Family Mourns Their “Angel” as Her Killer Gets Life

BOSTON, May 31, 2016—Family members and friends of 25-year-old Keosha Gilmore recalled the pain of losing “an angel” as the childhood friend who murdered her was sentenced to life in prison.

CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (D.O.B. 10/8/86) faced sentencing today after a Suffolk Superior Court jury last week convicted him of second-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and carrying a loaded firearm.  Judge Raffi Yessayan sentenced Jackson to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years – the mandatory term for the offense of second-degree murder – and concurrent sentences of six to seven years on the firearm charges. more »

CHELSEA, May 30, 2016–Chelsea Police detectives and State troopers assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office are investigating the death of a 4-month old boy earlier today, Police Chief Brian Kyes and District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A family member found the child unresponsive in their Washington Street apartment at about noon. He was transported to Whidden Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. A preliminary examination of the body did not reveal immediate signs of violent trauma and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of his death.  Detectives have likewise not developed evidence of foul play but their investigation remains active. more »

BOSTON, May 27, 2016—The shooting death of 38-year-old Thomas Hawkins in Mattapan was never forgotten by the police and prosecutors assigned to the case, who labored for more than a decade until they were able to charge two men with his murder, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

ELLIS GOLDEN (D.O.B. 1/26/84) was arraigned today in Dorchester Municipal Court on charges of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for the 2004 incident that claimed Hawkins’ life on Marden Avenue in Mattapan. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Judith Lyons, Judge Jonathan Tynes ordered him held without bail. more »

BOSTON, May 27, 2016—Prosecutors and victim advocates from Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley’s office yesterday joined members of Boston’s Somali community to offer immigrant families an overview of the American justice system – and then enjoy a traditional Somali meal.

Conley’s staffers gathered with about 40 men and women during an information session yesterday evening at the Alrowda Masjid Mosque in Dorchester.  Conley’s office worked with Somali Community & Culture Association Executive Director Deeqo Jibril to extend the invitation to community members with the goal of answering questions and addressing concerns about issues facing them and families.  The event included a catered Somali dinner provided by the community. more »

BOSTON, May 27, 2016—The Massachusetts Appeals Court today affirmed a Revere man’s manslaughter conviction in the fatal beating of 22-year-old Jose “Danny” Alicea outside a downtown nightclub, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTHONY VILLALOBOS (D.O.B. 12/29/87) was one of seven men found guilty in Alicea’s homicide at the hands of a tuxedo-clad mob outside a downtown nightclub. Six more were convicted of beating three of Alicea’s friends during the same incident near Club 33 on Stanhope Street during the early morning hours of Aug. 21, 2009. more »

BOSTON, May 26, 2016—A Suffolk Superior Court jury this afternoon convicted a Mattapan man of murdering 25-year-old Keosha Gilmore, a childhood friend who did not share his romantic feelings, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

After one day of deliberations, jurors found CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (D.O.B. 10/8/86) guilty of second-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and carrying a loaded firearm in connection with Gilmore’s Feb. 19, 2012, shooting death. more »

BOSTON, May 25, 2016—A Roxbury woman was held without bail today at her arraignment for allegedly beating 3-year-old Kenai Whyte to death earlier this year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MARIA BUIE (D.O.B. 7/28/92) was arraigned today on one count of second-degree murder stemming from fatal injuries she allegedly inflicted on Whyte in her Alpine Street home on Jan. 31. Clerk Magistrate Lisa Medeiros ordered her held without bail at the request of Assistant District Attorney Craig Iannini and scheduled her trial for May 25, 2017. more »

BOSTON, May 25, 2016—A Boston drug trafficker was sentenced to more than a decade behind bars after Suffolk prosecutors proved that he and another defendant repeatedly sold heroin and possessed almost a pound of it in their Roslindale stash house, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury on Friday convicted ELIEL “TONY” FIGUEROA (D.O.B. 2/9/83) of trafficking in more than 200 grams of heroin and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute after about a week of testimony stemming from his 2013 arrest. At a sentencing hearing yesterday, Judge Linda Giles today sentenced him to 12 years in state prison. more »

BOSTON, May 24, 2016—The brothers convicted of killing 22-year-old Christopher Borgella during a brawl outside a Dorchester hotel have been sentenced to life in prison, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A jury last week convicted HAROLD COLEMAN (D.O.B. 3/19/88) of Dorchester and SHAWN COLEMAN (D.O.B. 2/26/92) of Boston’s South End of second-degree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the 2014 homicide during a brawl outside a Dorchester hotel.  Harold Coleman was also found guilty of malicious destruction of property over $250.  At their sentencing this morning, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Linda Giles imposed the mandatory term of life in prison, with parole eligibility after 15 years. more »

BOSTON, May 23, 2016—A man who allegedly attempted to take control of a Boston Police officer’s service weapon while begging police to shoot him has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ARTHUR CAMPBELL (D.O.B. 6/20/80) was arraigned today in Boston Municipal Court on charges of assault and battery on a police officer, attempted larceny, and trespassing.  Prosecutors requested bail of $50,000 and that Campbell’s bail be revoked on an open case out of the same court charging assault with a dangerous weapon and trespassing.  Judge Catherine Byrne ordered Campbell held without bail for a period of 20 days and ordered that he undergo a mental health evaluation.  Byrne declined to revoke bail on the open case. more »

BOSTON, May 20, 2016— An alleged career criminal was held on high bail at his arraignment today on charges he fired the stray bullet that struck a woman as she left church, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JAMES MARTIN Jr. (D.O.B. 3/7/94)  of Dorchester was arraigned today in Dorchester Municipal Court on charges of armed assault to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.  He was additionally charged as a Level III armed career because of prior convictions for distribution of a Class B substance in 2014 and for assault and battery in 2013 and 2014.

Assistant District Attorney Marc Tohme requested bail of $500,000 with orders that Martin wear a GPS monitor and remain under house arrest in the event he is to be released on bail.  Tohme moved to revoke bail on Martin’s open cases in Dorchester charging trespass and in Lynn charging him with violating a restraining order.  Judge Serge Georges imposed bail of $150,000, imposed the requested conditions of release, and revoked Martin’s bail in the Lynn case.  He additionally ordered Martin held without bail on an open probation matter. more »

BOSTON, May 18, 2016—Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley is lending his support to a bill that would presume a man convicted of rape to be unfit to have custody of any child conceived as a result of the offense.

If passed, HD4590 – known as “An Act Protecting Rape Victims and Children Conceived in the Assault” – would create a legal presumption that it is not in the best interests of the child for the convicted rapist to have sole or shared custody of the child or visitation rights. The bill was filed by Rep. Michelle DuBois of Brockton. more »

BOSTON, May 16, 2016—Two brothers were sentenced to state prison today after admitting that they beat a homeless man last year because they believed him to be an illegal immigrant, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

SCOTT LEADER (D.O.B. 7/20/77) and STEVEN LEADER (D.O.B. 8/5/85) of South Boston pleaded guilty to indictments charging them with causing bodily injury while committing a civil rights violation, assault and battery for purposes of intimidation causing bodily injury, two counts each of assault and battery, and two counts each of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. more »

BOSTON, May 16, 2016—Two brothers whose joint actions led to the stabbing death of 23-year-old Christopher Borgella were convicted of his murder today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted HAROLD COLEMAN (D.O.B. 3/19/88) of Dorchester and SHAWN COLEMAN (D.O.B. 2/26/92) of Boston’s South End of second-degree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the 2014 homicide during a brawl outside a Dorchester hotel. The men face mandatory life terms at a sentencing hearing next week. more »

BOSTON, May 13, 2016—Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s chief trial counsel was recognized with a prestigious statewide honor at the Massachusetts Prosecutors Conference last night.

Assistant District Attorney John P. Pappas was presented with the William C. O’Malley Prosecutor of the Year award, named for the longtime Plymouth County district attorney who served as chairman of the board of the American Prosecutors Research Institute and president of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association and National District Attorneys Association. more »

Just shy of the three-year anniversary of 45-year-old Celestine Walker’s murder, her abusive partner was sentenced to life in prison for her homicide, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

After a Suffolk Superior Court jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and violating a restraining order that the victim had taken out against him, PHILLIP CARRINGTON (D.O.B. 4/6/65) today faced sentencing before Judge Frank Gaziano.  He sentenced Carrington to life in prison – the mandatory term for second-degree murder – with the possibility of parole after a period of 15 years and a concurrent term of 2 ½ years for the restraining order violation.  Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Hickman of the DA’s Homicide Unit had recommended that Gaziano use his discretion to set Carrington’s parole eligibility at 25 years, the maximum period allowed under the law. more »

BOSTON, May 10, 2016—A man who allegedly entered a dorm room at a college he does not attend and sexually assaulted a young woman has been indicted on rape and other charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury indicted SAMSON DONICK (D.O.B. 5/27/95), formerly of Boston and now a resident of Tiburon, California, on charges of aggravated rape, breaking and entering at night with the intent to commit a felony, burglary, and indecent assault and battery. He is expected to be arraigned tomorrow in Suffolk Superior Court. more »

BOSTON, May 10, 2016—The abusive partner who killed Celestine Walker almost exactly three years ago now faces a life sentence following his conviction for her 2013 murder, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury this afternoon convicted PHILLIP CARRINGTON (D.O.B. 4/6/65) of second-degree murder for strangling Walker, then 45, to death in her Heath Street home. He faces a mandatory life term when he is sentenced tomorrow. His conviction today came about six months after an earlier jury declared itself hopelessly deadlocked in its deliberations. more »

The state’s Appeals Court yesterday declined to order a new trial for a Cambridge man convicted of firearm charges in 2014, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

STEVEN BELIZAIRE (D.O.B. 1/27/87) appealed his 2014 conviction on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a loaded firearm, arguing that certain evidence should not have been presented during his trial.  In an unpublished decision issued today, the justices of the Appeals Court disagreed. more »

BOSTON, May 9, 2016—A man whom prosecutors say adopted a fictitious persona as a wealthy European émigré has been indicted for a scheme in which he allegedly drugged gay men at their homes and made off with expensive clothing, jewelry, and artwork, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans said.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury late Friday returned indictments charging RICCARDO D’ORSAINVILLE (D.O.B. 5/17/65), currently a resident of Norwood but previously of Boston, with one count of kidnapping and three counts each of poisoning, larceny over $250, and receiving stolen property. The indictments supersede a pending Boston Municipal Court case in which he was charged with one count of larceny over $250 after his arrest by Boston Police in February.

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BOSTON, May 6, 2016—The last of three men charged in the 2014 shooting deaths of Clarence McGregor and Teasia Montgomery has been apprehended in Georgia and faces rendition to Massachusetts, where his co-defendants were ordered held without bail last month.

Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the arrest of LORENZO JONES, Jr. (D.O.B. 12/26/86) in Augusta, Georgia, on a warrant stemming from his March 29 indictment for two counts of first-degree murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. more »

BOSTON, May 4, 2016—The state’s Appeals Court today affirmed the convictions of two Dorchester men who took part in the murder of 24-year-old Toneika Jones, denying each a new trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury in 2012 convicted KADEEM FOREMAN (D.O.B. 8/6/89) of second-degree murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with Jones’ 2010 homicide and the non-fatal shooting of a then-19-year-old man.  The same jury found TERRELL RAINEY (D.O.B. 8/14/89) guilty of manslaughter. more »

BOSTON, May 2, 2016—The Massachusetts Appeals Court today reversed a municipal court judge who had dismissed a stalking charge against a domestic violence defendant over prosecutors’ objections, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Appeals Court reinstated that charge and reversed an additional order by the judge reducing a count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the Roxbury Municipal Court case against PARISSE ODOM (D.O.B. 9/12/82), accused of beating a woman and making dozens of phone calls to her on Oct. 26, 2014. more »