been in contact with the FBI all along when this happened," Campion said Saturday.

Campion said local detectives met this past week with state police, the FBI and detectives from Lynn and Peabody to compare information gathered during the investigation. Campion said Murphy has a long criminal record involving similar thefts and has been eyed as a suspect in the break-in shortly after it happened.

Authorities executed a total of 10 search warrants at various places in Lynn and Peabody.

Also assisting in the raids were agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives and police from Swampscott.

Despite the break-in and theft, Company President Edward "Ted" Dion Jr. said at the time that the crime only briefly hampered operations.

While many jewelry manufacturers in the city have either moved or gone out of business, the family-owned E.A. Dion company celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007, in part by transforming its business.

DAVID LINTON can be reached at 508-236-0338 or at dlinton@thesunchronicle.com.