A brother and sister were arraigned today after a search warrant turned up a handgun, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and several bags of crack cocaine in their apartment, where two children had been left to their own devices, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOHNNY LACOURT (D.O.B. 11/1/77) was arraigned in Dorchester District Court this morning on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute. Because of prior gun and assault convictions, LaCourt was charged as a Level III armed career criminal. Prosecutors recommended that he be held on $75,000 cash bail; Judge Kenneth Desmond set bail at $50,000. more »

A Dorchester man with one gun conviction to his credit and an Everett associate with multiple drug convictions were held on $75,000 cash bail each this week following their arraignments for sharing possession of three unregistered handguns, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

EMMANUEL JEUDI (D.O.B. 3/26/85) and ROBENS PIERRE (D.O.B. 9/3/89) were arraigned Wednesday in Dorchester District Court on three counts each of unlawful possession of a firearm. Jeudi, who served a year behind bars for that offense following a 2005 gun arrest, was additionally charged with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute. Pierre was additionally charged as a Level I armed career criminal because of 2008 convictions for possession of Class B and Class D substances with intent to distribute. more »

A Mattapan man was held without bail today on charges that he murdered 24-year-old Billie Kee and her boyfriend, 32-year-old Kevin Thomas, in their Hyde Park apartment this summer, and his co-defendant is expected to face identical charges tomorrow, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MICHAEL T. CORBIN (D.O.B. 11/10/78) was arraigned in West Roxbury District Court this afternoon on two counts of murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. Assistant District Attorney John Pappas, Conley’s chief trial counsel, recommended that he be held without bail. Judge Mary Ann Driscoll granted that request. more »

A Dedham man charged with killing his 26-year-old female passenger in a weekend car crash was arraigned yesterday in a hospital bed just blocks from the crash site, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ROBINSON AVENDANO (D.O.B. 11/7/72), currently an inpatient at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was formally charged yesterday with motor vehicle homicide, operating under the influence of alcohol, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Assistant District Attorney Edward Curley recommended that Avendano be held on $250,000 cash bail. Roxbury District Court Judge Pamela Dashiell set bail at $100,000 cash, ordering Avendano to live with his mother, abide by a 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew, submit to random alcohol testing, and report weekly to a probation officer if he posts that amount. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office moved to hold a 14-year-old Roxbury youth without bail after he allegedly brought a loaded handgun into a Boston high school while awaiting trial on one robbery offense and on probation for another.

Assistant District Attorney Lindsey Weinstein of Conley’s West Roxbury District Court staff moved to hold the MALE JUVENILE pending a so-called “dangerousness hearing” under Ch. 276, Sect. 58A, of the Massachusetts General Laws. That statute allows a judge to hold a defendant accused of certain violent crimes without bail for up to 90 days pending trial upon “clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.” more »

A man who renounced his Pakistani citizenship while living in the United Kingdom only to be expelled from that nation for a string of larcenies was convicted of similar offenses in Boston this week and sentenced to five years in prison, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ASAD REZVI (D.O.B. 5/30/55) of Salem was convicted yesterday of two counts of larceny over $250 and one count of larceny under $250 for the thefts of computer equipment from Massachusetts General Hospital in February and April 2008. In light of a nine-page record with convictions for other theft-related offenses, Assistant District Attorney Megan O’Rourke recommended that he be sentenced as a common and notorious thief under Ch. 266, Sect. 40, of the Massachusetts General Laws, which would expose him to sentences up to 20 years in state prison. more »

A man living in a Dewey Square tent and his female associate were arraigned this morning in the Boston Municipal Court for their alleged roles in selling heroin to an undercover police officer.

ISSAC BELL (D.O.B. 6/1/77), a Roxbury resident who told officers he moved into a tent on the Rose Kennedy Greenway three weeks ago, and CHARLENE DUMONT (D.O.B. 4/13/80) with no fixed address, were each charged with single counts of distribution of a Class A drug, conspiracy to violate drug laws, possession of a Class A drug, and two counts each of a drug violation within 1,000 feet of a school or park. Bell was additionally charged with distribution of a Class A drug as a subsequent offense. more »

State Police detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office are investigating three unrelated overnight crashes in Boston and Revere that left two people dead and three injured.

Members of the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit – who have jurisdiction over death investigations in Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, along with State roadways within the City of Boston – responded to the area of 270 Broadway in Revere for a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle at about 11:00 p.m. more »

Authorities have identified the woman who died in the Charles River early Thursday morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Several members of the public contacted State Police General Headquarters and members of the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit yesterday after seeing media reports describing the appearance and clothing of the deceased. Based on those tips, State Police detectives assigned to Conley’s office made contact with the woman’s family. A positive identification was made late yesterday. more »

A B&E suspect brought skepticism on his claimed ownership of an iPod when he mistook a 15-time Grammy Award winner and American music icon for a girl who lives on Centre Street, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said.

DEJONTRE BELL (D.O.B. 5/11/94) of Roxbury is charged with breaking and entering into a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property for an incident earlier this month in which he allegedly gained unlawful access to a parked car; a search of his bag soon turned up items allegedly stolen from that vehicle, as well as an iPod full of songs by artists whose name he didn’t recognize. more »

One of two Mattapan men accused of murdering 49-year-old Brenda Pawlowski in Jamaica Plain was held without bail at his arraignment today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

West Roxbury District Court Judge Mary Ann Driscoll ordered CHRISTOPHER HOWARD (D.O.B. 6/18/82) held without bail at the request of Assistant District Attorney Ursula Knight. Howard and LARRY PACK (D.O.B. 5/3/82) are accused of shooting Pawlowski to death on the morning of Feb. 8 in an area behind 21 Kenney St. more »

State Police detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a woman who died in the Charles River early this morning.

Members of the State Police Underwater Recovery Unit and uniformed troopers assigned to Troop H responded to the Harvard Bridge, which traverses the Charles River along Massachusetts Avenue, following a 6:20 a.m. eyewitness report of a woman who had jumped into the water. The woman’s remains were recovered a short time later. more »

A repeat drunk driver with multiple aliases was ordered held on high bail at his arraignment Tuesday in Suffolk Superior Court, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

NEFTALI PASTRANA (D.O.B. 8/24/53) was indicted Aug. 9 on a charge of operating under the influence of liquor as a fifth or subsequent offense and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, but eluded authorities until last week when Boston Police arrested him. Pastrana, who has previously been convicted of OUI offenses in Marlboro and Framingham District Courts, was ordered held on $10,000 cash bail. more »

A Medford man was arraigned in his hospital bed today on charges that he sparked an early morning conflagration that injured at least a dozen people and caused at least $4 million in property damages that left multiple homes unsafe for habitation, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ABDUL JABAR MOHAMED (D.O.B. 1/1/83) was charged with assault with intent to murder, arson of a dwelling, igniting a destructive device or substance, malicious destruction of property, and causing injury to a firefighter. Assistant District Attorney Dana Pierce of Conley’s Senior Trial Unit recommended that he be held on half a million dollars’ cash bail; Judge David Weingarten set bail at $100,000. more »

A Mattapan man was sentenced to jail time yesterday after a Suffolk County Gun Court jury convicted him of firearm offenses after rejecting the defendant’s claim that the gun was not a working firearm.

CHRISTOPHER RICHARDSON (D.O.B. 8/11/87) was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm without a license in the Suffolk County Firearm Priority Disposition Session, more commonly known as Gun Court. more »

A man who allegedly broke into the Boston Tea Party Museum construction site and stole its American flag was arraigned on breaking and entering charges yesterday, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JAMIE ALENSKIS (D.O.B. 11/4/62) is charged with breaking into the Congress Street work site just before 5:30 Sunday evening, climbing to the top of the building, and stealing the American flag from its top before fleeing on foot. South Boston District Court Judge Michael Bolden ordered him held on $750 cash bail. more »

George “Jeffrey” Thompson was remembered today as a father, stepfather, son, and brother who shined like a jewel in his close-knit family until a Dorchester man shot him to death in his Rosseter Street home early last year.

Thompson’s killer, OMAY TAVARES (D.O.B. 4/24/89), was sentenced today to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the mandatory sentence for his conviction yesterday for Thompson’s first-degree murder, plus concurrent sentences for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. more »

A preliminary autopsy has revealed no signs of physical trauma or sexual assault on a Chelsea woman whose remains were found near a highway onramp this weekend, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes said today.

State Police homicide detectives assigned to Conley’s office and Chelsea Police detectives continue to investigate the 48-year-old woman’s death. Her body was found Saturday near the ramp leading from Route 1 southbound onto Route 16 westbound. There were no immediate signs of violence at the scene. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted a Dorchester man of murder for the shooting death of George “Jeffrey” Thompson last year, reaching its verdict just a few hours into deliberations, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Jurors found OMAY TAVARES (D.O.B. 4/24/89) guilty of first-degree murder under the theories of deliberate premeditation and extreme atrocity or cruelty. Tavares faces a mandatory life term without the possibility of parole at a sentencing hearing tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 808.
“We hope this verdict allows Mr. Thompson’s family some sense of satisfaction,” Conley said. “The evidence was clear and the testimony conclusive. This was the cold-blooded murder of an unarmed man who posed no threat to his assailant. If there can be closure for those who loved him, perhaps it can begin here.” more »

A former Roxbury man who for 15 years eluded identification as a violent rapist was sentenced to three decades in prison today after pleading guilty to aggravated rape, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DOWARD FORBES (D.O.B. 12/30/65) admitted to breaking into a 21-year-old Back Bay woman’s Beacon Street home, beating her, and raping her in the early morning hours of Sept. 6, 1992. The case went unsolved until 2009, when Forbes was identified with the help of a DNA database. more »

George “Jeffrey” Thompson’s killer left “a trail of evidence before the murder, during the murder, and after the murder” leading ineluctably to the man on trial for his homicide, a Suffolk County prosecutor said during her closing argument today.

OMAY TAVARES (D.O.B. 4/24/89) of Dorchester is charged with first-degree murder for Thompson’s Jan. 7, 2010, shooting death inside Thompson’s Rosseter Street home. Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren of District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office spoke this morning and his trial neared its end. more »

A South End man has been held without bail following his arrest in Texas and arraignment in a Boston courtroom for the shooting death of Raymond Lemar earlier this summer, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Acting on a request by Assistant District Attorney Masai-Maliek King, Boston Municipal Court Judge Franco Gobourne ordered ANTHONY THAMES (D.O.B. 2/22/83) held without bail pending trial. Thames was arraigned this morning on charges of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. more »

A woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend was arrested after she showed up allegedly intoxicated and shouted at a police officer to move his cruiser so she could park her car, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DIANE AMBROSO (D.O.B. 10/4/60), who claimed residence in both Revere and Malden, was arraigned yesterday in Chelsea District Court on charges of armed assault with intent to murder a person over 60, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, operating under the influence as a second offense, and motor vehicle offenses. Prosecutors recommended that she be held on $5000 cash bail; Judge D. Dunbar Livingston set bail at $500. more »

A woman living with her ex-boyfriend has been charged with setting his apartment on fire, sparking a blaze that caused $300,000 in damages and sent four firefighters to the hospital, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Prosecutors recommended that TINA FARULLA (D.O.B. 9/14/87) be held on $50,000 cash bail at her East Boston District Court arraignment yesterday on arson charges stemming from the Oct. 8 conflagration at 165 Coleridge St. Judge Roberto Ronquillo, Jr., set bail at $5,000. more »

Almost six dozen arrestees from last night’s protest at Dewey Square appeared in the Boston Municipal Court today, with the vast majority of them accepting Suffolk prosecutors’ offers to resolve their cases civilly, a small number refusing that offer and insisting on criminal prosecution, and some being arraigned in the usual manner because of prior criminal records, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. more »

Two Dorchester men were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today for shooting an innocent bystander to death with a bullet meant for their rival, whom they also killed, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Suffolk Chief Trial Counsel John Pappas recommended that EMMANUEL PINA a.k.a. EMMANUEL DePINA (D.O.B. 4/25/83) and SANDRO TAVARES (D.O.B. 12/25/83) serve two consecutive life terms each, representing the 2009 murders of Manuel Monteiro, 47, and Jovany Eason, 20, in Dorchester. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Donovan sentenced them to concurrent terms, with an additional concurrent four to five year term for unlawful possession of the firearm used in the Aug. 2, 2009 slayings. more »

The trial of a Dorchester man charged with shooting George “Jeffrey” Thompson to death inside the his Rosseter Street apartment last year got under way with lawyers’ opening statements this morning.

When police officers and emergency personnel entered the victim’s apartment following his Jan. 7, 2010, homicide, Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren said, “They found Mr. Thompson’s lifeless body face down in the kitchen with a gunshot to the back of the head and blood seeping from his torso.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the convictions of two Dorchester men for the murders of Manuel Monteiro and Jovany Eason during a shootout two years ago near the Dorchester restaurant where Monteiro worked as a cook.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted EMMANUEL PINA a.k.a. EMMANUEL DePINA (D.O.B. 4/25/83) and SANDRO TAVARES (D.O.B. 12/25/83) of two counts of first-degree murder for their roles in the Aug. 2, 2009, slayings outside Ka’Carlos Bar and Grill on Hancock Street. Jurors acquitted Pina of shooting a third victim who survived his injuries. more »

A Hingham man will serve at least a year and a half behind bars for beating a US Navy veteran outside a party in West Roxbury last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Assistant District Attorney Melissa Brooks of Conley’s Major Felony Bureau recommended that THOMAS McCANN (D.O.B. 4/3/84) serve three to five years in state prison following his conviction Tuesday for assault and battery causing serious bodily injury. more »

Two men charged in separate homicides this June remain held without bail following their indictments last week and their Superior Court arraignments today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTHONY ROBERTSON (D.O.B. 5/19/91) of Dorchester was formally charged this morning with first-degree murder for the June 26 shooting death of 25-year-old Aaron Wornum. Just a few hours later, LAQUAN MILLER (D.O.B. 5/25/94) of Roslindale was charged with the same offense for the June 5 shooting death of Wilfredo Martinez, 23, and the non-fatal shooting of a second 23-year-old man during the same incident. more »

In his closing argument this afternoon, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said the two defendants charged with murdering a rival and an innocent bystander during a Dorchester shootout acted together and contributed equally to the two victims’ deaths.

“These two are joined at the hip,” Assistant District Attorney John Pappas said, referring to the defendants, 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.

“There are only two people out there, and one gun,” Pappas said. “The guy who brought it and the guy who shot it: Sandro Tavares and Emmanuel Pina.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office put a rapid end to the criminal prosecution of 24 men and women arrested for trespassing during a protest at a downtown bank, successfully recommending that the court treat their cases as civil infractions.

Assistant District Attorney Susan Terrey, chief of Conley’s staff at the Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court, affirmatively recommended that resolution as all two dozen arrestees were prepared to be arraigned on misdemeanor trespass charges incurred Friday afternoon at the Bank of America on Federal Street. more »

The Massachusetts Appeals Court today allowed Suffolk prosecutors the opportunity to use as evidence a handgun recovered after a tipster said it was going to be used in a crime, reversing a district court judge’s decision and reaffirming that police can search for and seize a firearm without a warrant under certain circumstances, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

“The Appeals Court made clear once again that police may execute warrantless searches under exigent circumstances,” Conley said, hailing the unanimous decision. “Clearly, those circumstances existed here: A loaded gun was known to be in a certain place and believed to be intended for use in a violent crime. The person who called in this tip did exactly what we ask of the public every day. That specific information very likely stopped a shooting – or much worse.” more »