A career criminal with convictions dating back to the 1960s, including one for murder, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of Surendra Dangol, a Somerville man slain during the armed robbery of a Jamaica Plain convenience store, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

EDWARD CORLISS (D.O.B. 2/7/46) received the mandatory term for first-degree murder, the crime for which a Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted him Tuesday. First Assistant District Attorney Patrick Haggan recommended that it be ordered served from and after the life sentence Corliss is currently serving for a prior homicide; Judge Diane Kottmeyer denied that symbolic request. more »

The suspect in Braulio Gomez’ fatal shooting this summer claimed to be a member of the MS-13 street gang before shooting Gomez in the head for no apparent reason, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said in court today.

SANTOS PORTILLO (D.O.B. 7/4/90) of Chelsea was arraigned on a murder charge this morning in Chelsea District Court. Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis of Conley’s Homicide Unit recommended that he be held without bail pending trial; Judge James Wexler granted that request. more »

The suspect in this summer’s shooting death of 38-year-old Braulio Gomez is back in Massachusetts and expected to be arraigned on murder charges this morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes announced.

State Police homicide detectives assigned to Conley’s office and Chelsea Police detectives took custody of SANTOS PORTILLO (D.O.B. 7/4/90) yesterday in Columbus, Ohio, and flew back to Boston with him last night. He was booked at Chelsea Police headquarters and is scheduled to appear in Chelsea District Court later this morning. more »

A Roxbury man was arraigned today after he allegedly threw two of his wife’s kittens out of their second-floor window early this morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

THOMAS GONZALES (D.O.B. 5/28/64) was charged with animal cruelty and resisting arrest for his alleged actions inside the Blue Hill Avenue apartment he shares with his 48-year-old wife. Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Tynes, chief of Conley’s Roxbury District Court staff, recommended that he be held on $3,000 and have his open bail on an unrelated drug charge revoked; Judge David Weingarten set bail at $750 and declined to revoke Gonzales’ bail. more »

On the one month anniversary of Israel Sanchez’ death in a Chelsea hit-and-run, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Police Chief Brian Kyes today announced that the victim’s family had posted a reward for information on the incident.

“There’s already an undeniable moral reason for tipsters to come forward,” Conley said. “But this reward might help us identify the car that struck Mr. Sanchez and bring his loved ones some sense that justice will be done.”

Family photo of victim Israel Sanchez.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today joined local, state, and federal partners in unveiling a new advertising campaign drawing attention to young people exploited through human trafficking.

“Sexual trafficking exists because of a demand,” Conley said. “That demand is aided and abetted by websites and newspapers with ads for sexual services. As these posters make clear, those services are all too often coerced out of young teens, both boys and girls, who have been pressured, tricked, and even forced into a life that deprives them of choice and dignity.” more »

A killer free on parole for one shop clerk’s slaying was convicted today of another after a Suffolk Superior Court jury found him guilty of all charges in the 2009 shooting death of 39-year-old Surendra Dangol at a Jamaica Plain convenience store, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.
Jurors convicted EDWARD CORLISS (D.O.B. 2/7/46) of first-degree murder under the theories of deliberate premeditation and felony murder – homicide committed during the commission of a felony. Jurors additionally convicted him of armed robbery while masked and unlawful possession of a firearm for the Dec. 26, 2009, incident that claimed the Somerville man’s life.

“Surendra Dangol did everything we ask and recommend of a robbery victim,” Conley said. “He didn’t resist. He gave up everything he could. He kept his hands in the air and presented no threat. And this defendant shot him in the chest, killing a peaceful man from half a world away whose only goal was to build a better life for his family.” more »

Suffolk County homicide prosecutors today filed paperwork withdrawing charges against three men previously charged with murder after two witnesses critical to proving the case died in unrelated events.

A nolle prosequi – a legal document terminating prosecution – was filed in the case against JEMALD ALLEN (D.O.B. 8/5/78) of Roxbury; his nephew, RODERICK ALLEN (D.O.B. 2/14/85) of Mattapan; and ANTOIN FIELDS (D.O.B. 9/7/79) of Dorchester. The three were indicted early last year for the Sept. 4, 2004, shooting deaths of Angelo Henderson, Jaison Jenkins, and Anthony Williams after a cookout at Franklin Field. more »

The trial of two men charged with murdering a rival and an innocent bystander during a shootout near a Dorchester restaurant began with opening statements today.

“When the smoke cleared, Assistant District Attorney John Pappas told a Suffolk Superior Court jury, “two men shared one semiautomatic handgun and they were responsible for a spasm of violence that left two men dead.”

EMMANUEL PINA a.k.a. EMMANUEL DePINA (D.O.B. 4/25/83) and SANDRO TAVARES (D.O.B. 12/25/83), both of Dorchester, are charged with two counts of first-degree murder each, reflecting the Aug. 2, 2009, shooting deaths of Manuel Monteiro, 47, and Jovany Eason, 20, in the area around Ka’Carlos Bar and Grill, where Monteiro worked as a cook and Eason was a patron. more »

The state’s highest court yesterday affirmed a Franklin Hill gang member’s conviction for the murder of 18-year-old Francis Stephens and the near-fatal shooting of his friend more than a decade ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Supreme Judicial Court’s decision upholds the 2005 convictions of ANDRE “DRE ROCK” WALKER (D.O.B. 8/5/80) for first-degree murder in Stephens’ Sept. 16, 2000, shooting death and armed assault with intent to murder in the shooting of a second youth, then 19. Walker is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional six to eight years. more »

A South Boston man had 65-year-old Barbara Tagen’s blood on his shoes when they were seized at a substance abuse clinic last month, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said in court today.

Acting on a request by Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum of Conley’s Homicide Unit, South Boston District Court Judge Michael Bolden ordered ADAM J. CASSINO (D.O.B. 5/9/86) held without bail on a murder charge stemming from Tagen’s violent death in her Dorchester Street apartment. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today acquitted a Dorchester man in the fatal stabbing of Tai Yee during an argument over Yee’s former girlfriend last year.

THANH VAN TRUONG (D.O.B. 1/1/55) had been charged with second-degree murder for the June 8, 2010, incident that left Yee with stab wounds to his face, neck, arm, and chest, with the latter injury penetrating his liver. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Marian McGovern, and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, along with MBTA Transit Police and Boston University Police, today re-released the following information on four linked sexual assaults and safety tips for members of the general public. more »

A New Jersey man was held on high bail today after Massachusetts State Police arrested him at Logan Airport with more than $200,000 worth of cocaine tucked inside shoes in his checked baggage, Suffolk County District attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

CARLOS LANNS (D.O.B. 2/20/87) was arraigned today on a single count of trafficking in more than 200 grams of a Class B substance – specifically, 2.17 kilograms of cocaine, or more than 10 times the largest amount recognized under Massachusetts’ trafficking statute. more »

A suspect in two early morning assaults on women in Dorchester had his open bail revoked and was held on an additional $50,000 cash, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Judge Annette Forde imposed that order at the Dorchester District Court arraignment of WALTER MAINS (D.O.B. 2/12/80) for two Sunday morning incidents. In the first, Mains is charged with assault and annoying or accosting a person of the opposite sex; in the second, he is charged with armed robbery, assault with intent to rape, and indecent assault and battery. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes today announced the arrest of a suspect in the shooting death of Braulio Gomez in Chelsea earlier this summer.

Authorities in the State of Ohio arrested SANTOS PORTILLO (D.O.B. 7/4/90) last night just outside Columbus on a Massachusetts warrant charging him with murder. Portillo is expected to appear in a courthouse there next week; the date of his return to Massachusetts has not yet been scheduled. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced that his office would not seek criminal charges against any of the Boston Police and Department of Youth Services officers who arrested a then-16-year-old escapee on the campus of Roxbury Community College last year.

“After a comprehensive examination of all the evidence in this case … I have determined that the arresting officers did not use excessive force or engage in any actions that constitute criminal conduct,” Conley wrote in findings delivered today to Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and copied to Department of Youth Services Commissioner Jane Tewksbury. more »

On Oct. 22, 2010, Boston Police and Department of Youth Services officers arrested a 16-year-old male wanted for escaping DYS custody and other unrelated offenses. That arrest took place on the campus of Roxbury Community College, and portions of it were recorded by civilians. As each of you is well aware, those video clips were uploaded to the internet and distributed online and in the news media.

After viewing those clips, I directed senior prosecutors within my office to investigate the level of force used by police during that arrest to determine whether it was excessive and subject to criminal prosecution. Toward that end, we reviewed not only the video clips themselves but also the statements of some 30 civilian and police witnesses; all of the reports and transmissions associated with the arrest; the juvenile arrestee’s medical records; Boston Police rules, regulations, and training materials; and the findings of the Boston Police Internal Investigations Unit. more »

A man charged in the fatal stabbing of 22-year-old Justin Albert was held without bail at his arraignment this morning as authorities seek the public’s help in identifying other potential suspects, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

STEVEN ROLLEY, 29, is charged with murder for the South End man’s death after he was stabbed at about 12:45 this morning near the intersection of Tremont and Cunard streets. Roxbury District Court Judge Kenneth Fiandaca granted Assistant District Attorney Ursula Knight’s recommendation that he be held without bail pending trial. more »

More than 20 years after one of the bloodiest massacres in Boston’s history, the Supreme Judicial Court today upheld the convictions of two men for five counts of first-degree murder each, closing the book on a case that shocked the city, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

“The convictions of NAM THE THAM and SINY VAN TRAN meant justice for the five men whose lives they took so brutally,” Conley said. “Today, the state’s highest court ruled that those convictions were won fairly, honestly, and ethically under the law. From the initial investigation through the epic 2005 trial until the last word of the last appellate brief was filed, a generation of police and prosecutors worked tirelessly to reach this point. I hope the decision brings some sense of finality to all the families this case touched.” more »

A Roxbury man pleaded guilty today as his trial was scheduled to begin on charges that he murdered 13-year-old Luis Gerena, Jr., as part of a gang rivalry in which the slain boy had no part, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

NURUDEEN ALABI (D.O.B. 11/6/89) pleaded guilty to the crime of manslaughter, accepting a prison term of 17 years rather than face trial on the murder charge. He also pleaded guilty to related counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon, and intimidation of a witness for which he received five years of probation upon his release. He was ordered to stay away from and have no contact with the Gerena family, the intimidation victim, or any witnesses in the case during that time.
If he does not comply with those orders, or if he reoffends in those five years, he faces up to 15 additional years in prison, Conley said. more »

A Jamaica Plain youth was held on high bail after being charged with carrying and discharging an unlicensed handgun during his arrest by Boston Police yesterday, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

TYRE WADE (D.O.B. 10/27/91) was arraigned in Roxbury District Court on a nine-count complaint charging him with unlawful possession of a .22 caliber Ruger MK II semiautomatic handgun, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawfully discharging a firearm, and other offenses. In light of a 2009 conviction for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for which he served two years in jail, Wade is charged as a Level I armed career criminal. more »

Two alleged associates of the youth charged with murdering 18-year-old Alex Sierra were arraigned this morning for allegedly intimidating witnesses while waiting for his arraignment, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DERRICK HUNT (D.O.B. 4/15/90) of Roxbury and JOSE MAYSONET (D.O.B. 6/28/92) of Boston’s South End were both arraigned on witness intimidation charges at the Central Division of the Edward Brooke Courthouse – the same building in which their alleged cohorts, RICARDO ARIAS (D.O.B. 10/22/93) and a 16-YEAR-OLD JUVENILE, were arraigned in connection with Sierra’s Sept. 3 murder. more »

An Allston man who couldn’t resist nature’s call was arraigned yesterday for allegedly urinating out the window of a party bus travelling through Boston’s Back Bay, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ELAN ALEXENBERG (D.O.B. 3/4/90) was charged in the Boston Municipal Court with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct for his mid-morning antics. He was released without monetary bail. more »

Eighteen-year-old Alex Sierra was shot dead because he answered truthfully when asked where he lived, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said at his alleged killer’s arraignment today.

RICARDO ARIAS (D.O.B. 10/22/93) of Roslindale was arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court this afternoon on charges of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, Conley said. Acting on a request by Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis, Judge Annette Forde ordered him held without bail. more »

A Dorchester man is scheduled to face trial next year on a first-degree murder charge next year for the 2004 slaying of Julaine Jules, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

SHABAZZ AUGUSTINE (D.O.B. 2/19/79) was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court following his July 29 indictment by the Suffolk County Grand Jury. Clerk Magistrate Gary Wilson scheduled Augustine’s trial date for Sept. 4, 2012, and ordered Augustine held without bail, as he has been since his arrest earlier this summer. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes today asked for the public’s help in identifying a motor vehicle that struck and killed 39-year-old Israel Sanchez early Sunday morning.

Investigators believe Sanchez was walking north along Route 16 in Chelsea just before 12:30 a.m. when he crossed the roadway in the area of Washington Avenue. He crossed the eastbound lane without incident; he was struck by an unknown vehicle in the westbound lane, however, suffering mortal injuries. He was pronounced deceased at Massachusetts General Hospital. The vehicle continued travelling west without stopping. more »