Boston, Oct. 30, 2012—A Dorchester man was arraigned on gun charges this week after a semi-automatic handgun dropped from his waistband in front of Boston Police trying to defuse an earlier conflict, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

PATRICK BISHOP (D.O.B. 8/16/93) was arraigned yesterday in Dorchester District Court on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Sherwood requested Bishop be held on $15,000 bail. Judge Rosalind H. Miller imposed $10,000 bail and ordered him to abide by a curfew of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. if he posts that amount. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2012–State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office and Chelsea Police are investigating a fatal shooting on Clark Avenue last night.

Chelsea Police responded to a call for shots fired in the area of 48 Clark Ave. at about 7:30 p.m. On arrival they found a 35-year-old man suffering from what appeared to be fatal gunshot wounds.  The man was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries a short time later.  The man’s identity is being withheld until his family is notified. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 26—A Roslindale man already facing one cocaine trafficking charge was arraigned today on another after a joint local and federal task force recovered just under a pound of cocaine from his residence, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ENRIQUE CAMILO (D.O.B. 6/17/74) was arraigned today on charges of trafficking in cocaine as a second or subsequent offense. Assistant District Attorney Evandro Carvalho recommended bail of $1,000,000 in the Suffolk case, revocation of the defendant’s bail in the earlier case, and surrender of the defendant’s passport; Judge Ernest Sarason imposed $100,000 cash bail, declined to revoke the open bail, and ordered that Camilo surrender his passport. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 26, 2012—The Suffolk County Grand Jury today returned an indictment charging a Boston Police officer with crashing into another car while driving drunk off-duty, leaving the other driver severely injured, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

The indictment moves the case against RICHARD JEANETTI (D.O.B. 8/27/76) of Hyde Park from West Roxbury District Court, where he was initially charged with the May 24 collision, to Suffolk Superior Court, where the case will ultimately be adjudicated. The offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison and a mandatory two-year driver’s license revocation upon conviction. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 25, 2012—A second man was arrested by Boston Police last night and arraigned by Suffolk prosecutors today after further investigation into the shooting death of 33-year-old Steven Fuentes in Dorchester, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTHONY KING SOLOMON (D.O.B. 4/18/80) of Everett was formally charged in Roxbury District Court today with murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, both in connection with the May 24 incident that claimed Fuentes’ life outside his Leyland Street home. Judge Kenneth Fiandaca granted a request by Suffolk prosecutors that Solomon be held without bail pending trial. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 24, 2012—Six teens, including three juveniles, were arraigned today on charges that they attacked a woman on an orange line train and stole her cell phone before celebrating their alleged crime with high-fives, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DEMARIO BARBER (D.O.B. 11/1/94) of Mattapan, KERNISHA SMITH (D.O.B. 9/10/94) of Dorchester, and ERIC THOMPSON (D.O.B. 9/16/94) of Dorchester were arraigned in Boston Municipal Court, while three juvenile defendants faced arraignment in Boston Juvenile Court for the attack on board an Orange Line train yesterday. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 23, 2012—The state’s highest court recently upheld two Suffolk County murder convictions for the unrelated slayings of Roy Elliott, a 42-year-old homeless man stabbed to death near Faneuil Hall, and Nabil Essaid, a teenager shot dead outside a downtown movie theater, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Supreme Judicial Court on Oct. 15 affirmed the first-degree murder conviction of JOSEPH P. LENNON (D.O.B. 9/8/58) for Elliott’s 2006 stabbing death at Curley Memorial Plaza and on Oct. 22 affirmed the first-degree murder conviction of DARRYL SCOTT (D.O.B. 4/13/81) for Essaid’s 2003 shooting death near the Loews Boston Common. more »

Conley Names Fourth Prosecutor to Lab Crisis Task Force

BOSTON, Oct. 22, 2012—A man currently under indictment for murder is among the defendants whose cases will be heard in Suffolk Superior Court this week for specialized post-conviction sessions related to a former Department of Health drug lab chemist accused of mishandling evidence.

ANTHONY THAMES (D.O.B. 2/22/83) is charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for allegedly shooting Raymond Lamar to death in Boston’s South End on the morning of Aug. 6, 2011. Shortly after his arrest on that offense, Thames pleaded guilty to possession of a Class B substance as a second or subsequent offense and distribution of a Class B substance as a second or subsequent offense. He is currently serving a five-year state prison term for that conviction. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 19, 2012—A Dorchester man convicted of sexually assaulting two young children was sentenced yesterday to three to five years in state prison, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

After five days of testimony, a Suffolk Superior Court jury deliberated for just an hour and a half on Wednesday before convicting HAK WONG (D.O.B. 3/3/54) of one count of rape of a child and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. Wong assaulted the children on various dates between January and May of 2011. The victims in this case were two young children known to the defendant but not related to him; prosecutors are not releasing the location of the assaults or the children’s ages to protect their privacy. The abuse came to light after one victim’s mother noticed that the child appeared to be afraid of Wong. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 18, 2012—Three young men, including a 15-year-old, were formally charged today with murder for their alleged roles in a fatal shooting in Boston’s South End last night, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Arrested by Boston Police last night and arraigned on murder and firearms charges today were RAYMOND CONCEPCION (D.O.B. 4/30/97), JAQUAN HILL (D.O.B. 8/18/93), and SHAKEEM JOHNSON (D.O.B. 10/24/90). All three have residences in Hyde Park, though Hill was booked with a Brockton address and Concepcion was booked with a Mattapan address. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 18, 2012—A dead man identified as a suspect in one 1970s murder is now believed to have committed a second based on DNA evidence unavailable at the time of the crimes, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said today.

Conley and Davis today identified MICHAEL SUMPTER (D.O.B. 9/26/47) as the assailant in the Dec. 12, 1973, homicide and sexual assault of 24-year-old Mary Lee McClain in her Beacon Hill apartment. The investigation at the time revealed that an unknown perpetrator had gained access to the Mount Vernon Street apartment she shared with two roommates, raped her, and strangled her to death. Though Boston Police homicide detectives seized evidence from the scene and conducted several interviews, no suspect was identified until a grant-funded cold case investigation led to Sumpter in May of this year. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 17, 2012—A former East Boston man who fled Massachusetts after slashing his roommate’s throat during a fight, killing him, was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison yesterday, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JORGE MERINO (D.O.B. 11/8/80) admitted his guilt yesterday in the homicide of Jose Joaquin Ramirez, a 33-year-old laborer from Honduras, pleading guilty to the crime of voluntary manslaughter before Suffolk Superior Court Judge Edward Liebensperger. Merino accepted a 17- to 20-year prison sentence and forewent any appeal of his conviction rather than face trial on the indicted charge of first-degree murder. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 17, 2012—The former director of a Jamaica Plain non-profit organization was arraigned today on charges that he stole almost $20,000 in funds intended to benefit the businesses and residents of Hyde and Jackson squares, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

CARLOS SCHILLACI (D.O.B. 10/7/54), formerly of Jamaica Plain but now a resident of Easthampton, was formally charged today with two counts each of larceny over $250 and larceny by scheme for allegedly using funds from the Hyde-Jackson Square Main Streets Program for his own benefit. Both offenses carry a maximum penalty of five years. more »

Boston, Oct. 16, 2012—A Somerville man was arraigned today on charges he and an associate beat an unarmed, wounded US Army veteran who told him to stop urinating on a Boston street, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JAMES PLUNKETT (D.O.B. 1/30/86) was arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court on charges of assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon – a shod foot. Judge Lawrence E. McCormick set bail at $1,000 and ordered Plunkett to stay away from and have no contact with his victim. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 15, 2012—A Charlestown man was held on $20,000 cash bail at his arraignment on charges that he possessed child pornography on his laptop computer and a portable flash drive, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The bail imposed by Charlestown District Court Judge Lawrence McCormick was less than the $100,000 recommended by Assistant District Attorney Gloriann Moroney, chief of Conley’s Child Protection Unit. McCormick did, however, order JAMES MANSFIELD (D.O.B. 5/10/65) to abide by Moroney’s recommended conditions of release if he posts that amount. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 15, 2012—A youth of 14 was ordered held without bail at the Department of Youth Services following his arraignment for the Oct. 6 stabbing death of 39-year-old Cherby LaJoie, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ERNEST WATKINS IV (D.O.B. 1/14/98) of Dorchester was arraigned on one count of murder in the adult session of Dorchester District Court today. Under Massachusetts law, juveniles charged with murder are automatically tried as adults, opening Watkins’ name and the proceedings against him to the public. more »

Boston, Oct. 13, 2012—The operator of a Revere-based tree cutting service was arraigned today on charges he defrauded the City of Revere by rigging the bidding process for such work, effectively setting his own price for contracts with the city and its housing authority, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DANIEL HIBBARD (D.O.B. 4/13/60) of Revere  was indicted by the Suffolk County Grand Jury on Sept. 27 on six counts each of procurement fraud and making false claims to a government agency. At his arraignment today in Suffolk Superior Court, Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong released Hibbard on personal recognizance and gave him until his next court date to surrender his passport. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 12, 2012—Four defendants saw their sentences stayed but were given strict curfews today during a special session in the Boston Municipal Court to address district court cases affected by the crisis at a Department of Public Health drug-testing facility. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 12, 2012—A Revere man who obtained more than $45,000 for tree-trimming contracts in Revere is due in court next week on charges that he rigged the bidding system by falsely submitting higher cost estimates from bogus or defunct companies, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury on Sept. 27 returned a 12-count indictment charging DANIEL HIBBARD (D.O.B. 4/13/60) with six counts each of procurement fraud and presenting a false claim to a public agency. One count of each offense relates to frauds allegedly perpetrated against the City of Revere, and the remainder relate to frauds allegedly perpetrated against the Revere Housing Authority. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 12, 2012—Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today designated three experienced prosecutors to handle post-conviction motions on cases affected by the ongoing crisis at a Department of Public Health laboratory that once tested drugs seized in criminal investigations.

Conley assigned Assistant District Attorneys Paul Treseler, Nicole Cordeiro, and Vincent DeMore to the nascent DPH crisis task force, instructing them to assist in identifying Suffolk County cases affected by the revelation that a former chemist may have mishandled drug evidence, work with the Trial Court and defense counsel to bring those cases into court, and make appropriate recommendations as to which convictions should be preserved and which are unsupported by the evidence as it now stands. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 10, 2012—The state’s highest court today upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a man found guilty of gunning down a rival inside a Roxbury convenience store with surveillance cameras that recorded the incident, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

In a decision written by Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland, the Supreme Judicial Court found no grounds to overturn the conviction of JOSE DELACRUZ, who was found guilty in 2009 of shooting Tyrice Brown. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 10, 2012—Three teenagers were arraigned this week on charges they stole a cell phone and other items in an armed robbery that was foiled in part by a phone call from the victim’s father, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A 16-YEAR-OLD MALE from Dorchester and a 16-YEAR-OLD MALE from Jamaica Plain were arraigned Tuesday in the Juvenile Session of Dorchester District Court on charges of delinquency, to wit armed robbery and receiving stolen property under $250, while co-defendant Keyshaun Taylor (D.O.B. 8/22/95) of Attleboro was arraigned as an adult in the same courthouse on a single count of armed robbery. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 10, 2012—Five men were arraigned and a warrant issued for a sixth after their arrests by Boston Police in a sting targeting the demand for sexual services from girls under 18, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The following defendants were arrested throughout yesterday afternoon and evening by Boston Police detectives assigned to the Human Trafficking Division and other specialized units. Each is charged with seeking sex for a fee, which carries a maximum of one year in a house of correction, and enticement of a person under 18, which carries up to five years in state prison. Assistant District Attorney Katherine Powell Lubitz recommended bails ranging from personal recognizance to $1,000 and asked that all of them be ordered to stay away from the area of their arrest; Judge Tracy Lee Lyons released each on his own recognizance but imposed the stay-away order. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 5, 2012— A Boston Municipal Court judge today stayed further execution of sentences for two Boston men after Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office determined that the drug evidence in both cases was handled by a former chemist now accused of obstruction of justice.

Today’s proceedings took place in a special session intended to address district court cases affected by a chemist accused of tampering with drug evidence at a Department of Public Health drug-testing facility. A total of 19 cases were selected by the court; on further review by prosecutors, however, only five were affected by the crisis at the now-closed lab. Of those five, three either rejected a stay of their sentences for procedural reasons related to concurrent sentences in other jurisdictions or had already completed the sentences at issue. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 5, 2012—Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today delivered the following statement on Suffolk County Regional Administrative Justice Jeffrey Locke’s decision on a defense motion for a change of venue in the trial of DWAYNE MOORE for the murders of four people and the near-fatal shooting of a fifth on Woolson Street in Mattapan two years ago.  Locke today determined that a panel of Worcester County jurors would be transported to Boston daily to hear the case and weigh the evidence. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 4, 2012—A former MBTA employee today admitted to stealing union funds that fellow members trusted him to protect, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

BRIAN SHEEHY (D.O.B. 7/26/69) of Quincy admitted to three counts of larceny over $250 at a hearing at Suffolk Superior Court this morning. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 4, 2012—A convicted rapist whose bail on drug and related charges was lowered over Suffolk County prosecutors’ objection is now the target of an arrest warrant after he failed to appear at a previously-scheduled court date.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Carol Ball ordered that a warrant enter for MARCUS PIXLEY (D.O.B. 10/3/60) upon taking the bench this morning. The order came after Pixley failed to appear for a status hearing on his pending case yesterday afternoon; Ball gave him until 10:00 this morning to appear of his own volition. more »

BOSTON, Oct. 3, 2012—A single justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court this week ruled that the remaining post-conviction motions pertaining to the 1986 murders of Frank Chiuchiolo and Joseph Bottari in Boston’s North End will be addressed by the judge who heard presided over the two killers’ second trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

In a ruling entered late Monday, Justice Francis X. Spina remanded the case against LOUIS COSTA back to Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert Mulligan, who presided over Costa’s 1994 trial and conviction as a Superior Court judge. Massachusetts and federal appellate procedures recommend that post-conviction motions be heard by the trial judge. more »

BOSTON, Sept. 27, 2012— A youth baseball coach accused of grooming one of his players for sexual abuse was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court after he was indicted by the grand jury, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSE ORTEGA (D.O.B. 7/4/71) of Roslindale was arraigned on three counts of enticement of a child under 16. The indictments, returned by the Suffolk County Grand Jury on Sept. 25, stem from multiple incidents involving the same teenage boy. more »