Members of Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s Homicide Unit gave closing arguments and opening statements in two unrelated murder trials today, with one case going to a jury and another getting under way.

Assistant District Attorney David Fredette this morning told jurors in the trial of GREGORIO “MIKEY” LOPEZ (D.O.B. 9/3/90) that Lopez had time to contemplate his actions when he shot 32-year-old Shoughan Morgan to death in the early morning of March 11, 2009. Morgan was the ex-boyfriend of Lopez’ girlfriend, in whose Mozart Street home the incident took place; Morgan came to visit that young woman but found Lopez instead, sparking a verbal altercation. more »

An alleged serial rapist was identified when one of his victims had the presence of mind to note his license plate number and provide it to Chelsea Police, leading to his identification in four other attacks, Suffolk County District attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

JOSE S. CASTILLO (D.O.B. 5/17/76) of Chelsea was arraigned this morning in Suffolk Superior Court on seven counts of aggravated rape, four counts of indecent assault and battery, and a series of related offenses. The indictments, returned May 18 by the Suffolk County Grand Jury, charge Castillo with the rapes and attempted rapes of five different women in Chelsea last fall. more »

A 17-year-old student was held on $25,000 cash bail for allegedly bringing a loaded gun to school with him yesterday, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

BRENDAN CAMPBELL (D.O.B. 8/15/92) of Roxbury was arraigned in East Boston District Court today on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm, unlawfully carrying a firearm on school grounds, unlawful possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, and trespassing. more »

A Dorchester teen was formally charged today with ending a May 7 physical confrontation with a bullet to his opponent’s chest, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

NHU NGUYEN (D.O.B. 5/5/92) is charged with a single count of murder for the shooting death of 19-year-old Derek Matulina at an MBTA Red Line station. Dorchester District Court Judge James Coffey ordered Nguyen held without bail and ordered him to return to court on June 21. more »

A former Cambridge resident was taken into custody today following his arraignment on charges that he used his position as a payroll contractor to steal three-quarters of a million dollars from a health care center that served some of the city’s poorest residents, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The target of an 18-count indictment charging him with stealing $750,000 from the Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center, NZERIBE McKENZIE (D.O.B. 1/24/78) was handcuffed at his arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court and held in lieu of $7,500 cash bail. more »

An East Boston teen walked into a Boston Police station early this morning to admit strangling a man found dead in a Saratoga Street blaze Monday, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said during his arraignment on murder charges today.

MARCO TULIO FLORES (D.O.B. 10/3/93) of East Boston is charged with murder in connection with the adult male’s death Sunday night or yesterday morning. The victim’s name and age are being withheld until investigators can conclusively determine them. more »

A Saugus man will serve up to five years in state prison for stabbing an off-duty bartender during a failed robbery at a Revere gas station last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

SCOTT L. PARADIS (D.O.B. 5/28/87) pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of armed assault with intent to rob, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery for the March 18, 2010, incident on Broadway. more »

A Wellesley woman pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault charges today, taking responsibility for the death of an unborn fetus rather than face trial, Suffolk County District attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

AYANNA WOODHOUSE (D.O.B. 3/16/85) admitted to beating a 26-year-old woman who was six months pregnant in a Dorchester nail salon on the evening of April 10, 2010. The expecting mother was hospitalized later that night; the baby girl was delivered by emergency Cesarean section early the next morning but was stillborn. more »

The man charged with murdering 32-year-old Shoughan Morgan argued with him, left the scene, returned with a shotgun, and fired it into his torso, killing him, a Suffolk County prosecutor said during opening statements in the man’s murder trial today.

GREGORIO “MIKEY” LOPEZ (D.O.B. 9/3/90) of Dorchester is charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for the 2009 incident at Lopez’ girlfriend’s Jamaica Plain home. That woman was Morgan’s ex-girlfriend. more »

A Saugus man wanted for deserting the U.S. Army was arraigned today for allegedly dragging a puppy down a Revere street, leaving its little paws so raw that one of them was bleeding, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ROBERT H. DAMBRA, Jr. (D.O.B. 2/5/81), a private first class on active duty, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court today on an animal cruelty charge for allegedly dragging the small dog by its leash yesterday evening. After speaking with the U.S. Army Deserter Information Point in Fort Knox, Kentucky, to confirm that he was wanted for desertion, Assistant District Attorney Nick Brandt recommended that Dambra be held without bail. more »

A Randolph man was held on $250,000 cash bail today following his arraignment for allegedly stabbing another man to death during an altercation that erupted as the victim kicked and punched at his car, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Boston Municipal Court Judge imposed that bail for DARRYL MITCHELL (D.O.B. 3/13/87), who surrendered himself yesterday to Boston Police after they obtained a warrant charging him with the May 15 death of 29-year-old Andrew Wyman. more »

Two men were arraigned in Suffolk County courtrooms today for unrelated Boston homicides that occurred more than 20 years apart, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

“Some cases are built in a period of days and some over decades,” Conley said. “But no matter when they occur, each one has the full attention of committed detectives and driven prosecutors who refuse to let go when there’s a chance of finding justice.” more »

More than 20 years after Richard Gleason was stabbed to death in Dorchester, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced the indictment and arrest of a former neighborhood resident for his homicide.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury on March 28 returned an indictment charging EUGENE SUTTON (D.O.B. 5/16/65) with first-degree murder for Gleason’s May 16, 1989, slaying inside a School Street apartment then frequented by crack cocaine users. Sutton will be arraigned at 2:30 this afternoon in the Magistrate’s Session of Suffolk Superior Court. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today urged Massachusetts lawmakers to adopt statewide his policy of dismissing charges against minors arrested in prostitution cases, even as a South End man was being arraigned across town for trying to solicit sex from a 14-year-old girl in exchange for money.

Conley testified this afternoon before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in support of a bill he filed in January that would mandate the termination of criminal charges against juveniles arrested in sex-for-fee cases and instead refer them to service providers – a policy he implemented locally five years ago after launching the program now known as Support to End Exploitation Now, or SEEN, in partnership with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County. more »

A Massachusetts College of Art student faces a list charges after Boston Police investigating a BB gun discharge discovered a stash of marijuana and ecstasy in his apartment earlier this month, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

NICHOLAS FORD (D.O.B. 9/15/88) of Allston was arraigned May 6 in Brighton District Court for possession of Class B and Class D substances with intent to distribute, unlawful discharge of a BB gun, and two counts of malicious destruction of property over $250. Judge David T. Donnelly set bail at $2500. more »

The South End drug dealer who killed Tommy Speed in the hallway of the Lenox Street housing development two years ago was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Jurors convicted GARRETT “G-WHIZ” JACKSON (D.O.B. 7/13/87) of first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm after about six hours of deliberations throughout yesterday and today. more »

Mere hours after a Suffolk County prosecutor outlined the case against him, a Roxbury gang member charged in the 2007 fatal shooting of Luis Gerena, Jr., took responsibility for his actions and accepted a lengthy state prison term, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

In a hearing this afternoon, DARRELL RODRIGUES (D.O.B. 5/24/90) pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, unlawful possession of a firearm, assault and battery on a witness in the case, and intimidation of a witness. Superior Court Judge Judith Fabricant sentenced Rodrigues to serve 14 to 15 years in state prison followed by five years of probation. more »

A two-month investigation in the Suffolk County Grand Jury led to additional charges against a Quincy man already accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl in his care, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced today.

In a six-count indictment returned May 6, SERGIO LARA (D.O.B. 7/10/57) is charged with rape of that 5-year-old child, indecent assault and battery on a second 5-year-old child, and two counts each of disseminating matter harmful to minors and open and gross lewdness for incidents involving two boys, ages 8 and 9. He was arraigned on those charges this morning in Suffolk Superior Court and held without bail pending a bail review sought by his attorney. more »

The man charged with shooting Tommy Speed to death in a hallway of the Lenox Street Housing Development two years ago had a motive and a plan to kill the rival drug dealer, a Suffolk County prosecutor told Superior Court jurors this morning in his closing argument.

Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin told the court that GARRETT “G-WHIZ” JACKSON (D.O.B. 7/13/87) had “a purpose and a plan” when he tracked Speed down, put a gun to the back of his head, and “executed his competitor.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, other law enforcement officials, and service providers for those victimized by the commercial sex trade will brief House lawmakers tomorrow in support of proposed legislation targeting human trafficking.

Representatives Elizabeth Malia and Martin Walsh, who called for the discussion, will host the event in Room B-1 of the State House beginning at 10:30 tomorrow morning.

In 2004, Conley and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County launched the Teen Prostitution Prevention Project – now known as Support to End Exploitation Now (SEEN) – and implemented a policy of terminating the prosecution of minors arrested in sex-for-fee cases to divert those exploited youth away from pimps and johns. In January, he filed a bill that would expand that “safe harbor” policy of treating prostituted youth as victims, rather than offenders, statewide. more »

A pair of alleged gang members shot 13-year-old Luis Gerena, Jr., dead after plotting to shoot the first person they saw who looked like a member of a rival group, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said in opening statements today.

DARRELL RODRGUES (D.O.B. 5/24/90) of Roxbury is charged with first-degree murder for his role in Gerena’s 2007 slaying. He is additionally charged with unlawful possession of the .32 caliber semiautomatic handgun used to kill him, assault and battery on a witness in the case, and intimidation of a witness. Today marked the first day of his trial in Suffolk Superior Court. more »

An alleged drug dealer’s mother inadvertently handed Boston Police more evidence against him when she provided them with a pair of his pants following his arrest, not knowing they contained 24 bags of cocaine and heroin, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

After arresting TRAVIS CURRY (D.O.B. 9/16/85) in a hand-to-hand plainclothes narcotics transaction in the foyer of his Tremont Street apartment building on the chilly afternoon of Feb. 9, Boston Police were approached by his mother. Because Curry was wearing shorts at the time, the officers asked her if she wanted to retrieve some warmer clothes for him to wear back to District B-2. more »

A Dorchester man was held on $5,000 cash bail today following his arraignment for allegedly sneaking into the women’s restroom at the Boston Public Library and peeking into an occupied stall, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said, but even if the defendant posts that amount he’ll be held for violating the terms of his ongoing probation.

JOSEPH D. BANKS (D.O.B. 6/20/63) was arraigned on charges of lewd, wanton, and lascivious conduct, disorderly conduct, and trespassing. Assistant District Attorney Spencer Lord recommended that he be held on $7,500 cash bail; Boston Municipal Court Judge Thomas C. Horgan set bail in the lower amount but ordered Banks held pending a probation surrender hearing in connection with 2010 assault and larceny convictions. more »

Further investigation by the Suffolk County Grand Jury resulted in murder charges against a man once charged as an accessory to Cordell McAfee’s murder last year, and both he and another defendant are now held without bail, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

LAVONRENCE PERKINS (D.O.B. 3/26/90) of Mattapan and ADAM SIMKINS (D.O.B. 10/10/88) of Dorchester were arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court today following their indictments on first-degree murder and related charges for McAfee’s May 7, 2010, shooting death. Both were ordered held without bail. more »

A former employee of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took responsibility this morning for setting a fire that caused no deaths or injuries but seriously damaged the nonprofit organization’s animal hospital last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

WILLIAM FITZGERALD (D.O.B. 4/19/58) of Plymouth pleaded guilty to arson and causing injury to a firefighter for setting fire to the MSPCA-Angell Memorial Animal Hospital on South Huntington Avenue late in the evening of Feb. 19, 2010. more »

A Lawrence man was arraigned on burglary charges this week for allegedly breaking into a Brighton school, only to be detained by students while his alleged cohorts bolted from the scene without him, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSEPH BERRIO (D.O.B. 3/12/90) of Lawrence was arrested Saturday and arraigned yesterday in Brighton District Court. Assistant District Attorney Sulynn Walton recommended that he be held on $500 cash bail; Judge David T. Donnelly set bail at $200. more »

A Buzzards Bay man fled a motor vehicle stop in Boston and led police on a high speed chase before being apprehended almost 30 miles away in West Bridgewater, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said at the defendant’s arraignment today.

WILLIAM MONOPOLI (D.O.B. 9/17/84) was arraigned in Dorchester District Court this morning on a litany of charges stemming from Friday afternoon’s chase. Those charges included operating with a suspended license, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, resisting arrest, possession of a Class A substance, and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. more »

An 18-year-old inmate at a Department of Youth Services center was ordered held for allegedly stomping a worker there after a younger inmate punched him so hard he fell to the floor and lost consciousness during a February incident that led to new charges against both of them, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

KENNY LAMOUR (D.O.B. 10/15/93), a resident at the John J. Connelly Youth Center in Roslindale, was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court following his indictment on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for the Feb. 14 incident that left a worker there with serious injuries.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Zanini, chief of Conley’s Juvenile Unit, recommended that he be held on $10,000 cash bail; Clerk Magistrate Gary D. Wilson imposed that amount. more »

The Dorchester woman who allegedly stabbed her boyfriend to death earlier this year told Boston Police homicide detectives that he “ran into the knife” as she held it during an argument in her apartment, a Suffolk County prosecutor said today.

CHERRY CLINTON (D.O.B. 2/28/82) was indicted last month on a single count of second-degree murder for the Feb. 25 stabbing death of 23-year-old Lancelot Reid. She had been in custody since her arrest the same day; at her Superior Court arraignment today, Clerk Magistrate Gary Wilson set her bail at $250,000, the amount recommended by Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum. more »

The shooting death of Tommy Speed in the hallway of the Lenox Street Housing Development two years ago was part of a rival drug dealer’s “business plan,” the top homicide prosecutor in Suffolk County said today at the start of that man’s murder trial.

GARRETT “G-WHIZ” JACKSON (D.O.B. 7/13/87) is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Speed in the back of the head on the night of Feb. 11, 2009 – an act, Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin said, that was committed to “eliminate the competition.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today named Assistant District Attorney John P. Pappas as his new chief trial counsel, making the longtime homicide prosecutor the senior strategist in litigating more than 40,000 criminal cases per year in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop.

“John Pappas exemplifies the qualities I look for in a prosecutor,” Conley said of the lifelong Boston resident. “He’s fair, honest, and team-oriented. He has an exceptional command of criminal law and has excelled in every position he’s held throughout almost 20 years of public service.” more »

The Chelsea man who stabbed his roommate to death last year was sentenced to the maximum term for voluntary manslaughter today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Thomas Connolly imposed a term of 17 to 20 years in state prison on MARVIN RUANO GARCIA (D.O.B. 4/28/85) for the Jan. 5, 2010, slaying of 50-year-old Israel Vasquez in the Grove Street apartment they shared. Assistant District Attorney John Pappas had recommended a term of 19 to 20 years. more »

The Quincy man charged with bringing a gun to Roxbury court for an associate’s arraignment on his own gun charges has been indicted and will appear Friday in Suffolk Superior Court, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury yesterday returned indictments charging JAQUAN BENNETT (D.O.B. 6/6/91) with unlawful possession of a firearm as a second or subsequent offense, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm. more »

Two young men and a juvenile were arraigned today in connection with a near-fatal stabbing last week in the heart of downtown Boston that left a portion of the nation’s oldest city park sealed off with crime scene tape, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOHNNIE BONNIE (D.O.B. 6/28/92), JERMAINE GILLESPIE (D.O.B. 10/28/93), and a 15-YEAR-OLD MALE who is not being identified because he is a juvenile were all charged this morning with armed assault with intent to murder for their alleged roles in the incident, which unfolded near the intersection of Tremont and Park streets as rush hour began Friday evening. more »

Two men were arraigned on murder charges in Suffolk Superior Court today in connection with unrelated homicides they allegedly committed in Boston during the summer of 2009, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JORGE MERINO (D.O.B. 11/8/80) of East Boston was formally charged this morning with first-degree murder for the July 26, 2009, stabbing death of 33-year-old Jose Joaquin Ramirez, and AMOS “ACE” DON (D.O.B. 3/11/86) of Dorchester was arraigned a few hours later on the same charge for the shooting death of Erica Field, 29, in a Norwell Street truck storage lot on Aug. 25, 2009. more »