A robbery inside a subway station nearly turned deadly yesterday when the suspect and victim fell into the active railway during a struggle, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSEPH McCLOSKEY (D.O.B. 8/12/70) was arraigned this morning in the Boston Municipal Court on charges of unarmed robbery, assault and battery, and obstructing a railway track. more »

A former MBTA operator pleaded guilty today to negligent operation of his Green Line trolley, which crashed into another train as he drafted a text message while behind the wheel last spring, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

AIDEN QUINN (D.O.B. 11/24/84) of Attleboro admitted to gross negligence by a person in control of a common conveyance, a misdemeanor, in connection with the May 8 collision in the tunnel between Government Center and Park Street stations. more »

An order by the Suffolk County Grand Jury for a suspected serial rapist’s DNA sample led to evidence linking him to a double rape in Brighton more than two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

That detail emerged this morning as MARCOS COLONO (D.O.B. 11/21/77) was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on an eight-count indictment charging him with four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and single counts of home invasion and burglary while armed. The indictments were handed down Dec. 20. more »

Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, together with investigators from the Chelsea Police Department and State Police Troopers assigned to the Fire Marshal’s office, continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of a fire that occurred in a five-unit apartment building at 295 Spruce Street in Chelsea at about 11:30 p.m. last night.

Upon arrival at the scene, State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office observed extensive damage to the interior and exterior of the building. Two women and one man were transported to area hospitals for treatment. One of those women, a 20-year-old Chelsea resident, was pronounced dead of her injuries at the hospital. An autopsy to determine the cause and manner of her death will be conducted. more »

Two men who allegedly fled a luxury Back Bay specialty store with over a dozen Luis Vuitton bags last night were arraigned this morning on larceny charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

 KENNETH JAMES (D.O.B. 12/11/67) of Roxbury, and ROBERT DAVIDSON (D.O.B. 6/2/64) of Dorchester, were arraigned in the Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court and each charged with one count of larceny over $250. Assistant District Attorney Elle Rackemann requested that the judge impose $30,000 cash bail on both James and Davidson for the larceny offenses, and also asked that they each be held without bail due to warrants on unrelated matters in other courts. District Court Judge Eleanor Sinnott imposed the recommended bail on James, and ordered that he be held without bail due to a default warrant issued from the Quincy District Court. Bail for Davidson was set at $20,000 cash bail, and he was also ordered held without bail due to a Probation Department warrant issued from the Dorchester District Court.  more »

A Roslindale man was arraigned yesterday in Suffolk Superior Court and charged for his alleged role in the double murder of two men near the Franklin Hill housing development three years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

STANLEY EARL JENKINS, Jr. (D.O.B. 4/18/83) was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and an one count of unlawful possession of a firearm for the July 12, 2007 fatal shooting of Jarrid Campbell and Jeff Jones. Clerk Magistrate Gary D. Wilson ordered Jenkins held without bail. more »

In a tearful statement describing his family’s loss, the father of a 21-year-old man, who was shot and killed in apparent retaliation for a prior shooting in which he had no involvement, spoke at a Suffolk Superior Court sentencing hearing for JOSEPH GOMES.

“First of all, me, my wife and my daughter are very, very sad,” Fausto Sanchez, Sr., said through a Spanish interpreter. “To us, there is no happiness in our house; he was our happiness. He was a very special child. He was loved by everybody, by family and friends alike. He didn’t deserve to die like that.” more »

A 45-year-old man who allegedly posed as a priest and deposited checks as part of a check kiting scheme was arraigned this afternoon and held on high bail, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

KOFFI GBIKPI (D.O.B. 8/6/65) of Brookline was arraigned this afternoon in the Boston Municipal Court and charged with one count of uttering a false instrument to wit: a check and one count of forgery of a check for a Dec. 20 incident during which he allegedly deposited three fraudulent checks totaling $18,000 into an account at the Boston Private Bank from accounts from two different banks. more »

A South End man was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation following his arraignment on charges that he fatally beat Nouri Ech-Cherqui during a dispute in their Huntington Avenue rooming house this summer, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Linda Giles committed BRENDAN JOHNSON (D.O.B. 5/25/80) to Bridgewater State Hospital for a competency and criminal responsibility evaluation in connection with the manslaughter charges he faces for Ech-Cherqui’s death. more »

State Police assigned to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and Chelsea Police detectives are investigating the stabbing of a 28-year-old Boston man who died of his injuries this morning.

Joaquin Aguilar of Allston succumbed this morning to multiple stab wounds sustained last night. As with all fatalities within the City of Chelsea, State Police homicide detectives are investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding his death with the assistance of the Chelsea Police Department and specialized State Police units. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the start of a pilot program that aims to help homeless individuals or those at risk of becoming homeless who are undergoing substance abuse or mental health treatment resolve misdemeanor offenses, nonviolent felonies, and outstanding warrants with the goal of aiding their reintegration into society.

The Homeless Court Program seeks to provide an opportunity for the homeless or those at risk of becoming homeless, who are engaged in a substance abuse or mental health treatment program and are committed to sobriety, to address open cases and warrants in Suffolk County at a monthly court hearing in the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital. more »

State Police detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office and Chelsea Police detectives are investigating a collision last night on Blossom Street that left a Revere man dead.

The deceased has been identified as 36-year-old Julio Vaquerano. Preliminary evidence developed by investigators suggests that Vaquerano was struck by a motor vehicle near the intersection of Blossom and Maple streets shortly after 10:00 p.m. He died of his injuries a short time later. more »

Five men arrested this morning for a brawl in Roxbury District Court were back before judges in the very same building this afternoon when they were arraigned and held on bails as high as $3500, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The quintet face charges of assault and battery, affray, and disturbing a public assembly for the incident, which took place shortly before 10:00 in the courthouse’s second floor corridor. A Boston Police officer suffered a broken finger as he tried to break up the fracas, Conley said. more »

An alleged drug dealer from Weymouth was charged with trying to rob a commuter at knifepoint at South Station this morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

CHRISTOPHER SPIRIDIS-CHASE (D.O.B. 7/9/92) was arraigned on attempted robbery and drug charges in the Boston Municipal Court this afternoon for the incident, which prompted MBTA employees and civilians to pursue and detain him. more »

A Hyde Park man was convicted of first-degree murder today for his role in the 2007 shooting death of 21-year-old Fausto Sanchez in what prosecutors called retaliation for a prior shooting Sanchez had no part in, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury additionally found JOSEPH GOMES (D.O.B. 4/20/67) guilty of four counts of armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and single counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Those charges stem from the non-fatal shootings of two men who were standing near Sanchez when he was shot, as well as shots fired at two other men who were not hit. more »

A 21-year-old Roxbury man was held on high bail at his district court arraignment on charges of assault and attempted rape of a college student in November, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

VERNARD SHEPARD (D.O.B. 1/17/89) was arraigned today in Roxbury District Court and charged with assault with intent to rape, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery for his alleged role in the November 26 attack on a female student inside of a Huntington Avenue building on the Massachusetts College of Art campus. Assistant District Attorney SuLynn Walton requested that the defendant be held on $100,000 cash bail, that he stay away from both the victim from the location of the incident. Judge James W. Coffey imposed the recommended bail and conditions requested by the Commonwealth. more »

A Roxbury man late today took responsibility for drug possession and reckless endangerment of a child and was sentenced to serve jail time for his role in an incident where crack cocaine was found in a child’s shoe by the child’s teacher, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

DEMARE GRAY (D.O.B. 12/10/90) pleaded guilty in Roxbury District Court to possession of a Class B drug with intent to distribute, possession of a Class B drug with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school zone, and reckless endangerment of a child. Judge Mark Hart Summerville today sentenced Gray to 2 1/2 years in the House of Correction with two years to serve and the balance suspended for four years. more »

A Dorchester man was held without bail today as the third defendant charged in connection with the Sept. 28 slayings of three adults and a toddler on a Mattapan street, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

EDWARD WASHINGTON (D.O.B. 3/28/79) was arraigned this morning in Dorchester District Court on four counts of murder, one count of armed assault with intent to murder, home invasion, armed robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. Because of two prior drug convictions, Washington is charged as a Level II armed career criminal, and the firearm charges come after a previous gun conviction. more »

The state’s highest court ruled today that prosecutors may use an unidentified assailant’s unique genetic profile to secure an indictment, then amend the indictment to reflect his or her true name even after the statute of limitations expires, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

That decision sets the stage for JERRY DIXON (D.O.B. 4/19/73) of Dorchester to stand trial for two violent 1991 rapes in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. more »

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the arrest of EDWARD WASHINGTON (D.O.B. 3/28/79) of Dorchester in connection with murders of four people in Mattapan earlier this year.

Members of the Boston Police Fugitive and Apprehension Unit arrested Washington this afternoon and he is being charged with him with four counts of murder, one count of armed assault with intent to murder, home invasion, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He is expected to face arraignment on those charges tomorrow morning in Dorchester District Court. more »

A Randolph man was held on high bail today following his second gun arrest, which came as Boston Police were investigating a possible break-in on Park View Street in Roxbury early this morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTOINE LEWIS (D.O.B. 11/19/89) was arraigned in Roxbury District Court this morning on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and carrying a loaded firearm. Lewis was additionally charged with being a Level I armed career criminal because of a prior gun conviction for which he served two and a half years behind bars. more »

A Somerville man was held on $18,000 cash bail today following his arraignment for allegedly violating the civil rights of two young women on an Orange Line train by kicking them while using a variety of slurs, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSEPH BALISTRERI (D.O.B. 7/26/74) was arraigned this morning in Charlestown District Court on two counts of civil rights violations, two counts of assault and battery, and single counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. more »

As a Boston-area theater hosts a film forum on human rights and sex trafficking, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley called for legislation to protect the child victims of sexual exploitation and bring Massachusetts in line with other states that treat those children as victims rather than offenders.

Conley said his office was drafting legislation to mandate the same protections statewide that his office voluntarily provides for youth exploited through prostitution in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. A final version could be ready within weeks, he said. more »

The two violent gang members who shot 18-year-old Cedirick Steele to death three years ago were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today following their convictions yesterday on first-degree murder and gun charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTWAN “TWIZZ” CARTER (D.O.B. 10/13/88) and DANIEL “TRAP” PINCKNEY, Jr. (D.O.B. 7/4/88), both of Boston’s South End, received the mandatory life term this morning. Carter fired the eight shots that killed Steele on March 14, 2007; he was driven to and away from the scene by Pinckney. Both were members of the Mass. Ave. Hornets street gang, with Pinckney said to have been its leader. more »

A Dorchester man was held without bail today at his arraignment on a murder charge for allegedly stabbing an acquaintance to death after an argument that erupted inside a Roxbury liquor store, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

TAJUAN HOLLOMAN (D.O.B. 5/7/71) was formally charged today with the murder of 30-year-old Thomas Whitley on Dearborn Street on the evening of Nov. 6. Whitley, a Roxbury resident, died of his injuries at Boston Medical Center a short time later; Holloman surrendered to Boston Police homicide detectives yesterday amid an ongoing investigation and was placed under arrest. more »

After three trials in as many years, the leader of a deadly Boston street gang and his gun-toting triggerman were convicted of all indicted charges for the 2007 murder of 18-year-old Cedirick Steele, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today found ANTWAN “TWIZZ” CARTER (D.O.B. 10/13/88) and DANIEL “TRAP” PINCKNEY, Jr. (D.O.B. 7/4/88), both of Boston’s South End, guilty of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for the Bunker Hill Community College standout’s shooting death near the Timilty Middle School. The verdict followed about two weeks of testimony and a day and a half of deliberations in these proceedings. more »

A holiday season toy drive at one of Boston’s busiest transportation hubs will benefit abused, neglected, and at-risk children in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop for the second year in a row, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

The annual toy drive at the South Station Train Terminal, organized by the Retailers of South Station and Equity Office, gets under way this morning and will collect unwrapped books, games, and toys from commuters and Secret Santas alike. Upon its Dec. 16 completion, the goods will be delivered to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County for distribution to agencies countywide that work with child victims of physical and sexual abuse. more »

The Chelsea man found dead in his apartment Friday was the victim of a homicide under investigation by State Police assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office and Chelsea Police detectives.

Frederick Allen, 56, was found deceased shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 26 inside his apartment at 170 Bellingham St. in Chelsea. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner this weekend deemed Allen’s death a homicide. more »

A suspect in the Thanksgiving Day slaying of 30-year-old Carlos Ramirez was held without bail today following his arraignment in connection with the Chelsea man’s stabbing death, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

DENNIS BOWEN (D.O.B. 9/8/89) was charged today with one count of murder for Ramirez’ death in the area of 759 Broadway, where Bowen lives. Acting on a request by Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis, Judge Benjamin Barnes ordered Bowen held without bail. more »

State Police homicide detectives assigned to Suffolk County District attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office are investigating a shooting that left a man near death late last night.

The victim has been identified as a 41-year-old South Boston man. His name is being withheld at this time. As of early this morning he was in critical condition at Boston Medical Center. more »

The second defendant charged in connection with the September slayings of a toddler and three adults was held without bail following his arraignment for their murders and a series of related offenses, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

DWAYNE MOORE (D.O.B. 6/25/77) of Mattapan was arrested last night by Boston Police homicide detectives on a warrant charging him with four counts of murder for the shooting deaths of Levaughn Washum-Garrison, Simba Martin, Eyanna Flonory, and her son, Amanihotep Smith, shortly after 1:15 a.m. on Sept. 28. more »

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced charges against a Dorchester man in connection with a pair of previously-unsolved 2004 sexual assaults.

ANWAR THOMAS (D.O.B. 5/9/82) is charged with eight counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping, and a series of related offenses for attacks on different women in September 2004. Boston Police yesterday lodged arrest warrants for Thomas at the Middlesex County House of Corrections, where he is serving time on an unrelated charge. more »

An Everett man was held on $75,000 cash bail today for allegedly beating a young woman in the head with a baseball bat on Halloween, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

CARMEN PICARDI (D.O.B. 1/17/71) was arraigned this morning in the Boston Municipal Court on charges of mayhem and armed assault with intent to murder. In addition to setting the bail recommended by Assistant District Attorney David Givskud, Judge Robert McKenna ordered Picardi to return to court on Dec. 9. more »

Boston Police and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office tonight released the following statement on the arrest of DWAYNE MOORE, 33, for the Sept. 28 shooting deaths of a toddler and three adults on Woolson Street: more »

The Suffolk County Grand Jury today returned indictments charging two Chelsea residents with murder for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Ronald Palacios in May, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

The indictments charge ERLIN MEJIA (D.O.B. 8/10/91) and KEVIN SEMIGLIA (D.O.B. 1/14/90) with one count each of first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Polacios on the afternoon of May 4, causing injuries that would claim the young man’s life at Massachusetts General Hospital the following evening. more »

A Roxbury man was held without bail today on a murder charge stemming from the shooting death of 28-year-old Senai Jamaal Williams in a Homestead Street apartment building yesterday afternoon, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JAMES ALLEN (D.O.B. 8/30/88) is charged with murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm. He was arraigned in Roxbury District Court following his arrest last night by Boston Police homicide detectives amid a fast-breaking investigation into Williams’ death. more »

The Suffolk County Grand Jury yesterday returned an eight-count indictment charging a Millbury man with posing unsuccessfully as the rightful heir to over $1 million in unclaimed assets held by the State Treasurer’s Abandoned Property Division, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The indictments charge KEVIN L. UPSHAW (D.O.B. 10/6/68) with three counts of forgery, three counts of uttering, and single counts of attempted larceny over $250 and giving a false statement under the penalties of perjury. The charges stem from Upshaw’s alleged attempts to pose as the rightful recipient of more than $1 million dollars in property held in the name of a deceased Winthrop doctor. more »

The second of two Dorchester men charged in a late 2009 shooting pleaded guilty yesterday, with both defendants now serving state prison terms instead of driving violence in Boston’s Cape Verdean community, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

VINCENT DAVIS (D.O.B. 10/16/91) yesterday admitted firing a volley of shots at a group on Albion Street on the night of Dec. 2, 2009. Several of those shots struck a 30-year-old Roxbury man, seriously injuring him. Prosecutors recommended a term of 10 to 12 years in state prison; Suffolk Superior Court Judge Carol Ball sentenced him to a term of eight to 10 years to be followed by three years of probation upon his release. more »

The 21-year-old Roxbury man didn’t know about the dispute that would claim his life when he stopped to talk with a group of friends on Maywood Street on the evening of Feb. 13, 2007, a Suffolk County prosecutor told a Superior Court jury this morning.

“For Fausto Sanchez,” Assistant District Attorney Julie Higgins said, “it was the ultimate example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Sanchez, Higgins said, was shot dead by two men: EMMANUEL DASILVA (D.O.B. 10/24/84) of Roxbury and his uncle, JOSEPH GOMES (D.O.B. 4/20/67) of Hyde Park. The pair was looking for another man they believed had fired shots in the area of Dasilva’s Langdon Street home, and Sanchez’ group was standing in the vicinity of that man’s residence. more »

Two Everett women were held on high bail today following their arraignment on charges that the robbery they’d planned led to a Winthrop woman’s near-fatal stabbing, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Assistant District Attorney Erik Bennett recommended that SHARNELL DONAHUE (D.O.B. 8/12/79) be held on $500,000 cash bail and DIANE TUCK (D.O.B. 7/2/59) be held on $250,000 cash bail at this morning’s proceedings in East Boston District Court. Judge Roberto Ronquillo, Jr., set both women’s bail at $50,000. more »

A repeat rapist now faces potential lifetime commitment at a secure facility under the state’s Sexually Dangerous Person laws, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Geraldine Hines today ordered JOHN J. KELLEHER, 59, to the Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater for a period of one day to life after Assistant District Attorney Barbara Young proved that he is “likely to engage in further sexual offenses if not confined to a secure facility” and thus sexually dangerous under Massachusetts law. Hines’ decision came after a five-day jury-waived trial last month. more »

A Chelsea man was held on $15,000 cash bail and had his open bail on an earlier domestic violence case revoked at his arraignment this morning for allegedly striking his wife, who later died, inside their Maverick Street residence Monday evening.

FREDERICK WILKES (D.O.B. 5/18/56) was formally charged today with assault and battery upon Theresa Kenna Wilkes for his alleged actions during a physical altercation that erupted in front of a third party who was present inside their home at the time. He already faces an open assault case stemming from earlier alleged abuse dating back to September. more »

A Superior Court clerk magistrate ordered a 25-year-old man held without bail following his arraignment for allegedly throwing a glass that shattered and fatally sliced a stranger’s throat, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

HECTOR GUARDIOLA (D.O.B. 5/8/85) of South Boston is charged with manslaughter for the death of Michael DiMaria, a Hicksville, New York, resident who bled to death at the Lansdowne Pub shortly after midnight on Aug. 14. He is additionally charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for allegedly injuring two other people with the same glass. more »

State Police homicide detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office and Chelsea Police detectives are investigating the death of a woman outside a Chelsea residence.

The woman’s body was discovered by a passerby shortly after 6:00 this morning in a driveway adjacent to 123 Maverick St. An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is expected to determine the cause and manner of her death. more »

As his brother’s killer was sentenced to life in prison today, a 12-year-old boy threw down a gauntlet and urged adults to “step up and help the younger generation so they don’t follow the wrong path to the streets.”

The boy’s heartfelt plea came in a victim-witness impact statement he delivered following the second-degree murder conviction of JAMES “GUNNA” WALKER (D.O.B. 9/9/86) for shooting 20-year-old Antoine Perkins to death four years ago. Walker was convicted Wednesday. more »

The East Boston woman who allegedly threw her newborn son from her second-floor window will likely face trial in June of next year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

EVA FLORES (D.O.B. 5/5/92) is charged with assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury and wanton or reckless behavior creating a risk of serious bodily injury. In addition to scheduling the presumptive trial date of June 6, 2011, Clerk Magistrate Gary D. Wilson set Flores’ bail at $10,000 cash, noting that she is the subject of a detainer filed by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. more »

A Suffolk County grand jury yesterday returned indictments against an East Boston teen who allegedly threw her baby boy out a second floor window moments after giving birth, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The indictments charge EVA FLORES (D.O.B. 5/5/92) with one count each of assault and battery on a child causing serious injury and wanton and reckless endangerment of a child. The charges stem from a Sept. 20 incident at Flores’ Saratoga Street home. more »

A 65-year-old Dorchester woman will serve at least two years in prison for stabbing 74-year-old Julius Scott to death in the apartment they shared last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Frank Gaziano today sentenced VERNA SEWELL (D.O.B. 12/21/44) to a term of two to four years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Framingham. Sewell was convicted Tuesday of involuntary manslaughter for the May 8, 2009, incident in Scott’s Talbot Street apartment. Sewell had been indicted for second-degree murder. more »

The three young adults charged with murdering Richel Nova earlier this year discussed a plan to rob someone hours before they lured him to a vacant home and stabbed him to death, a Suffolk County prosecutor said at their arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court today.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Hickman of Suffolk DA Daniel F. Conley’s Homicide Unit today gave the most detailed account yet of the events leading to Nova’s death just after midnight on Sept. 2, asking that ALEXANDER GALLETT (D.O.B. 4/28/92) of Hyde Park; his girlfriend, YAMILEY MATHURIN (D.O.B. 2/25/93) of Mattapan; and MICHEL ST. JEAN (D.O.B. 8/3/90) of Hyde Park remain behind bars pending trial. more »

A member of the notorious Lucerne Street Doggz was convicted of murdering a one-time associate today as a former 911 dispatcher was acquitted of stabbing her husband to death after he came home late on his 40th birthday.

Juries in the separate trials of JAMES “GUNNA” WALKER (D.O.B. 9/9/86) and SHARON FITZPATRICK (D.O.B. 7/26/71) delivered their verdicts almost simultaneously this afternoon in Suffolk Superior Court. Walker was convicted of second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Antoine “Pun” Perkins on July 22, 2006, while Fitzpatrick was acquitted of the same offense for the stabbing death of her husband, Sylvester Mitchell, in their Evans Street home in the early morning hours of May 5, 2007. more »

A Dorchester man was held on high bail following his arraignment for allegedly using a children’s high chair to beat a stabbing victim in a Chinatown restaurant early this morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

HARVEY HENRY (D.O.B. 2/7/85) was arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court today on charges of armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Judge Edward Redd set bail at $30,000 as requested by Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Walsh and further ordered Henry to stay away from the victim, stay out of Chinatown, and surrender his passport if he posts bail. Henry was born in Jamaica. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury this morning convicted a 65-year-old Dorchester woman of manslaughter for stabbing 74-year-old Julius Scott to death in the apartment they shared last year, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Jurors found VERNA SEWELL (D.O.B. 12/21/44) guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the incident, which took place inside Scott’s Talbot Street home on the evening of May 8, 2009. Sewell had been indicted for second-degree murder. more »

The Suffolk County Grand Jury today returned indictments charging three suspects with first-degree murder and other offenses connected to the fatal stabbing of 58-year-old Richel Nova in a vacant Hyde Park home two months ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The indictments charge ALEXANDER GALLETT (D.O.B. 4/28/92) of Hyde Park; his girlfriend, YAMILEY MATHURIN (D.O.B. 2/25/93) of Mattapan, and MICHEL ST. JEAN (D.O.B. 8/3/90) of Hyde Park with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and breaking and entering for the incident that claimed Nova’s life shortly after midnight on the morning of Sept. 3. more »

Sylvester Mitchell’s wife “picked the wrong lie” when she told police she had nothing to do with his homicide, only to change her story later and claim she stabbed him in self-defense, a senior Suffolk County prosecutor said at the close of her trial today.

“She lied, because she knew she had done wrong,” said Assistant District Attorney David Deakin, chief of the Suffolk DA’s Family Protection and Sexual Assault Bureau. “She stabbed her husband and she knew she had been caught.”

SHARON FITZPATRICK (D.O.B. 7/26/71) is charged with second-degree murder for stabbing Mitchell to death in their Evans Street home at about 4:30 a.m. on his 40th birthday, May 5, 2007. more »

State Police homicide detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office are investigating deaths this morning in Chelsea and Revere.

Members of the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit and Chelsea Police detectives are investigating the stabbing death of a 16-year-old male at a residence on Grove Street shortly before 1:30 this morning. That teen was rushed to Whidden Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries. His identity is not being released at this time.

The investigation into the fatal stabbing is active and ongoing. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Chelsea Police detectives at 617-466-4826. more »

A Dorchester man gunned down a fellow gang member because the victim was “a snitch” who led an angry drug dealer’s associates to the defendant’s home after a drug rip-off, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said in closing arguments this morning.

Assistant District Attorney Edward Krippendorf said JAMES “GUNNA” WALKER (D.O.B. 9/9/86) shot 20-year-old Antoine “Pun” Perkins dead – and nearly killed Perkins’ friend – on July 22, 2006, because Perkins had arranged for some of his Lucerne Street Doggz associates to purchase two pounds of marijuana from a drug dealer they robbed instead. When the dealer told her boyfriend, prosecutors say, the boyfriend confronted Perkins and Perkins led him and others to Walker’s home.

Walker called Perkins “a snitch, and not just that day,” Krippendorf said. “He didn’t let it go. You heard that in the days and weeks afterwards he continued, he pursued that.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today assigned a senior prosecutor to the ongoing investigation of the use of force by Boston Police during an Oct. 22 arrest at Roxbury Community College.

Conley tapped First Assistant District Attorney Josh Wall to represent the Suffolk DA’s office in the probe. Wall, a Suffolk prosecutor for more than 15 years who oversees all Superior Court prosecutions in Suffolk County, is a widely-respected attorney who oversaw reforms in the use of eyewitness evidence by Boston Police and Suffolk prosecutors.

“It’s important for everyone involved that there be independent eyes reviewing what occurred here,” Conley said. “I spoke with Commissioner Davis, who has already initiated what he promises will be a complete and thorough internal investigation. Commissioner Davis has further pledged ongoing cooperation with my office, including providing us with all of the investigative materials so we can make an impartial determination concerning possible criminal conduct.” more »

A Roxbury man was committed to a state hospital for a mental health evaluation following his arraignment this week for allegedly exposing himself through a window to children in an elementary school gymnasium, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

TYRONE CURRY (D.O.B. 1/16/79) is charged with open and gross lewdness for the Tuesday morning incident, which took place outside the John Winthrop Elementary School in Dorchester. At his arraignment the same day, Assistant District Attorney April English recommended that he be held on $2500 cash bail and be ordered to stay away from the school; after hearing from the court clinician, Roxbury District Court Judge David Poole ordered Curry committed to Bridgewater State Hospital for a two-week evaluation.

Poole told attorneys that he would set bail at a post-evaluation hearing on Nov. 12. more »

A Suffolk County prosecutor today told Superior Court jurors to “put aside any inclination towards sympathy” for the elderly defendant or and victim of a 2009 stabbing and to “be impartial and follow the evidence where it leads you – no more no less.”

VERNA SEWELL (D.O.B. 12/21/44) is charged with second-degree murder for the May 8, 2009, stabbing of 74-year-old Julius Scott in his Dorchester residence. Evidence suggests that Sewell had been living in Scott’s Talbot Street studio apartment for several months before the stabbing.

“Julius Scott lived almost three-quarters of a century,” Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum said during his opening statement. “Somebody stopped him at 74. Somebody murdered him. Somebody left him in his apartment with a knife in his chest, left him to call 911 on his own, left him to sit in a chair in front of his television to wait for help that came too late.” more »

A member of a notorious Boston street gang who allegedly shot one man to death and seriously wounded another four years ago was issuing a “deadly and permanent lesson that you do not go against fellow Lucerne Street Doggz,” a Suffolk County prosecutor told Superior Court jurors in an opening statement.

The trial of JAMES A. WALKER, a.k.a. “GUNNA” (D.O.B. 9/9/86), of Dorchester began today, with the defendant facing charges of first-degree murder for the homicide of 20-year-old Antoine “Pun” Perkins, armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for the non-fatal shooting of Perkins’ friend, then 19, and unlawful possession of a firearm for the July 22, 2006, incident on Morton Street.

Assistant District Attorney Edward Krippendorf told the court that, a month prior to the shooting, Perkins had arranged for some of his Lucerne Street Doggz associates to purchase two pounds of marijuana from a third party. Instead of making a purchase, those friends stole the drugs and left the area, Krippendorf said. more »

The Suffolk County Grand Jury has indicted a South Boston man in connection with the death of 23-year-old Michael DiMaria, whose jugular vein was sliced by flying glass in a nightclub near Fenway Park this summer, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The indictments, returned yesterday, charge MICHAEL GUARDIOLA (D.O.B. 5/8/85) with one count of manslaughter and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for allegedly throwing a glass at another man after they bumped and exchanged words in the crowded Lansdowne Pub on Aug. 14. The glass missed that man, but broke apart and wounded three others who had nothing to do with the confrontation.

DiMaria, 23, a Hicksville, New York resident who was in Boston to visit friends, bled to death after part of the glass struck him in the throat. The two other victims sustained head and shoulder injuries. more »

A Hyde Park man was arraigned this morning on drug trafficking charges after his arrest with almost 2000 painkillers and sedatives for which he had no prescription, including more than 1900 pills hidden inside children’s toys in a box he’d received from Florida, Suffolk County District attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

GREGORY HORAN (D.O.B. 11/26/79) is charged with trafficking in between 100 and 200 grams of a Class B substance, possession of a Class C substance with intent to distribute, and violating the state’s drug laws in a school zone. Assistant District Attorney Ryan Mingo recommended that Horan be held on $75,000 cash bail; Judge Edward Redd set bail at $3,000, the amount Horan posted following his arrest yesterday.

State Police narcotics detectives assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office were informed yesterday by Federal Express security specialists that a package shipped to the company’s Post Office Square location contained a large amount of prescription pills. Together with Boston Police detectives and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents, the troopers viewed the package and its contents, then resealed it. The package was addressed to “Mr. G. Horan” and marked for pick-up by the recipient. It had been sent from Miami the day before. more »

State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office are asking for the public’s help in identifying the body of an adult female found deceased on Carson Beach yesterday morning.

The deceased is a white female estimated to be between 55 and 65 years of age, weighing about 140 lbs and about 5’2” tall. She had brown eyes and short blondish-gray hair. At the time of her death, she was wearing gold half-loop earrings and a gray crewneck sweatshirt. The sweatshirt had the words “Boston You’re My Home” and the insignia of the Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, and Red Sox embroidered across the chest. She was also wearing black pants, black socks, and black shoes.

A jogger discovered the woman’s body at about 7:00 yesterday on the shoreline near the Teacher’s Union Hall and State Police barracks. Her death is being investigated as a non-homicide and detectives are seeking leads in identifying her and contacting her next of kin. more »

The Massachusetts Appeals Court today reversed a district court judge’s decision to suppress a firearm recovered during a motor vehicle stop by Boston Police, citing the officers’ “reasonable concern for safety” when they searched the vehicle in 2008, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

WILLIAM A. GRAHAM (D.O.B. 1/11/86) of Roxbury and ROBERT KINES (D.O.B. 5/10/88) of Mattapan were arrested on gun and drug charges on July 22, 2008, after Boston Police stopped their vehicle on Perrin Street. Officers patrolling the area after a recent shooting had observed a group of people on a sidewalk shrink back from the defendants’ vehicle as it passed by them slowly and stopped the car for a traffic violation.

Upon conducting the motor vehicle stop, the officers observed in the vehicle a group of young men they knew to be gang members, including a third occupant passenger who had a history of firearms offenses. Kines, who was driving, defied the officers’ orders to keep his hands in sight; when they ordered him from the vehicle they also observed him lock the glove compartment and leave the key on his seat after retrieving his registration. Patfrisks led to the recovery of knives from both defendants and several bags of marijuana from Kines. more »

A Roxbury teen faces a mandatory life sentence today after a Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted him of murdering 15-year-old Soheil Turner on a busy Boston street corner last year, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Less than an hour into its first full day of deliberations, the jury found XENIYEJU CHUKWUEZI (D.O.B. 4/4/91) guilty of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for shooting Turner in the back of the head as Turner waited for a bus to school on the morning of May 7, 2009. Though murder one carries a mandatory life term without the possibility of parole, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Linda Giles scheduled a formal sentencing hearing for 2:00 in courtroom 806.

“A 15-year-old boy’s life was snuffed out as he did what thousands of teenagers do every day,” Conley said. “He stood waiting for a bus to school. His life and all his potential ended when a coward walked up and shot him in the head for no good reason at all.” more »

“Soheil Turner was a son, a grandson, a nephew and a friend to many people,” a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor told a Superior Court jury in closing arguments this morning. “Because of the actions of this defendant, he is none of those things anymore.”

Turner’s killer, Assistant District Attorney John Pappas said, was XZENIYEJU CHUKWUEZI (D.O.B. 4/4/91), on trial for first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for allegedly shooting the 15-year-old high school student to death near the corner of Adams and Dudley streets as the victim waited for a bus to take him to school a year and a half ago.

Unbeknownst to the defendant, the shooting was captured in its entirety on a surveillance camera video. more »

Two Celtics fans who broke into a Mission Hill apartment while drunk this summer were ordered to partake in a substance abuse program and perform community service after a district court judge continued their cases without a finding for a year last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Suffolk County prosecutors had sought criminal convictions and two years of supervised probation for PATRICK DIAMOND (D.O.B. 11/6/91) of Greenwich, Connecticut, and DANIEL SPILLAINE (D.O.B. 2/27/91) of Marblehead, both charged with breaking and entering at night with intent to commit a felony. Only Spillane was actually present inside the apartment; Diamond, who waited near the fire escape from which Spillane entered the residence, was charged as a joint venturer.

At a hearing Friday in West Roxbury District Court, Assistant District Attorney Christopher Meade also asked that both defendants perform 40 hours of community service, undergo substance abuse evaluation and treatment, remain drug- and alcohol-free, and stay away from the victims. more »

A South Boston man was taken into custody today after a Suffolk Superior Court jury found him guilty of raping a 27-year-old woman on his boat at the Dorchester Yachting Club two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

TORREY BROWNE (D.O.B. 10/26/75) was convicted of rape and assault and battery for the Sept. 1, 2008, incident on board Browne’s boat at the Dorchester Yachting Club. Judge Regina Quinlan ordered court officers to take Browne into custody pending sentencing on Nov. 17.

During the week-long trial, Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kalowski of Conley’s Sexual Assault Unit proved that Browne had invited the victim, whom he knew through work, to see the boat he had just bought. The boat was docked at the Dorchester Yachting Club, and the victim met him there on the evening of Oct. 31. more »

The state’s 11 district attorneys today said they welcomed a pledge by Democratic and Republican state auditor candidates to audit their defense counterparts’ skyrocketing budgets and affirmed their own commitments to fiscal transparency.

“We were heartened to learn that both candidates for state auditor would review the financial schemes that led to runaway costs at the Committee for Public Counsel Services,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. “We’ve always operated under that scrutiny and our finances are an open book. The system currently in place, though, provides a blank check and no oversight to private attorneys billing CPCS and the public for millions of dollars each year above and beyond what they earn in private practice.”

The state’s district attorneys yesterday made public their call to legislators and gubernatorial candidates to address the systemic flaws plaguing Massachusetts’ bar advocate program. Under that program, CPCS – the state agency that provides legal representation to indigent defendants – farms out 90% of its cases to thousands of private attorneys who bill taxpayers by the hour. more »

A former Chelsea resident serving jail time for molesting young relatives now faces potential lifetime commitment at a secure facility under the state’s Sexually Dangerous Person laws, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Assistant District Attorney Mindy Klenoff of Conley’s Sexual Assault Unit convinced Suffolk Superior Court Judge Mitchell Kaplan that JUSTO ESTERAZ (D.O.B. 11/10/38) is “likely to engage in further sexual offenses if not confined to a secure facility” and thus sexually dangerous under Massachusetts law. Kaplan’s findings came after four days of testimony from eight witnesses, including three victims and four psychologists. more »

Over the past few weeks, as my fellow District Attorneys and I have begun speaking publicly about the disparity in funding for prosecutors and public defenders in Massachusetts, just about everyone we talk to reacts in the same way: with shock and anger. People get the basic math that my colleagues have just laid out: that we can’t justify spending over $168 million for public defenders to handle 200,000 cases, while we dedicate just $92 million to prosecutors who handle 300,000 cases. These numbers do not reflect the public’s own safety priorities. We need to fix this broken system and restore proper balance.

Let’s be clear, the Committee for Public Counsel Services provides a vital service and an important function. But that should not translate into a blank check for thousands of defense attorneys or an excuse to ignore the fact that our system of providing criminal defense services for indigent defendants is systemically broken. more »

Revere Police and State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office are investigating the death of a 61-year-old Peabody woman who died in a motor vehicle that veered into the water off Route 107 in Revere this morning.

The woman has been identified as Anna Perkowski. Perkowski was driving a 2007 Lexus southbound at about 7:30 this morning when the vehicle lost its right rear wheel; as she tried to pull into a nearby parking lot, she apparently lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle struck a guardrail and landed in Diamond Creek, also known as Revere Creek. more »

Declaring that “The state’s budget should reflect our public safety priorities,” the state’s 11 District Attorneys tomorrow will announce efforts to enlist the support of policy shapers and the general public to correct a structurally flawed system to provide criminal defense services to indigent defendants. On Thursday, Oct. 14, at 12:30 p.m., the District Attorneys will detail structural flaws in the current system that has resulted in astronomical, runaway costs at the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS). Massachusetts now spends nearly twice as much to defend criminals as it does to prosecute them. At the same time, CPCS’ criminal defense caseload is only two-thirds that of the state’s District Attorneys. more »

A Dorchester man had his bail on an open assault case revoked and was held on an additional half-million dollars’ cash bail following his arraignment in connection with the shooting deaths of a two-year-old boy and three adults on Woolson Street late last month, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

KIMANI WASHINGTON (D.O.B. 10/17/75) was formally charged in Dorchester District Court this morning with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and single counts of possession of a Class D substance, trafficking in a Class B substance, and receiving a stolen motor vehicle. Washington was charged as an armed career criminal in light of two prior drug convictions in Suffolk Superior Court and an assault and battery conviction in Dorchester District Court. more »

A Cambridge man’s open bail was revoked and had new bail set at $250,000 cash following his arrest for allegedly stabbing a Boston College student on school property last month.

FRANCISCO “WIZZ” RAMIREZ (D.O.B. 2/22/92) was arraigned this morning in Brighton District Court on a count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon stemming from the stabbing of a 21-year-old male in the early morning hours of Sept. 25. In addition to setting the high bail, Judge David Donnelly also revoked Ramirez’ open bail on a pending drug charge out of Middlesex County. more »

The person who gunned down 15-year-old Soheil Turner on a busy weekday morning did so “without warning, without hesitation and without provocation,” a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said during opening statements this morning.

“As Soheil Turner stood outside the Nunez Market armed with nothing but his backpack and the honey bun he was eating at the time,” Assistant District Attorney John Pappas said, “this other person approached him from the bus stop diagonally across the street. After approaching Soheil Turner, this person engaged him in conversation right outside the Nunez Market.” more »

The serial rapist who killed 18-year-old Elsie “Yolanda” Hernandes in a vacant Roxbury lot 26 years ago was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted SULTAN OMAR CHEZULU (D.O.B. 10/2/48), who changed his name from ROBERT LOUIS SCOTT in 1997, of first-degree murder under all three theories: deliberate premeditation, extreme atrocity or cruelty, and felony murder during the commission of an aggravated rape. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today joined Middlesex County District Attorney Gerard T. Leone, Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas, and Boston Police detectives at Cambridge Police Headquarters to deliver the following remarks on the arrest of MARCUS A. COLONO (D.O.B. 11/21/77):

“It wasn’t long ago that these two crimes might not have been linked, much less solved and attributed to the same offender. They were two very different attacks with two very different sets of victims in two different jurisdictions. Their most striking commonality was the brutality displayed in each case.

“Two years ago, on Sept. 21, 2008, an unknown offender broke into a residence on Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton and raped two young women inside. The offender left evidence at the scene from which we were able to develop a DNA profile. more »

Suffolk County prosecutors proved yesterday that a Revere man is too dangerous to be released on bail after allegedly kicking and beating his girlfriend severely during a two-hour ordeal in his home last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Assistant District Attorney Amy Martin presented evidence at a hearing under the state’s so-called “dangerousness statute” in a successful effort to keep ROBERT CURLEY (D.O.B. 3/21/78) behind bars until his trial on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, mayhem, and witness intimidation. Martin elicited testimony from five witnesses, including the victim, a woman in her twenties.

Under Ch. 276, Sect. 58A of the Massachusetts General Laws, a judge may hold a defendant accused of certain violent crimes without bail pending trial upon “clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.” Following yesterday’s hearing in Chelsea District Court, Judge Jonathan Brant found that there was such evidence and ordered Curley held. more »

A Dorchester man already convicted of sex offenses against children was sentenced to up to five years in prison yesterday following his conviction for enticing a young girl on her way to school, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury last week convicted LEE C. BROWN (D.O.B. 7/7/52) of child enticement and annoying or accosting a person of the opposite sex. Yesterday, Judge Raymond Brassard sentenced him to a term of four to five years in state prison to be followed by 10 years of probation upon his release. The enticement charge carries a maximum of five years in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Montgomery of Conley’s Child Protection Unit proved that Brown was a routine fixture at a Dorchester Avenue school bus stop in 2009, when the victim would see him as she went to school. On Sept. 4 of that year, the first day of eighth grade for the girl, Brown handed her a note. more »

A Revere man has been held without bail following his arrest in connection with the shooting death of Kareem Spurill on Revervoir Avenue last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ALEN STIJAKOVIC (D.O.B. 1/23/91) was arraigned early this afternoon on a single count of murder in connection with Spurill’s shooting death outside a residence on the evening of Sept. 29. At the request of Assistant District Attorney David Fredette, Stijakovic was ordered held without bail.

Fredette said Stijakovic was arrested based on witness statements and additional evidence developed during an investigation by State Police assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office and Revere Police detectives. more »

The murders of a young mother, her tiny son, and two young men on Woolson Street was a crime of unspeakable violence. We’re here today because of that kind of violence will not go unanswered in our city. We’re here because we don’t respond to callous brutality in kind: we respond with careful, methodical, deliberate police work.

I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Buckley, Lt. Det. Greg Long, and the Boston Police Homicide Unit.

I should also note in particular the contributions of Sgt. Dets. John Brown, Richard Daley, Paul McLaughlin, and Marc Sullivan, and their squads, particularly Detectives Frank McLaughlin and Paul Donlon. more »

Authorities investigating Tuesday morning’s quadruple homicide on Woolson Street today renewed their call for the public’s assistance as they formally identified the victims.

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said the investigation is very active, but police and prosecutors still need the public’s help. Investigators urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant or peripheral it may seem, to call the Boston Police Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470.

Authorities also confirmed the identities of the deceased, all of whom suffered fatal gunshot wounds on Woolson Street in Mattapan shortly before 1:15 a.m. on Sept. 28. They are: more »

A Suffolk Superior Court judge yesterday found a Westborough woman guilty of bilking her former employer out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, raised her bail, and placed her on a GPS monitoring device pending a sentencing hearing next week, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Judge Peter Lauriat yesterday found CYNTHIA GOLDBERG (D.O.B. 11/13/62), a.k.a. CYNTHIA KUSSY, a.k.a. CYNTHIA McDONNELL, guilty of 10 counts of larceny over $250 and five counts of making false entry into corporate books. After delivering the verdict, Lauriat raised Goldberg’s bail from the $25,000 she had posted to $35,000 and ordered that she wear a GPS monitoring device if she posts that amount prior to sentencing.

Assistant District Attorney David Bradley of Conley’s Major Felony Bureau introduced evidence and testimony during the 11-day bench trial to prove that Goldberg systematically embezzled more than $600,000 from her employer, an environmental engineering company in Brighton, before she was fired in 2007. more »

Two Mattapan men will continue serving state prison sentences after the Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld their 2007 convictions on gun charges stemming from an incident outside a Dorchester courthouse, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

The Appeals Court yesterday affirmed the convictions of FERNDY ELYSEE (D.O.B. 8/23/83) and RICHARD DAVIS, Jr. (D.O.B. 6/25/87), found guilty at trial in Suffolk Superior Court on counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm. Elysee and Davis were additionally indicted as repeat offenders; they pleaded guilty to those indictments and were sentenced to state prison terms of six to seven years and six years, respectively.

“Every gun conviction takes a potential shooter off the street,” Conley said, “but those convictions aren’t the end of the road. They have to be built on good arrests and solid trial preparation, and they have to be argued by skilled appellate attorneys to survive legal challenges before the higher courts.” more »

State Police homicide detectives assigned to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and Revere Police are investigating a fatal shooting on Reservoir Avenue last night.

State Police detectives responded to the scene at about 7:30 p.m. for a shooting in the area of 308 Reservoir Ave. One man, identified as 26-year-old Kareem Spurill of Jamaica Plain, was transported to Whidden Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries.

State Police assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office investigate all homicides in Revere, Chelsea, and Winthrop. They are assisted by Revere Police detectives and uniformed officers, as well as specialized State Police units. As with all such investigations, a senior prosecutor from the DA’s Homicide Unit has also been assigned. more »

Two alleged gang members opened fire on a group of teenagers during a mission to rival gang territory, killing an innocent 14-year-old honor student in broad daylight, a Suffolk County prosecutor said during their arraignment on murder charges.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury yesterday indicted TIMOTHY “TOOLMAN” HEARNS (D.O.B. 3/13/90) of Dorchester and RAMON “DOUBLE R” SILVELO-MILES (D.O.B. 11/30/89) of Lynn for the crime of first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Jaewon Martin to death at a basketball court near the corner of Columbus and Heath streets on the afternoon of May 8.

At their arraignments today in Suffolk Superior Court, Assistant District Attorney Edward Krippendorf recommended that both men remain held without bail; Clerk Magistrate Gary D. Wilson imposed that recommendation. more »

The Suffolk County Grand Jury today returned indictments charging two men with the murder of 14-year-old Jaewon Martin earlier this year, setting the stage for their arraignments in Superior Court tomorrow, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The indictments, which are based upon a four-month investigation by the homicide units of the Suffolk DA’s office and Boston Police Department, charge TIMOTHY “TOOLMAN” HEARNS (D.O.B. 3/13/90) of Dorchester and RAMON “DOUBLE R” SILVELO-MILES (D.O.B. 11/30/89) of Lynn with first-degree murder for Martin’s May 8 shooting death at a basketball court near the intersection of Columbus and Heath streets.

The indictments also charge both men with three counts of armed assault with intent to murder for allegedly attempting to murder another teenage boy and two teenage girls who were also at the scene. They allegedly shot one of those victims, incurring an additional count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and fired at but missed two of those victims, incurring two additional charges of assault with a dangerous weapon. more »

A 24-year-old hearing-impaired man was held on high bail at his Suffolk Superior Court arraignment today on charges that he raped a young girl repeatedly over the course of a year after meeting her at a Brighton church, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ERIK ROLDAN (D.O.B. 1/19/86), whose legal residence is in East Boston but who was living in Allston at the time of his arrest, pleaded not guilty through an American Sign Language interpreter to three counts of rape of a child by force and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 for incidents that allegedly occurred from Sept. 1, 2009, to Aug. 11 of this year.

Clerk Magistrate Gary D. Wilson ordered that Roldan continue to be held on the $100,000 cash bail that was imposed at his district arraignment on Aug. 12. Wilson also told the defendant that, should he make bail, he must stay away from and have no contact with the victim’s family and have no contact with any child under the age of 16 while the case is open. more »

“It’s been 25 years since Yolanda Hernandes took her last breath,” a Suffolk County prosecutor told a Superior Court jury today, describing in graphic detail the 18-year-old murder victim’s final moments in a vacant Roxbury lot in the winter of 1984.

“It’s been 25 years since this defendant attacked Yolanda Hernandes,” First Assistant District Attorney Josh Wall said of SULTAN OMAR CHEZULU (D.O.B. 10/2/48), charged with first-degree murder for her Dec. 28, 1984 homicide. “It’s been 25 years since this defendant pulled Yolanda Hernandes into an abandoned lot in Roxbury. It’s been 25 years since this defendant raped her.”

Wall, who serves as chief of Superior Court prosecutions for Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, told the panel of 16 jurors that Chezulu – who changed his name from ROBERT LOUIS SCOTT – didn’t stop there. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today joined Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Mayor Thomas Menino to deliver the following remarks at Boston Police Headquarters:

“Early this morning, three adults and a toddler were shot to death in an act of unspeakable violence, and another victim is now clinging to life. In this room and across the city, I think we share the same horror, the same outrage, and the same unwavering commitment to see justice done. There can be no justification for what happened at Woolson Street. There can be no excuse for aiding the person or persons who murdered a helpless child.

“As the Commissioner noted, this investigation is extremely active. Police, prosecutors, criminalists, victim advocates, and support personnel are bringing every conceivable resource to bear on the case. We will not rest until the facts are known. more »

A Hyde Park man will serve about two months in jail for his role in a courtroom fracas that erupted earlier this year as four men were sentenced to life in prison after a month-long trial in Suffolk Superior Court, Daniel F. Conley said today.

REINALDO ORTIZ (D.O.B. 12/13/83) pleaded guilty to a single count of disorderly conduct stemming from his actions on May 25, when he and a large group of courtroom spectators began to yell at, push, and fight one another as four convicted murderers were sentenced to life in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Lynn Feigenbaum recommended a six-month house of correction sentence with three months to serve and the balance suspended for one year, with orders to stay away from Suffolk Superior Court and the Boston Municipal Court unless he has court business at either location. Boston Municipal Court Judge Annette Forde sentenced Ortiz to six months in the house of correction, with 59 days to serve and the balance suspended for one year. She adopted Feignebaum’s recommended stay-away orders. more »

A State trooper on military leave was ordered to surrender all of his firearms and his state Firearms Identifications Card during his arraignment on charges that he drove a personal vehicle while intoxicated and pointed his personal weapon at an off-duty Boston Police officer.

Acting on recommendations by Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Sherwood, Dorchester District Court Judge Robert Tochka also ordered TIMOTHY J. WALSH, 41, of Dorchester to remain alcohol-free, stay away from establishments that serve alcohol, submit to random breath tests, undergo a mental health evaluation, and take part in a Veteran’s Administration program for post-traumatic stress disorder while his case is pending.

Sherwood recommended that Tochka set Walsh’s bail at $2,000 cash. Tochka declined to set monetary bail. more »

Local, state, and federal authorities have charged an alleged black-market gun dealer with unlawfully selling a high-capacity firearm with an obliterated serial number to a cooperating witness, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

HERBERT DAVIS (D.O.B. 6/27/59) was arrested in his Harold Park apartment yesterday minutes after he was allegedly caught on tape selling a 9mm semiautomatic Intratec Tec-9 firearm, a 30-round magazine, and half an ounce of crack cocaine. Davis’ daughter, DEDREA POINDEXTER-DAVIS (D.O.B. 5/13/65) was also charged with possessing additional crack cocaine recovered inside the residence.

“This is another example of the gun and drug nexus that fuels violence in Boston, Suffolk County, and Massachusetts,” Conley said. “Local, state, and federal law enforcement are committed to reducing that violence at its source.” more »

A pair of North Shore men are charged with beating a street cleaning truck operator with a hammer and a football during an early morning attack near Government Center, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

PIERO G. PROCOPIO (D.O.B. 3/7/84) of Lynn and CRAIG S. STRASNICK (D.O.B. 2/9/87) of Nahant were arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court this morning on one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon each. Acting on a recommendation by Assistant District Attorney David Givskud, Judge Mark Hart Summerville set bail at $2500 for Procopio and $1000 for Strasnick.

Also at Givskud’s recommendation, Summerville ordered both men to stay away from and have no contact with the victim, a 20-year-old Hanson man employed by American Cleaners, while the case is pending. more »

A Dorchester man who tried to ditch his loaded 9mm handgun in front of Boston Police was sentenced yesterday to three years behind bars, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

A Boston Municipal Court jury in the Firearms Priority Disposition Session –commonly known as Gun Court – yesterday convicted EDSON R. SILVA (D.O.B. 4/1/86) of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm, and unlawful possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Acting on a recommendation by Assistant District Attorney Lauren Bernath, Judge Annette Forde sentenced Silva to three concurrent two-year terms in the Suffolk County House of Corrections for the possession charges plus a consecutive two-year-term for carrying the handgun while it was loaded. Edson will serve one of those years up front and the balance will be suspended for a probationary period of two years. more »

A Chelsea man is behind bars today following his arrest for allegedly robbing a Lafayette Avenue apartment at gunpoint just after midnight only to be apprehended when firefighters scared his associate away and called police, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

CHARNNE AUGUSTIN (D.O.B. 4/2/85) was arraigned in Chelsea District Court this afternoon on charges of armed home invasion, armed assault with intent to rob, kidnapping, and a slew of firearms offenses. Accommodating a request by Assistant District Attorney Barrett Hyde, Judge James Wexler set bail at $250,000 and revoked Augustin’s open bail on an unrelated case.

Prosecutors say Augustin and another man approached a Lafayette Avenue resident emptying his trash into a dumpster at about midnight. At gunpoint, the assailants robbed him of his house keys and cell phone, warning him not to do “anything stupid.” One assailant stood guard over that victim while the second – believed to be Augustin – went into his apartment building with a silver revolver. more »

A Lynn man will serve at least 15 years in prison for opening fire on a family on Thanksgiving 2008, seriously injuring three people and leaving one with permanent brain damage, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

RAMON ALTAGRACIA (D.O.B. 9/4/79), who was living as HOLVIN CRUZ at the time of the incident, was convicted of all charges yesterday following his trial on three counts of armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and a variety of firearms offenses.

Assistant District Attorney Holly Broadbent had recommended terms of 15 to 18 years in state prison on the lead charges plus an additional five to seven years for possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Raymond Brassard sentenced Altagracia to those terms but ordered them to run concurrent with one another rather than consecutively. more »

The state’s highest court today upheld the convictions of a man and woman convicted of murdering a 21-year-old mother and her two-year-old son in an East Boston apartment six years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Supreme Judicial Court unanimously affirmed the convictions of JIMS BENECHE (D.O.B. 7/31/83) and JESSICA LYNN DEANE, 23 (D.O.B. 9/16/83), both found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder at separate trials. Jurors at both proceedings found that Beneche and Deane beat and suffocated Kayla Ravenell, Beneche’s ex-girlfriend, and Xavier Ravenell, the son she bore him, on the night of May 22, 2004.

“It’s hard to imagine a crime as heartless as the cold-blooded murder of a young mother and her two-year-old child,” Conley said. “The evidence at both trials proved that these defendants did just that, with their bare hands.” more »

A Chelsea man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for stabbing 22-year-old Luis Garcia-Calle to death outside a Williams Street bar two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

After about two days of deliberations, a Suffolk Superior Court jury found MARIO MARTINEZ BONILLA (D.O.B. 6/1/86) guilty of first-degree murder under the theory of deliberate premeditation for the Feb. 27, 2008, stabbing that left Garcia-Calle mortally wounded. The East Boston man died in his hospital bed two weeks later.

Prior to sentencing, Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum told Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Donovan that Garcia-Calle’s parents, who flew in from their native Colombia for the trial and who were in the courtroom when the verdict was read, were “too overcome with emotion” to provide the court with an impact statement. more »

A Peabody man alleged to be a prescription drug kingpin was arrested on the steps of the Boston Municipal Court today as he reported to a court date on an earlier conspiracy case, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MARINO SPIRAKIS (D.O.B. 7/7/74), who is employed as a cook at a pizza shop, had a box containing $52,000 in cash when he was arrested June 23 amid an ongoing investigation into prescription painkiller trafficking in the Boston area. He later posted $15,000 cash bail – less than half the amount requested by Suffolk prosecutors – when arraigned the next day on charges of conspiracy to traffic in a Class B substance.

This morning, as he approached the Boston Municipal Court for a scheduled hearing on that case, Spirakis was taken into custody by State Police and federal agents who had learned that he was directing the delivery and sale of 5,000 30mg Percocet tablets seized yesterday at the Copley MBTA station. more »

A Roxbury man was held on high bail today following his arrest near the Rhode Island border for a violent November robbery that left one victim with a head injury and a twice-convicted killer behind bars, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MARVIN SMITH (D.O.B. 3/14/56) was arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court today as the second assailant in the Nov. 9, 2009, armed robbery of the Boston Cab Company on Kilmarnock Street. He was arrested in Blackstone last night after Boston Police criminalists recovered biological evidence from a discarded baseball cap at the scene and entered it into a DNA database.

Smith is charged with armed robbery while masked, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Assistant District Attorney Philip O’Brien recommended that he be held on $200,000 cash bail; Judge Edward Redd set bail at $65,000. more »

An East Boston man who fled the state and used an alias after allegedly gunning down Luis Raul Rodriguez in broad daylight was held without bail today following his arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury on Sept. 13 indicted JONATHAN CARVALHO (D.O.B. 10/29/89) on charges of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for the 29-year-old Chelsea victim’s fatal shooting on Aug. 10. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis, Superior Court Clerk Gary D. Wilson ordered Carvalho held without bail, as Carvalho has been since his arraignment in Chelsea District Court six days later.

Galatis told the court that, at approximately 12:30 on the afternoon of the shooting, Carvalho went to the victim’s Central Avenue home with another individual. That individual knocked on Rodriguez’s apartment door. When Rodriguez answered, Galatis said, the individual told him that Carvalho was waiting for him outside. more »

An alleged double murderer was held without bail today following his arraignment for the shooting deaths of Angel Acevedo and Jenret Appleberry in a Chelsea apartment early Labor Day morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

STEVEN ANDRE (D.O.B. 5/5/88), who was most recently living in Malden, was formally charged with two counts of murder for allegedly shooting the 25-year-old Acevedo and 26-year-old Appleberry to death inside their Chester Avenue residence in the early morning hours of Sept. 6.

Andre was arrested yesterday afternoon by State Police homicide detectives assigned to Conley’s office and Chelsea Police detectives who had been investigating the murders since they were first reported. more »

“All my hopes and dreams died on November 9, 2008 with the little girl who defined me,” the heartbroken mother of 19-year-old Alexandra “Xanda” Gomes wrote in a statement read aloud to the court after the man charged with fatally shooting the teen admitted to his role in her death.

“Not a day has passed that I do not shed a tear, and more often than not, you can find me totally despondent, a broken woman who wants nothing more than to hold her baby and hear her say, ‘I love you mommy,’” Gomes’ mother wrote.

At a Suffolk Superior Court hearing today, DANIEL HARRIS (D.O.B. 1/1/85) of Dorchester was sentenced to 20 years in state prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter for fatally shooting Gomes on Elder Street on the evening of Nov. 9, 2008, and three counts of armed assault with intent to murder for the non-fatal shooting of three others. He also admitted to unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition. more »

A Somerville man and his Revere associate performed illegal liposuctions and other procedures with no medical or aesthetician’s licenses, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said after their arraignments today.

VICTOR HERNANDEZ (D.O.B. 5/28/72) and his associate, MARIA NASCIENTO (D.O.B. 5/22/55), were arraigned this afternoon in Chelsea District Court on charges of unauthorized practice of medicine for allegedly performing cosmetic surgery at their offices on Broadway in Revere. The two were also charged with distribution of a Class E substance, possession of a Class E substance with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to distribute a Class E substance, all related to the use of Lidocaine, a local anesthetic, during the procedures.

“We’ve already seen what can happen when surgical procedures are performed by people without legitimate training and licensure,” Conley said, referring to the death of a 24-year-old woman during an operation in Framingham. “Local, state, and federal authorities are trying to keep it from happening again.” more »

The state’s highest court today affirmed the four first-degree murder convictions handed down two years ago for the fatal shootings of Jason Bachiller, Jihad Chankhour, Edwin Duncan, and Christopher Vieira during the robbery of three firearms in the basement of a Bourneside Street home, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

CALVIN CARNES, Jr. (D.O.B. 8/8/86) was convicted of all charges after two and a half weeks of trial during the summer of 2008 featuring 65 witnesses and more than 200 physical exhibits. In addition to finding him guilty of the murders, jurors also convicted Carnes of three counts of armed robbery, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, and single counts of larceny over $250 and unlawful possession of a large-capacity firearm.

“We reject the defendant’s claims, affirm his convictions, and, after review of the entire record … decline to exercise our power to grant extraordinary relief,” the court wrote in a unanimous 16-page decision authored by Justice Judith Cowin. more »

A former Middleboro man pleaded guilty yesterday to carjacking an Auburn grandmother in downtown Boston last year, accepting more than a decade in prison rather than face trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

RICHARD MORSE, Jr. (D.O.B. 12/23/60), who was living at the Pine Street Inn at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to carjacking, armed robbery, assault and battery on a person over 60, and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for the incidents that unfolded near Downtown Crossing on the evening of Nov. 2, 2009.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Thomas Connors sentenced Morse to 11 years in state prison on the carjacking charge, concurrent terms of four to five years on the assault and assault and battery charges, and five years of probation on the armed robbery charge, to begin upon his release from prison in the year 2020. Should Morse re-offend while on probation, he faces up to life in prison, Conley said. more »

The state’s highest court yesterday upheld the 2007 conviction of a Dorchester man who shot two people he believed had seen him commit an earlier homicide, killing one and injuring the other, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

The Supreme Judicial Court unanimously affirmed HELDER BARBOSA’s convictions for first-degree murder, armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The convictions stem from the Oct. 24, 2004, shooting death of 29-year-old Edward Serret and the non-fatal shooting of another man, then 26.

At trial, Suffolk prosecutors proved that Barbosa shot the surviving victim once in the shoulder and, when he feigned death, turned the gun on Serret and shot him six times, killing him. Evidence and testimony proved that Barbosa continued to beat Serret even as he died of gunshot wounds to his lungs and liver. more »

A Dorchester man was ordered held without bail today on a murder charge stemming from the strangulation of his wife, 39-year-old Victoria Paron, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Assistant District Attorney David Deakin, Conley’s senior domestic violence prosecutor and chief of the DA’s Family Protection and Sexual Assault Bureau, said ROGER PARON, Jr. (D.O.B. 4/30/59) killed her Sept. 4 in a residence they shared on Bicknell Street.

“More than almost any other crime, domestic violence afflicts people of every age, ethnicity, income, and orientation,” Conley said. “If you’re in an abusive relationship, or if you know someone who is, we’re ready to help. No one should have to live in fear of an intimate partner.” more »

State Police assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office and Chelsea Police detectives continue to investigate the shooting deaths of two men whose identities were released today.

The men were identified as Angel Acevedo, 25, and Jenret Appleberry, 26. Both were Chelsea residents.

Investigators believe the two men were shot to death inside a residence at 95 Chester Ave. at about 2:00 Monday morning. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. more »

The trio who allegedly robbed and murdered 58-year-old Richel Nova were held without bail at their arraignment this morning on charges that they slaughtered him moments after he delivered a pizza to an abandoned home on Hyde Park Avenue, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ALEXANDER GALLETT (D.O.B. 4/28/92) of Hyde Park; his girlfriend, YAMILEY MATHURIN (D.O.B. 2/25/93) of Mattapan; and MICHEL ST. JEAN (D.O.B. 8/3/90) of Hyde Park were formally charged in West Roxbury District Court with murder for allegedly stabbing Nova to death on the night of Sept. 2. They are additionally charged with armed robbery for taking a quantity of cash from Nova during the attack and breaking and entering for unlawfully gaining access to the unoccupied residence where the incident unfolded.

“Every new piece of evidence we uncover makes this crime more despicable,” Conley said. “Taken together, they paint a picture of almost unbelievable malevolence.” more »

State Police homicide detectives assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office and Chelsea Police detectives are investigating the deaths of two young men early this morning on Chester Avenue.

Investigators believe the two victims, both male and in their 20s, were shot to death inside a residence at 95 Chester Ave. at about 2:00 this morning.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have not yet been confirmed and will not be released until family members have been notified.

Anyone with information on the incident is urged to call Chelsea Police at 617-466-4835. All callers may remain anonymous if they wish.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today delivered the following remarks on the arrests of ALEXANDER GALLETT, MICHEL ST. JEAN, and YAMILEY MATHURIN for the Sept. 2 homicide of 58-year-old Richel Nova:

“This weekend we remember America’s working men and women, the laborers and salt of the earth who built our nation in the trades and services. Richel Nova was just such a man, but for his family this time will be remembered for something else – something terrible and tragic.

“Because while most of us were planning beach trips and barbecues, someone else was plotting the craven ambush that took Mr. Nova’s life. And now a family from Hyde Park plans to bury its patriarch, whose life was stolen along with the handful of dollar bills he carried. more »

State Police detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office have identified the man found dead near the Charles River Esplanade early this morning.

Using a post office box number handwritten on a scrap of paper found in the man’s pocket, detectives were able to identify the deceased late this afternoon as a 54-year-old Upton man. They were then able to contact the man’s sister and inform her of his death.

Firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and police responding to a passerby’s 4:45 a.m. call found the man slumped to his right on a park bench facing the water near the Hatch Memorial Shell. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause and manner of his death remain under investigation pending a complete autopsy, but investigators saw no outward signs of trauma or obvious indications of foul play. more »

A Roxbury woman will serve at least six months in jail, with the potential for another two years behind bars if she doesn’t abide by the conditions of a four-year probationary term set after her conviction for misleading police after her 8-year-old son was shot to death, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Assistant District Attorney David Deakin, Conley’s chief child abuse prosecutor, recommended a 2½-year jail term for LAKEISHA GADSON (D.O.B. 8/17/76) following her conviction for misleading a police officer – a crime under Massachusetts’ witness intimidation statute – after her son, Liquarry Jefferson, was shot to death by a young cousin as they played with Gadson’s older son’s unregistered, unsecured, loaded handgun.

Deakin recommended that Gadson serve one year behind bars with the balance suspended for three years, further recommending that she be ordered to complete a parenting class and abide by any orders imposed by the Department of Children and Families regarding her remaining three children. more »

A 16-year-old Roxbury youth was held on half a million dollars’ cash bail for allegedly stabbing an adult on an MBTA bus this week and had his open bail on two pending cases revoked, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

The defendant, whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile, was arraigned in the Boston Juvenile Court this morning on charges of armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The youth was arrested yesterday afternoon by MBTA Transit Police investigating the Tuesday evening incident onboard a Route 23 bus.

“From what we’ve gathered thus far, this was a vicious and utterly pointless attack,” Conley said. more »

A young man’s bail on two open drug cases was revoked yesterday following his arraignment on charges that he kept a loaded semi-automatic pistol and 22 bags of marijuana in his bedroom, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

JONATHAN LEON (D.O.B. 7/2/91) of Jamaica Plain was arraigned in West Roxbury District Court yesterday and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, improper storage of a firearm, possession of a Class D drug with intent to distribute as a second offense, and violating the state’s drug laws within 1000 feet of a school.

District Court Judge Shannon Frison ordered Leon held on $15,000 cash bail. Frison granted Assistant District Attorney Christopher Meade’s motion to revoke Leon’s bail on three pending cases, two of which also allege possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute. more »

State Police are investigating the deaths of two men in a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of routes 16 East and 145 in Revere early this morning.

A preliminary investigation by the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit and State troopers assigned to Troop A suggests that a 27-year-old Lynn man operating a 2005 Toyota Corolla traveled into the intersection against a red light and at a high rate of speed at about 1:25 a.m., crashing into a 1995 Toyota Corolla operated by a 65-year-old Revere man.

Both men were ejected from their vehicles. The Lynn man was transported to Whidden Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries. The Revere man was pronounced dead at the scene. more »

Appearances by two professional soccer players and giveaways by a slew of local businesses helped Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s eighth annual Soccer for Peace tournament score points with kids citywide yesterday.

“This was our biggest and best event ever,” Conley said of the games on Dorchester’s Pope John Paul II Field. “We had a great turnout from the office, from our youth service partners, and from our sponsors. The community really comes together for an event like this.”

Conley has hosted the annual soccer tournament each summer since 2003 as a way to bring Boston kids and teens together with members of his office for a day of safe, healthy team-oriented activity. This year’s marquee sponsors were Citizens Bank, which provided every young player with a free backpack full of school supplies, and the New England Revolution soccer team, which provided the kids and family members with tickets to an upcoming home game. more »

Boston-area businesses and local pro soccer teams have ratcheted up their support for Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s Soccer for Peace tournament this year, setting the stage for the annual event’s biggest success ever as young players descend on Pope John Paul II Park tomorrow.

The tournament’s marquee supporters are the New England Revolution soccer team, which is providing 100 kids and teens with tickets for them and their families to attend their Sept. 4 home game against the Seattle Sounders, and Citizens Bank, which is donating 125 backpacks filled with school supplies to young Soccer for Peace players.

“It’s plain as day that these businesses take pride in their roles as community stakeholders,” Conley said. “Even in a stormy economy, the Revolution and Citizens Bank have made these tournaments possible through their generosity and commitment to Boston’s young people.” more »

An alleged drug trafficker was charged yesterday with secreting more than 80 grams of crack cocaine and an unregistered .357 Magnum in a basement safe, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

GARY ALAN LEWIS, JR. a.k.a. DERRICK LEWIS (D.O.B. 7/20/79) was arraigned yesterday in West Roxbury District Court on charges of trafficking in a Class B substance in a school zone, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a as a second offense, possession of a firearm while in the commission of a felony, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Meade requested that Lewis be held on $75,000 cash bail. District Court Judge Lawrence E. McCormick set bail at $7,000 and ordered Lewis to report to the Probation Department once a week while his case is pending. McCormick further ordered that Lewis refrain from using drugs or alcohol and that he submit to random drug screens. more »

A Grove Hall man was sentenced to 10 years in state prison last week after community leaders took their concerns about his drug distribution center to law enforcement partners, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

LARRY BLUE (D.O.B. 7/14/67) was convicted Wednesday of trafficking in cocaine in a school zone, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a Class D substance. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Donovan sentenced him to 10 years on the gun as an armed career criminal and a series of shorter terms on the other convictions to run concurrent with that sentence.

“We got this result because members of the Grove Hall community brought us their concerns and we listened,” said Conley, who assigned the deputy chief of his Gang Unit to prosecute the case. “Larry Blue was at the center of guns, drugs, and all the havoc they can wreak on an otherwise hardworking community. He was exactly the kind of neighborhood scourge that Boston Police and Suffolk prosecutors will work tirelessly to take off the street.” more »

A Mattapan man was charged today with stealing money from the tip jar at a popular Roslindale bakery on Friday evening, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MICHAEL P. KACHELE (D.O.B. 7/30/80) of Mattapan was arraigned in West Roxbury District Court on a single count of larceny under $250 for allegedly snatching a fistful of dollars out of the tip jar at the Fornax Bread Company. Judge Robert J. McKenna set his bail at $250 and ordered him to stay away from the Corinth Street bakery while his case is open.

Boston Police responded to the scene just before 6:00 Friday evening and learned that a man – later identified as Kachele – had asked to use the business’ telephone to call his mother. After an employee turned around briefly, she noticed that several dollar bills were missing from the tip jar on the counter. When she confronted the man, he fled the premises. more »

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County last week provided backpacks full of school supplies to 40 abused children, thanks to the National Children’s Alliance and the Verizon Foundation, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County unites public, private, and community partners to serve the victims of child abuse and promote safety and justice for them and their families. Last week, it was one of 145 similar centers nationwide to receive a total of $100,000 in Target gift cards from the two national partners dedicated to preventing family violence.

“Youth transitioning to foster care must cope not only with their victimization, but also with multiple challenges including new living situations, disrupted relationships, and adjustment to a new school,” said Susan Goldfarb, executive director of the CAC. “We are pleased to be able to support children during this difficult time and to help provide the necessary tools for a successful experience in school.” more »

Four Dorchester men were charged with a raft of offenses yesterday after an attempted car stop by Boston Police turned into a chase that led to the recovery of an unregistered handgun and a stolen bullet-resistant vest, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

TYRONNE SEAMS (D.O.B. 3/6/86), JONATHAN E. BROWN (D.O.B. 10/14/90), FRED C. PALMER (D.O.B. 2/21/90), and RICARDO D. FIELDS (D.O.B. 10/8/81), all of Dorchester, were arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Seams was additionally charged with using body armor during the commission of a felony and receiving stolen property. Fields was additionally charged with possession of a Class D drug with intent to distribute, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and the civil offense of not having a valid inspection sticker. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s point prosecutor on hate crimes will join her federal counterparts at a national conference in Florida next week.

Assistant District Attorney Christina Miller, Conley’s chief of district courts and community prosecutions, will represent the Suffolk DA’s office on an Aug. 27 panel discussing hate crime prosecutions and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. She will join a group of assistant United States attorneys also seated on the panel.

The discussion is one of more than two dozen expected at the National LGBT Bar Association’s Lavender Law Career Fair and Conference, an annual event that draws the sharpest minds in the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender legal community. Hundreds of judges, attorneys, scholars, and students are expected to attend. more »

State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office are investigating the death of a 56-year-old pedestrian struck and killed by a Chelsea Police cruiser responding to a call for assistance late last night.

Preliminary investigation by State Police indicates that the Chelsea man, who will not be named until his family has been notified, entered the roadway on foot and was struck by the cruiser at about 11:15 p.m. The cruiser was responding with active lights and sirens to assist Everett Police engaged in pursuit of a suspect.

The officer operating the cruiser remained at the scene and notified Chelsea Police dispatchers. Responding emergency medical technicians transported the pedestrian to Whidden Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries. The officer was treated at and released from Massachusetts General Hospital. more »

A Chelsea youth was held on a quarter-million dollars’ cash bail today following his arraignment as an accessory after the fact to the January stabbing death of 50-year-old Israel Vasquez, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

At a closed door hearing in the Juvenile Session of Chelsea District Court, Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren told Judge Marjory German that the 17-year-old defendant – who was 16 at the time of the offense and thus charged as a juvenile – helped MARVIN RUANO GARCIA (D.O.B. 4/28/85) dispose of Vasquez’ body after Garcia allegedly stabbed him to death on the morning of Jan. 5, 2010.

Garcia was arrested by Chelsea Police and State Police assigned to Conley’s office later on Jan. 5 after obtaining witness statements and other evidence that he fatally stabbed Vasquez during an argument inside the apartment they shared. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Marian McGovern, and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis today reminded area residents and incoming students to exercise caution on the Charles River Esplanade, particularly at night, in light of a series of unsolved sexual assaults in that area.

Authorities recommended that joggers, cyclists, pedestrians, and others travel in groups if they visit the Esplanade at night. More specifically, they recommended that people in the area remain alert and aware of their surroundings, avoid one-on-one contact with strangers in the area, seek help if a stranger tries to isolate them, and not accept rides from strangers.

“Each late summer brings to Boston and Cambridge a new crop of students unaware of these attacks,” Conley said. “As we educate them on basic safety and how to approach the Esplanade at night, we’re also reminding long-term residents that this attacker remains at large and could still be active in the area.” more »

A one-time drifter was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 10 years yesterday for repeatedly raping a 13-year-old relative over a period of hours in her Dorchester home, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury last summer found MILTON RODGERS (D.O.B. 5/2/66) guilty of three counts of rape of a child, two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child, and one count of assault and battery.

After another set of proceedings this week, a second jury late yesterday found that Rodgers was the same defendant convicted in Suffolk County in 1988 of raping another child and in 1983 of manslaughter in Alabama. Those previous convictions left Rodgers open to enhanced sentences on his most recent offenses. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today delivered the following remarks on the death of PHILIP MARKOFF (D.O.B. 2/12/86). Markoff was found deceased on Aug. 15 inside his cell at the Nashua Street Jail, where he was awaiting trial for the April 14, 2009, first-degree murder of Julissa Brisman and related offenses:

“At 10:06 am this past Sunday, Aug. 15, a corrections officer making routine rounds at the Nashua Street Jail discovered Phillip Markoff unresponsive in his jail cell. Staff at Nashua Street immediately administered CPR and notified 911. Within minutes, members of Boston Emergency Medical Services responded to Mr. Markoff’s cell. Efforts to revive Mr. Markoff were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 10:17 am. Mr. Markoff died at his own hand.

“This death should not divert attention from what really happened here. It should not obscure the overwhelming evidence against Mr. Markoff or the brutality of his crimes. It is, in no small way, the ultimate indicator of consciousness of guilt. more »

An East Boston man who fled the state last week after allegedly shooting Chelsea resident to death was ordered held without bail today at his murder arraignment, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

At a Chelsea District Court arraignment this afternoon, JONATHAN CARVALHO (D.O.B. 10/29/89) was charged with the Aug. 10 homicide of 29-year-old Luis Rodriguez. He was additionally charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. District Court Judge D. Dunbar Livingston ordered him held without bail.

Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis told the court that, at approximately 12:30 on the afternoon of the shooting, Carvalho went to the victim’s Central Avenue home with another individual. That individual knocked on Rodruiguez’s apartment door. When Rodriguez answered, the individual told him that Carvalho was waiting for him outside; the defendant and the victim had allegedly had a prior dispute in the weeks before the shooting. more »

A South Boston man was charged with manslaughter today for allegedly throwing a glass that broke and sent shards of glass into a New York resident’s throat, killing him, inside a Lansdowne Street bar this weekend, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

HECTOR GUARDIOLA (D.O.B. 5/8/85) was arraigned this morning in Roxbury District Court for the death of 23-year-old Michael Dimaria. Guardiola was additionally charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for injuring two other people at the Lansdowne Pub near Fenway Park.

Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum requested that Guardiola be held on $250,000 cash bail and noted that the defendant provided two different home addresses to authorities. District Court Judge David Weingarten set bail at $75,000 and ordered the defendant to surrender his passport to the court should he make bail. more »

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today released the following statement on the death of PHILIP MARKOFF:

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and Boston Police Department Homicide Unit, with the assistance of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, are investigating the apparent suicide of Philip Markoff at the Nashua Street Jail this morning. Markoff was found unresponsive inside his cell and pronounced dead at 10:17 a.m.

The investigative steps currently under way are taken in all unattended or unnatural deaths within the City of Boston. Markoff was alone in his cell and all evidence collected thus far indicates that he took his own life. Nonetheless, as with all such cases, a comprehensive investigation will be conducted to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding his death.

A 24-year-old man was ordered held on high bail at his district court arraignment today on charges that he raped a friend’s seven-year-old child multiple times over the past six months, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

ERIK ROLDAN (D.O.B. 1/19/86), who has an address in East Boston, but is believed to be living with a family member in Allston, was arraigned in Brighton District Court today on three counts of forcible rape of a child, and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14. Brighton District Court Judge David T. Donnelly ordered the defendant held on $100,000 cash bail and that he stay away from and have no contact with the victim or her family. The defendant, who is hearing-impaired, pleaded not guilty through an interpreter.

Roldan was arrested yesterday by the Boston Police Fugitive and Apprehension Unit. more »

A 20-year-old man already serving a sentence for a prior conviction today admitted to a non-fatal stabbing that took place in Revere nearly three years ago, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DEREK LODIE (D.O.B. 1/28/90) pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault for his role in a Sept. 23, 2007 incident during which he attacked three men, stabbing two of them.

Lodie is currently serving a State Prison sentence of eight-to-12-years for his role as an accessory prior to the Sept. 29, 2007 shooting of Revere Police officer Daniel Talbot. more »

State Police detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office together with Chelsea Police Department detectives continue to investigate the circumstances of a fatal shooting in Chelsea yesterday.

At about noon yesterday, State Police detectives responded to 230 Central Ave. after receiving a 911 call indicating that there had been a shooting. Responding officers found a victim suffering from gunshot wounds to the torso. That victim has been identified as 29-year-old Luis Raul Rodriguez.

The victim was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted the mother of eight-year-old Liquarry Jefferson of misleading an officer, but acquitted her of four other charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Jurors found LAKEISHA GADSON (D.O.B. 8/17/76) of Roxbury guilty of misleading police officers regarding the circumstances surrounding her son’s shooting death at the hands of a seven-year-old cousin. The loaded firearm, belonging to Gadson’s teenaged son, had been stored in his dresser drawer, which sat so low to the ground that Jefferson was able to retrieve it on the night of June 24, 2007 and hand it to his cousin. That cousin shot him during a game, causing injuries that killed him later that night.

Jurors accepted that Gadson misled police officers when she told investigators that three unknown assailants in hooded sweatshirts entered her home and shot the boy to death before fleeing. more »

Four men and one juvenile were held on high bail yesterday at a district court arraignment for their alleged roles in the August 7 non-fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old Dorchester man on the platform of the Downtown Crossing MBTA Station, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DEMETRIUS AARON (D.O.B. 12/02/1992) of Dorchester, DAVID AMADIN (D.O.B. 1/24/1992), MICHAEL CAMPBELL (D.O.B. 1/05/1993), and JORDAN CAMPBELL (D.O.B. 1/10/1992), all of Roxbury, were arraigned in the Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court and each charged with assault and battery, armed robbery, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for their alleged roles in the incident. Boston Municipal Court Judge Michael Coyne set bail for each defendant at $100,000.

A 15-YEAR-OLD JUVENILE (D.O.B. 10/11/1994) of Roxbury was arraigned for the same offenses in the Boston Juvenile Court, where a $5,000 bail was imposed, and he was ordered held on a Department of Youth Services detainer. more »

A Roxbury man was arraigned today in the Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court and held on high bail for allegedly stabbing another man on Saturday morning following an apparent driving-related dispute, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JUAN C. ALEJANDRO (D.O.B. 9/5/77) was charged with assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for allegedly stabbing a 26-year-old man on Kneeland Street after the two men exited their cars and became engaged in an altercation.

In requesting $75,000 cash bail, Assistant District Attorney Gregory Henning noted that while the victim is expected to survive his injuries, his neck was so badly sliced that he had to undergo a lengthy surgery to repair a major blood vessel, requiring him to be placed in a medically induced coma. more »

A Lynn man was ordered held without bail today at his Roxbury District Court arraignment for his alleged role in the May 8 homicide of 14-year-old Jaewon Martin and the non-fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy in Jamaica Plain, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

RAMON SILVELO-MILES (D.O.B. 11/30/89) is charged with murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm for his role in the shooting. A warrant for his arrest was approved last week in the course of a far-reaching investigation by the homicide units of the Boston Police Department and Suffolk DA’s office, and he was taken into custody Friday by members of the Boston Police Fugitive Unit.

Silvelo-Miles is the second suspect to be charged in Martin’s death: the alleged gunman, TIMOTHY HEARNS (D.O.B. 3/13/90), was arrested on July 30 and was also ordered held without bail. more »

Twenty years after he broke into two South End apartments and raped the occupants, a serial rapist was sentenced to 20 years in state prison, with that term to follow the 40-year term he’s already serving for breaking into another home and brutalizing two elderly women.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office recommended life in prison for MICHAEL JOHNSON (D.O.B. 4/9/69) following his conviction yesterday for the April 10, 1990, aggravated rape of a 23-year-old woman on Wellington Street. Prosecutors recommended an additional 20-year prison term for the May 7, 1990, rape of a 24-year-old woman on West Concord Street and another 20-year prison term for the attempted rape of that woman’s 30-year-old roommate.

Prosecutors had further asked that the sentences run consecutive from one another for a total of life in prison plus forty years, to begin only after his current prison terms end. more »

Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the arrest of a second suspect in the May 8 shooting death of 14-year-old Jaewon Martin and the non-fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy in Jamaica Plain.

Members of the Boston Police Fugitive Unit today arrested RAMON SILVELO-MILES (D.O.B. 11/30/89) of Lynn on a warrant charging him with murder. The warrant was approved earlier this week in the course of a far-reaching investigation by the homicide units of the Boston Police Department and Suffolk DA’s office.

He is the second suspect to be charged in Martin’s death: the alleged gunman, TIMOTHY HEARNS (D.O.B. 3/13/90), was arrested one week ago and is currently held without bail. more »

Three weeks before eight-year-old Liquarry Jefferson was shot to death by another child with his older brother’s handgun, his mother acknowledged the unregistered firearm in her home during a taped phone call to her incarcerated boyfriend, a Suffolk County prosecutor said at the close of her trial.

LAKEISHA GADSON (D.O.B. 8/17/76) of Roxbury is charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment of a child, and other offenses for allegedly allowing her teenaged son to store a loaded gun in his dresser, which sat so low to the ground that Jefferson was able to retrieve it on the night of June 24, 2007, and provide it to his seven-year-old cousin. That cousin shot him during a game, causing injuries that killed him later that night.

“If the defendant hadn’t allowed her 15-year-old son to keep a 9mm semiautomatic handgun in the top drawer of his dresser,” Assistant District Attorney David Deakin told jurors during his closing argument, “Liquarry Jefferson would still be with us and we would not be here. That’s what this case is about.” more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted a former South End man for a pair of rapes he committed more than 20 years ago, setting the stage for a potential life term, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

After deliberating for about two hours, jurors convicted MICHAEL JOHNSON (D.O.B. 4/9/69) of rape, aggravated rape, and assault with intent to rape for his attacks on three South End women during the spring of 1990.

“This was a complex case with a great deal of scientific testimony, but it could not have been made without the women who reported these attacks,” Conley said. “They called police. They went to the hospital for rape kits. They testified at trial knowing how difficult it would be. Their assailant was identified through DNA, but their strength made these convictions possible.” more »

“Even when there was no music on,” Luz Forty’s family wrote in an impact statement read at her killer’s sentencing hearing, “Luz would find a reason to dance. She was always dancing.”

MARIO GONZALEZ (D.O.B. 7/28/79) of Dorchester was convicted of first-degree murder last week for stabbing the 38-year-old Forty to death after a Valentine’s Day dinner in 2009. Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum, who prosecuted the case, today read a message from her loved ones to the sentencing judge.

“On February 15, 2009, the life of our family changed forever,” the statement read. “She was the oldest of five children. Family was always important to her. She was the type of person that, even though she was having a bad day, she would always make sure that you were having a good day. She could always make the family laugh.” more »

“A lot can happen in 20 years,” a Suffolk County prosecutor said at the close of trial in a pair of 20-year-old rapes in Boston’s South End. “People’s memories fade, but the truth never changes.”

MICHAEL JOHNSON (D.O.B. 4/9/69), himself a South end resident at the time of the 1990 attacks, is charged with raping a 23-year-old woman in her Wellington Street apartment on April 10; raping a 24-year-old woman in her West Concord Street apartment on May 7; and attempting to rape that woman’s 30-year-old roommate during that same incident.

Johnson allegedly bound the first victim’s hands behind her back with a telephone cord and covered her face with a towel, preventing her from seeing his face. He was allegedly present when the second set of victims returned home late at night, turned out the lights, and attacked them from behind. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced today that he is extending the deadline for area non-profit organizations that work with kids and teens in Boston, Revere, Chelsea and Winthrop to apply for his annual series of cash awards.

Suffolk County non-profit organizations that provide young people with an alternative to crime and drugs are eligible to apply for funds by Aug. 23. The previous deadline had been Aug. 2.

The annual funds, which total $50,000 this year, are disbursed from Conley’s Asset Forfeiture Reinvestment Program. The program takes cash and assets seized from drug dealers and awards them to Suffolk County organizations that help young people avoid drugs, gangs, and crime. more »

The alleged gunman in a double shooting that wounded two teens last month was held on $100,000 cash bail today on attempted murder charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ADO DASILVA (D.O.B. 7/26/91) of Boston’s South End was formally charged with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and gun offenses in West Roxbury District Court this morning. Dasilva allegedly shot two 17-year-old males at Kelly Field, a park owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, on the evening of July 18, Conley said.

Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Walsh recommended that Dasilva be held on $200,000 cash bail and that his open bail on charges of marijuana distribution and larceny be revoked; Judge Mary Ann Driscoll set bail in the lower amount and declined to revoke his open bail. more »

State Police have apprehended a suspect in the shooting that wounded two teenagers at a state ball field earlier this month, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

State Police detectives assigned to Conley’s office, with the assistance of the State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, today arrested ADO DASILVA (D.O.B. 7/21/91) at his East Brookline Street residence. Dasilva was arrested on a warrant charging him with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and multiple firearms offenses. The charges stem from an incident at Kelly Field, owned by the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Dasilva is expected to be arraigned Monday at West Roxbury District Court. more »

A Dorchester man was convicted of first-degree murder today for stabbing 38-year-old Luz Forty to death just hours after a Valentines Day dinner they shared with Forty’s mother, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MARIO GONZALEZ (D.O.B. 7/28/79) faces a mandatory life term without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced at 10:00 Thursday morning, Conley said. A Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted Gonzalez under the theory of extreme atrocity or cruelty.

“This case was a reminder to all of us that domestic violence is found in relationships across every demographic,” Conley said. “No matter who you are or where you’re from, you don’t have to suffer in an abusive partnership. There are people ready to help you leave safely.” more »

As a Dorchester man’s trial for allegedly murdering his girlfriend came to a close this morning, a Suffolk County prosecutor displayed a picture of her fatal injuries on a viewing screen for the jurors who will weigh the case.

“How was that possibly self defense? How was that possibly mitigated? How was that possibly reasonably provoked? How was that possibly mutual combat? Don’t confuse retaliation with self-defense,” Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum said.

MARIO GONZALEZ (D.O.B. 7/28/79) is charged with first-degree murder for fatally stabbing his girlfriend, 38-year-old Luz Forty, in the early morning hours of Feb. 15, 2009. more »

Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the arrest of a Dorchester man for the May 8 shooting death of 14-year-old Jaewon Martin and the non-fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy in Jamaica Plain.

Boston Police homicide detectives acting in the course of a Suffolk County Grand Jury investigation today arrested TIMOTHY HEARNS (D.O.B. 3/13/90) on warrants charging him with murder and armed assault with intent to murder. The warrants were approved last night amid an ongoing investigation by the homicide units of the Boston Police Department and Suffolk DA’s office.

Hearns is expected to be arraigned at 2:00 in Roxbury District Court. His photograph will not be released at this time in light of the ongoing nature of the investigation and, in particular, the extremely sensitive nature of eyewitness identifications developed thus far. more »

A Chelsea man accused of four counts of possessing child pornography had his bail raised to $25,000 today after Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office told a Superior Court judge that he “seeks out places where children are,” in violation of existing court orders.

DAVID WILLIAM REXFORD (D.O.B. 2/2/62) was indicted by the Suffolk County Grand Jury after taking his Compaq Presario computer to a Revere business to have work done. Employees of that business found images believed to be child pornography on the hard drive and notified Revere Police, who seized it in late March.

State Police subsequently conducted a forensic examination of Rexford’s computer – which the defendant claimed to have inherited from a deceased person – and found on it multiple pornographic images depicting children under the age of 18. more »

Two young men charged with selling marijuana to an undercover State trooper were ordered to stay away from the scene of the crime – America’s first public beach – at their arraignments today in Chelsea District Court.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Distefano did not request monetary bail for ALEXIS DAVID (D.O.B. 11/27/92) or JORDAN JONES (D.O.B. 10/6/88), but did request that they be ordered to stay away from Revere Beach while their cases are pending. Chelsea District Court Judge Jonathan Brant accommodated that request.

David, a Roxbury teen, and Jones, a resident of Hyde Park, are charged with distribution of a Class D substance in a school or park zone for the July 24 incident. more »

A South End man is charged with mayhem for allegedly beating a dice-playing opponent with a bottle so badly that the victim’s left ear was nearly severed, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

EFREN “KUBA” VALLANT (D.O.B. 2/17/69) was arraigned yesterday in West Roxbury District Court yesterday in connection with a May 23 incident that left the Dorchester man with serious injuries to the left side of his head. Vallant is also charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Prosecutors recommended that Vallant be held on $15,000 cash bail; Judge Mary Ann Driscoll set bail at $100. more »

“This is a domestic violence murder – nothing more, nothing less,” a Suffolk County prosecutor told a Superior Court jury this afternoon in an opening statement of a Dorchester man’s murder trial.

MARIO GONZALEZ (D.O.B. 7/28/79) is charged with first-degree murder for fatally stabbing his girlfriend of six months, 38-year-old Luz Forty, in the early morning hours of Feb. 15, 2009.

Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum told the court that on the evening of February 14 – Valentine’s Day – Gonzalez, Forty, and her mother went out to a Uphams Corner bar to celebrate the occasion. more »

One of three men accused of stabbing two brothers from Lawrence used a phony name at his arrest outside a downtown nightclub early yesterday morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

SANTIAGO HERNAIZ (D.O.B. 1/8/81) of Roxbury used the surname “Hernandez” when arrested by Boston Police outside the nightclub Felt shortly after 1:30 Sunday morning. His true name was revealed this morning prior to his Boston Municipal Court arraignment on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Assistant District Attorney Spencer Lord recommended that Hernaiz be held on $25,000 cash bail; Judge Sally Kelly set bail at $2,500. more »

A 16-year-old girl today offered forgiveness to the repeat offender who raped her two years ago as a Suffolk Superior Court judge sentenced the man to up to a decade behind bars and 30 years of monitoring.

Judge Raymond Brassard sentenced VERNON THOMPSON (D.O.B. 1/28/70), convicted last week of two counts of rape of a child, to a term of seven to 10 years in state prison and 30 years of probation to begin today. Brassard told Thompson that if he doesn’t “stay out of trouble” during that probationary term, he will be brought back before the court for resentencing and could face life in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Leora Joseph, chief of Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s Child Protection Unit, had recommended a term of 20 to 30 years in prison followed by 20 years probation upon his release. more »

Two men will remain behind bars while awaiting trial on charges that they shot a young woman to death in an early morning attack that also wounded a young man, Suffolk County District attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

KADEEM FOREMAN and TERRELL RAINEY, both 20 and from Dorchester, were arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court today following their July 14 indictments on charges of first-degree murder, armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm.

“As 24-year-old Toneika Jones was visiting with acquaintances just inside the foyer at 183 Harvard St., several shots rang out, one of which struck her in the abdomen,” Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren of Conley’s Homicide Unit told Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong. “Ms. Jones was taken to Boston Medical Center but died a short time later.” more »

A Dorchester man made “disparaging comments” about an acquaintance’s ex-girlfriend, then stabbed him during a fight on the defendant’s back porch last month, killing him, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said at the defendant’s arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court today.

THANH VAN TRUONG (D.O.B. 1/1/55) allegedly stabbed 42-year-old Tai Yee six times during a dispute at Truong’s home on the night of June 8. Truong was arrested by Boston Police minutes after the stabbing; Yee died of his injuries later that night and Truong was subsequently indicted for second-degree murder by the Suffolk County Grand Jury, Suffolk DA Daniel F. Conley said.

After successfully recommending $1 million cash bail for the defendant, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Hickman of Conley’s Homicide Unit told Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong that Yee’s former girlfriend called Yee earlier on June 8. The woman told Yee that Truong “had made disparaging comments about her to a third individual,” which she found upsetting, Hickman said. more »

The convicted killer who allegedly gunned down a Somerville father while out on parole late last year is now charged with plotting the murders of his wife and two other witnesses in the current case against him, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

EDWARD CORLISS (D.O.B. 2/7/46) was held on $4 million cash bail today following his arraignment on four counts of witness intimidation. Suffolk Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong set that amount after Conley’s chief trial counsel, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Haggan, recommended it as appropriate to the four new charges, which come almost five months after his indictment for first-degree murder, armed robbery while masked, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

“The facts speak for themselves,” Conley said. “These are chilling allegations in an already shocking case. The word ‘unrepentant’ comes to mind.” more »

A 23-year-old man was held on high bail at his arraignment last week on charges that he shot and wounded another man on the basketball courts at the Back Bay Fens, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

SHARIF ADDI ADAN (D.O.B. 1/1/87), a refugee from war-torn Somalia now living in Roxbury, was arraigned in Roxbury District Court on July 16 on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm.

Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Tynes requested that Adan be held on $200,000 cash bail; District Court Judge Shannon Frison granted that request. more »

State Police detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office are investigating a shooting that left two teenagers injured at a state athletic complex yesterday evening.

State Police patrol units responded to the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Kelly Field in Hyde Park at about 6:15 p.m. for a report of two people shot. The victims, whose names are not being released, were identified as 17-year-old males, one from Hyde Park who sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg and one from Mattapan who suffered gunshot wounds to his back and buttocks.

The Hyde Park victim was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Mattapan victim was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital. None of the injuries was deemed life-threatening. more »

A Chelsea man charged with severely beating and torturing his pregnant wife over a five-day period in April was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court and ordered held without bail under a Massachusetts statute that allows for certain dangerous persons to be held prior to trial, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSE JOBSON (D.O.B. 5/31/83) pleaded not guilty to nine counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, five counts of aggravated assault and battery, and one count each of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, armed assault with intent to murder, kidnapping, reckless endangerment to children, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and carrying a loaded firearm for a series of violent incidents that culminated with his arrest on April 18.

Noting that Jobson “is not only a danger to the victims of the pending case, but to the community as a whole,” Assistant District Attorney Julie Higgins requested that Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong order the defendant held without bail under Ch. 276, Sect. 58A, of the Massachusetts General Laws. Under the statute, a trial is required to happen within a 90-day period, unless the defendant requests additional preparation time. Higgins told the court that she was prepared to take the case to trial within the time allotted in accordance with the statute. more »

An Allston man was held on high bail today following his arraignment for the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Richard Bevans in the middle of an Allston street in late February, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MITCHELL MARTINEZ (D.O.B. 8/29/86) was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court this morning on a charge of second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Bevans multiple times. Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong ordered Martinez to be held on $250,000 cash bail.

Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum of Conley’s Homicide Unit told the court that Martinez and Bevans were members of two separate groups that exchanged “trivial but hostile words” with one another near Harvard and Brighton Avenues at about 1:45 am on Feb. 28. The conflict moved down Harvard Avenue to an area outside of Martinez’s residence where the verbal exchange turned physical. more »

Fourteen-year-old Nicholas Fomby-Davis’ innocent ride around the block turned deadly when two alleged gang associates ambushed him and shot him dead in an apparent case of mistaken identity, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Speaking at the Superior Court arraignment of the teen’s alleged killers, JOSHUA FERNANDES (D.O.B. 8/8/93) and CRISOSTOMO LOPES (D.O.B. 2/27/90), Assistant District attorney Patrick Haggan said the slain boy “had absolutely no gang affiliation or involvement of any kind in street gangs or disputes.”

The pair shot the Dearborn School eighth grader “likely believing him to be someone else,” Haggan said. more »

A Chelsea District Court judge has ordered a Revere man held without bail after a hearing sought by prosecutors demonstrated he was too dangerous to be released pending trial on charges that he slashed his ex-wife’s new partner repeatedly, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Judge James Wexler found that MARCO BELTRAN (D.O.B. 9/12/65) posed too grave a threat to be released on bail after a two-day proceeding under Ch. 276, Sect. 58A, of the Massachusetts General Laws. Known as a “dangerousness hearing,” the proceeding allows for a defendant to be held without bail for up to three months if prosecutors can provide “clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.”

“The evidence suggests that this defendant knowingly violated a restraining order, crept into the victim’s home, and attacked him in his own bedroom in the dead of night,” Conley said. “Someone who commits an attack like this has to be taken off the streets – not just for the victim’s protection, not just for the protection of the victim’s partner, but for the safety of the general public.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced new charges against a man accused of gunning down a Jamaica Plain store clerk during an armed robbery late last year.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury today returned indictments charging EDWARD CORLISS (D.O.B. 2/7/46) of Roslindale with four counts of witness intimidation for allegedly seeking the murders of three witnesses in the case already pending against him.

Corliss was indicted in February on charges of first-degree murder for the shooting death of 39-year-old Surendra Dangol, armed robbery while masked for allegedly robbing the Jamaica Plain convenience store in which the Somerville resident worked and died, and unlawful possession of the .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun he allegedly used in the Dec. 26, 2009, incident. more »

A Middleton man who allegedly wrote prescriptions for powerful painkillers and sedatives in exchange for cash payments was held on $50,000 cash bail today following his arrest by local, state, and federal law enforcement officials, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

LEONARD FRIEDMAN (D.O.B. 9/3/36) was arrested by Middleton Police, State Police, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents at his home today on a Suffolk Superior Court warrant stemming from his indictment on 14 separate counts of issuing an invalid prescription. The indictments charge Friedman with writing seven prescriptions for Class B substances and seven prescriptions for Class C substances during the course of the 14-month investigation, usually at his office on Broadway in Revere.

“A doctor who trades addictive drugs for cash makes a mockery of the Hippocratic Oath,” Conley said. “If you’ve ever wondered how powerful prescription painkillers make their way to the street, this case provides the disturbing answer.” more »

When a 14-year-old girl decided in 2008 to volunteer at the hospital where a family member worked, “it sounded like a good plan,” Assistant District Attorney Leora Joseph told a Suffolk Superior Court jury today as trial began for the patient accused of raping the girl.

“It’s this defendant’s deliberate and planful actions that have brought us here today.”

VERNON THOMPSON (D.O.B. 1/28/70), a former patient at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, is charged with two counts of rape of a child for allegedly bringing the victim to a stairwell in one of the hospital’s buildings and raping her. more »

A notorious vandal pleaded guilty Friday to defacing a series of MBTA trains during a 2005 spray-painting spree, taking a jail sentence and order of restitution rather than face trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

JIM CLAY HARPER (D.O.B. 1/18/85) of Wilmette, Illinois, pleaded guilty to seven counts of vandalizing property for spray painting his tag, “ETHER,” on a series of Red, Orange, and Blue Line train cars five years ago. Dorchester District Court Judge Rosalind Miller sentenced him to on year in a house of correction with six months to serve and the balance suspended for a probationary period of one year. Miller also ordered Harper to pay $10,000 in restitution to the MBTA.

Beginning in early June 2005, MBTA Transit Police noticed a considerable increase in graffiti vandalism. Specifically, they noticed the tag “ETHER” on Red Line trains in the Codman Yard rail yard, Orange Line trains at Forest Hills train station, and Blue Line trains at Orient Heights. more »

A Wellesley woman was taken into custody during her arraignment this morning on charges stemming from the April death of a fetus whose mother she allegedly attacked at a Dorchester nail salon, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

AYANNA WOODHOUSE (D.O.B. 3/16/85) was formally charged today with manslaughter and aggravated assault and battery for the April 10 assault on a 26-year-old woman who was six months pregnant at the time. Woodhouse allegedly kicked and beat the woman so severely that her baby died early the next morning.

Assistant District Attorney Leora Joseph, chief of Conley’s Child Protection Team, recommended that Woodhouse be held on $25,000 cash bail. Suffolk Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong set bail at $20,000 and ordered Woodhouse to stay away from the mother and check in weekly with the Department of Probation if she posts that amount. more »

Starting today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley is inviting area non-profit organizations that work with kids and teens to apply for his annual series of cash awards to provide the young people of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop with constructive alternatives to crime and drug use.

The annual funds, which total $50,000 this year, are disbursed from Conley’s Asset Forfeiture Reinvestment Program. The program takes cash and assets seized from drug dealers and awards them to Suffolk County organizations that help young people avoid drugs, gangs, and crime.

“Despite cuts to our budget, the nonprofit organizations that serve young people in our cities and towns need our support,” Conley said. “In lean economic times, it becomes even more important to fund these programs and make them available to kids. Staying involved in activities that encourage nonviolence and community participation can help keep them from getting into trouble. It’s a proven crime prevention tool.” more »

A Wellesley woman is expected to face manslaughter and assault charges tomorrow for allegedly causing the death of a fetus when she kicked and beat the unborn baby’s mother in Dorchester earlier this year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury on Friday returned indictments charging AYANNA WOODHOUSE (D.O.B. 3/16/85) with manslaughter and aggravated assault and battery for the April 10 incident inside a Neponset Avenue nail salon. Woodhouse is expected to be arraigned on those charges tomorrow morning in the Magistrate’s Session of Suffolk Superior Court.

Woodhouse and the 26-year-old mother were known to each other through the baby’s father, who is Woodhouse’s cousin. Prosecutors allege that Woodhouse, who was living in Dorchester at the time of the incident, encountered the six-months pregnant mother by chance as they got their nails done separately. A dispute erupted between the two, during which Woodhouse allegedly rose to her feet and punched the mother in the face, knocking her to the ground. more »

Additional charges may be forthcoming against a Lynn woman who allegedly participated in a scheme to extort money from strangers by saying their loved ones had been kidnapped, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

MARY R. LOZADA (D.O.B. 1/4/76) was held on $5,000 cash bail today following her arraignment in Roxbury District Court on two counts each of extortion by threat of injury, larceny over $250, and conspiracy to commit larceny. In addition to setting bail, Judge Pamela Dashiell also ordered Lozada to stay away from the Western Union locations she allegedly visited to collect the extortion payoffs.

Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Goldberger of Conley’s Special Prosecutions Unit told the court that the current charges reflect two of as many as 30 separate incidents in which Lozada allegedly participated. Goldberger also noted that the two phones used in the charged offenses have been linked to eight other extortion calls, only one of which was successful. more »

A Somerville man was charged with stealing equipment from a production company’s trailer just hours after this year’s Independence Day festivities on the Esplanade, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

SALIFU AL-HASSAN (D.O.B. 1/5/85) was arraigned yesterday in Charlestown District Court on one count each of of larceny over $250 and breaking and entering in the nighttime for the incident. District Court Judge Eleanor Sinnott set Al-Hassan’s bail at $750, but ordered that he be held in custody on a detainer brought by the Department of Probation.

Assistant District Attorney Vincent DeMore told the court that, at about 1:00 a.m. on July 5, a Massachusetts State trooper assigned to the July 4 concert and fireworks celebration on the Esplanade was called to respond to a robbery in progress in the rear of the Hatch Memorial Shell. more »

A Dorchester man once charged as an accessory to the murder last year of Gregory Phillips in Allston was held without bail today after a grand jury investigation identified him as the 24-year-old victim’s killer, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

COREY PATTERSON (D.O.B. 11/5/86) was held without bail today on a single count of first-degree murder and five additional counts of assault and battery on the Boston Police officers who extricated him from the vehicle in which he tried to escape in the early morning hours of Nov. 8. Those charges represent additional evidence developed in the course of a seven-month investigation led by members of Conley’s Homicide Unit in the Suffolk County Grand Jury and Boston Police homicide detectives on the street.

Assistant District attorney Gretchen Lundgren told Clerk Magistrate Gary D. Wilson that Phillips – a West Roxbury resident who worked at Boston University – was with his roommate and two female friends when he left a birthday party at The Kells shortly after 2:00 a.m. on Nov. 8. more »

A Revere man was held without bail yesterday after Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office moved for a hearing to prove that no conditions of release would ensure the safety of the Chelsea man he allegedly stabbed or the community at large.

At the request of Assistant District Attorney Nick Brandt, a Chelsea District Court judge ordered MARCO BELTRAN (D.O.B. 9/12/65) held at his arraignment on charges of attempted murder, breaking and entering at night with the intent to commit a felony, and aggravated assault and battery. The charges stem from Beltran’s alleged attack upon the 32-year-old victim in his Chestnut Street home late Monday night.

Beltran will be held at least until later this week, when Suffolk prosecutors expect to conduct a “dangerousness hearing” under Ch. 276, Sect. 58A, of the Massachusetts General Laws, which allows a for a defendant to be held without bail for up to three months if prosecutors can provide “clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.” more »

A Suffolk Superior Court judge has denied a request for bail by a man found guilty of three shootings – one of them fatal – but whose convictions were overturned on appeal last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOHN BACIGALUPO (D.O.B. 12/12/67) of East Boston and another man were convicted in 2001 of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Robert Nogeira and armed assault with intent to murder for the non-fatal shootings of two other men, all in the early morning hours of Nov. 24, 1996.

Bacigalupo and his co-defendant, GARY CARTER (D.O.B. 8/20/72) of Winthrop, were sentenced to the mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole. more »

A toll taker accused of pocketing motorists’ cash at a Massachusetts Turnpike plaza pleaded guilty to all indicted charges today, making him the seventh of 10 such defendants to be convicted, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

JUSTIN RUGGIERO (D.O.B. 6/10/81) of Bradford admitted to one count of larceny over $250 and 10 counts of false entry on corporate books rather than face trial later this year. Had the case proceeded to trial, members of Conley’s Special Prosecutions Unit were prepared to prove that Ruggiero stole more than $600 in tolls that should have gone to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Assistant District Attorney Edward Beagan, Conley’s chief of financial and white-collar prosecutions, recommended that Ruggiero serve six months in jail, pay $650 in restitution, submit to three years of probation, and perform 150 hours of community service. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Frank Gaziano sentenced Ruggiero to two years of probation and ordered that he pay the $650 restitution. more »

A Winthrop man was locked up yesterday after allegedly threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend and “stab the first cop I see,” Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

RONALD ZAMPANTI (D.O.B. 2/10/70) was arraigned in East Boston District Court yesterday on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon, threats to commit a crime, disturbing the peace, refusing to identify himself, and resisting arrest.

District Court Judge Thomas C. Horgan set Zampanti’s bail at $50,000 and, at prosecutors’ request, revoked his bail on a pending charge of operating with a suspended driver’s license. Horgan also ordered Zampanti to abide by a restraining order that a Suffolk victim advocate helped her obtain. more »

A drug dealer comforted his defense attorney and thanked the jury that handed him his fourth drug distribution conviction today before acknowledging that he was a repeat offender, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

FREDERICK ROUSE (D.O.B. 5/13/83), who has no fixed address, was found guilty today of distribution of a Class B substance, violating the state’s drug laws in a school zone, and resisting arrest.

As the Suffolk Superior Court jury foreperson read the verdicts, Rouse could be seen patting the back of his attorney, Timothy Brown, as if to reassure him. When the twelve jurors filed out of the courtroom, Rouse faced them and lowered his head. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced a pair of murder indictments for the May 30 shooting death of 14-year-old Nicholas Fomby-Davis in Dorchester.

The indictments charge JOSHUA FERNANDES (D.O.B. 8/8/93 and CRISOSTOMO LOPES (D.O.B. 2/27/90), both of Dorchester, with one count each of first-degree murder. Lopes allegedly held Fomby-Davis as Fernandes shot him on Olney Street in Dorchester; Fernandes is additionally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Though a juvenile, Fernandes will be tried as an adult. Under Massachusetts law, defendants 14 and older who are charged with murder are treated as adults and tried in Superior Court. Today’s indictments are the legal mechanism moving the case from district court to Superior Court, where the case will be adjudicated. more »

A Roxbury man was sentenced to serve up to 22 years behind bars for shooting of two men at a popular Tremont Street bar two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Adopting the recommendation of Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Walsh, Superior Court Judge Thomas Connolly sentenced NATHAN KINNEY (D.O.B. 2/26/84) to serve 10 to 12 years in state prison for the charge of armed assault with intent to murder, four to five years for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and three to five years for unlawfully possessing the firearm he used to shoot a patron and a doorman at Slade’s Bar and Grill on the morning of Nov. 22, 2008. Connolly ordered the sentences to run consecutive from one another.

“This defendant threatened the life of his intended victim, could have killed an innocent bystander, and put at risk everyone on the street that night,” Conley said. “This sentence was appropriately harsh and we hope it sends a message to the defendant and anyone else who would use a gun on our streets.” more »

The state’s highest court today upheld the convictions of a Dorchester man who helped to murder a teenage mother and the unborn baby she carried more than 10 years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Supreme Judicial Court’s unanimous 11-page decision ensures that LORD HAMPTON (D.O.B. 1/3/79) will continue to serve the two life sentences he incurred in 2004 when a Suffolk Superior Court jury found him guilty of the first-degree murders of 14-year-old Chauntae Jones and the eight-month-old fetus inside of her. Jones and her baby died on or about Sept. 28, 1999, in a shallow grave near the site of the former Boston State Hospital. Another man, KYLE BRYANT (D.O.B. 10/23/81) of Mattapan, was acquitted of those same offenses at a separate trial.

“It’s a fact of the criminal justice system that convictions are appealed,” Conley said. “We’re prepared for that. We try cases with the highest ethical standards and we defend those cases with an unparalleled Appellate Division. This was one of the most awful crimes in this city’s history, and this perpetrator deserves every day of his sentence.” more »

An Allston man convicted last month of raping one woman, and who faces a second trial for the rape of another woman in unrelated incidents two years ago, was today sentenced to serve up to 30 years behind bars, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

On May 19, a Superior Court jury convicted PAUL L. CARMICHAEL (D.O.B. 1/20/70), of aggravated rape, kidnapping, and assault and battery for the July 22, 2008 rape and beating of a then 25-year-old Cambridge woman in his Allston Street apartment. He was acquitted of a fourth charge of aggravated assault and battery. He was sentenced today to a term of 25 to 30 years in prison followed by five years of probation.

“There’s no question that an extremely dangerous person is off the streets today,” Conley said. “The verdict can’t undo the horror he perpetrated, but the sentence can ensure that it doesn’t happen again.” more »

Beau James Youngs died when another man slid a knife between his ribs during a fight that began over the alleged killer’s panhandling technique, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said at the suspect’s arraignment today.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury on June 24 indicted KEVIN JAMES (D.O.B. 11/1/66), a.k.a. KEVIN WILSON, for a single count of manslaughter in connection with Youngs’ April 30 stabbing death outside a downtown pharmacy. That charge reflects evidence developed in the two-month investigation that began shortly after Youngs was rushed to an area hospital for a fatal stab wound to his chest.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Hickman of Suffolk DA Daniel F. Conley’s Homicide Unit recommended that James be held on $1 million cash bail, noting that he has an extensive criminal record in states from Rhode Island to California. more »

A rabbi who once taught schoolchildren in Brookline was arraigned today for allegedly assaulting one of them in Brighton more than 30 years ago, bringing the number of his alleged victims to three, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

STANLEY Z. LEVITT (D.O.B. 4/4/46) of Philadelphia was arraigned on a single count of indecent assault and battery on a child – the fifth such indictment currently pending against him in Suffolk County. Levitt was indicted late last year on four counts of the same offense representing offenses he allegedly committed upon two other boys.

Assistant District Attorney Wayne Margolis of Conley’s Child Protection Unit told Suffolk Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Gary Wilson that the most recent allegations came to light following those prior indictments. more »

A man and woman were held on high bail yesterday following their arrest and arraignment for allegedly stabbing a 51-year-old man during an attempted robbery at the foot of Beacon Hill Friday evening, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

KAREEM PITTS (D.O.B. 12/27/89) and DIANA ALLEN (D.O.B. 9/19/91) were arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court yesterday on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and armed assault with intent to rob for the June 25 attack at the corner of Mt. Vernon and River Streets.

Assistant District Attorney Andrius Knasas noted “the seriousness of the facts” before requesting that each defendant be held on $50,000 cash bail; Boston Municipal Court Judge Annette Forde granted that request. more »

An East Boston man will spend the rest of his life in prison for shooting 28-year-old Jeff Santiago to death and injuring two other men during a “rampage” in a Chelsea strip club two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

<p></p>A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted JESSE CAMACHO (D.O.B. 5/7/87) of first-degree murder for Santiago’s Jan. 25, 2008, shooting death at King Arthur’s Lounge and two counts of attempted murder for shooting and injuring two other men during the same incident. One of those victims was an associate of Santiago and the other was an employee of the club.

<p></p>Superior Court Judge Patrick Brady sentenced Camacho to the mandatory life term without the possibility of parole for Santiago’s murder, plus two additional terms of 10 to 12 years for the non-fatal shootings. At the request of Conley’s chief trial counsel, Patrick M. Haggan, Brady ordered those sentences to run consecutively. more »

A Framingham man was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation following his arraignment today for allegedly trying to run over two pedestrians on Tremont Street and then leading Massachusetts State Police on a wild, high-speed chase.

Boston Municipal Court Judge Annette Forde remanded ALEJANDRO SERRA (D.O.B. 3/30/81) to Bridgewater State Hospital this afternoon during a hearing in which he was formally charged with more than a dozen assault and motor vehicle offenses for his alleged actions before and during yesterday’s pursuit.

In addition to ordering the evaluation, Forde also revoked Serra’s bail on an open assault and battery case out of Roxbury District Court and set $5,000 on an open trespassing case out of the Boston Municipal Court. more »

A Roxbury man faces sentencing Wednesday following his conviction for a double shooting outside a popular Roxbury bar two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury on Friday convicted NATHAN KINNEY (D.O.B. 2/26/84) of armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious injury, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The charges arose out of a fight inside Slade’s Bar and Grill on Tremont Street on the morning of Nov. 22, 2008, and Kinney’s choice to produce a handgun and shoot one combatant and a doorman, injuring both. Jurors acquitted Kinney of an additional count of assault and battery. more »

The Suffolk County Grand Jury this week returned an additional indictment against a rabbi who once lived in Brighton and is already accused of sexual assaults on two young students during the 1970s, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Wednesday’s indictment is the fifth to charge STANLEY Z. LEVITT (D.O.B. 4/4/46) of Philadelphia with indecent assault and battery on a child. He is expected to be arraigned on the new complaint in the Magistrate’s Session of Suffolk Superior Court on June 30.

The grand jury late last year indicted Levitt for four sexual assaults he allegedly committed on two boys who were about 11 years old at the time. One charge arises out of a May 1975 incident in which Levitt allegedly visited a student who was recuperating at Children’s Hospital in Boston after an accident. The other three offenses were allegedly committed against a different male student during a three-night visit to Levitt’s Chiswick Road home, also believed to have taken place in 1975. more »

A man with no fingerprints was held on half a million dollars’ cash bail this week after Boston and federal investigators recovered 361 grams of heroin in his pants, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JORGE FALCON ORTIZ, believed to be 28 and living at an unknown address, was held on the $500,000 cash bail recommended by Conley’s office at his June 23 arraignment on charges of trafficking in a Class A substance. If convicted of trafficking in more than 200 grams of heroin, Ortiz faces a 15-year minimum mandatory prison term.

Called to assist U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents in the course of that agency’s investigation, Boston Police on Tuesday afternoon responded to the intersection of South and Bussey streets in Roslindale to stop a 2006 Honda Civic. more »

Just hours before a state trooper killed by a drunk driver was laid to rest in Brockton yesterday, a New Hampshire man was arrested for leading Boston Police on a wild, high-speed pursuit through the Financial District and into the North End, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSEPH Z. SHELZI (D.O.B. 10/30/87) of Pelham, New Hampshire, was arraigned yesterday in the Boston Municipal Court on a litany of charges that included negligent operation of a motor vehicle, driving with a suspended license, and four counts of failing to stop or yield.

The $3,500 bail that Shelzi posted in cash shortly after his 2:45 a.m. arrest was maintained at arraignment. Assistant District Attorney Elle Rackemann recommended that Shelzi’s bail on an open drunk driving case out of Lawrence be revoked; Judge Mark Hart Summerville declined to grant that request. more »

The widowed mother of a murdered Mattapan teen said today that walking in her own hometown was too painful to bear because of the deadly violence wrought on its streets by men like the one who killed her son.

Convicted this morning of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of DeAndre Barboza, PATRICK GRIER (D.O.B. 7/11/88) of Dorchester was sentenced this afternoon to the mandatory punishment of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Before that sentence was imposed, Barboza’s mother addressed the court. more »

A Woburn man accused of stealing a car from a motorist, leading police on a chase, and briefly escaping after crashing in Dorchester was held on high bail and sent for a mental health evaluation following his arraignment today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

MATTHEW BURKE (D.O.B. 1/12/78) was arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court today on charges of carjacking and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon –the stolen motor vehicle – for his alleged actions in Boston’s South End yesterday. Suffolk prosecutors recommended that he be held on $100,000 cash bail; Judge Edward Redd set bail at $48,000.

At the request of defense attorney Robert Solomon, Redd also ordered Burke to undergo a 20-day mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital. more »

A Suffolk County Gun Court jury yesterday convicted a Roxbury man of carrying an unregistered firearm and six rocks of crack cocaine after being chased by a sharp-eyed officer who first saw his associate with a knife, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ALPHONSO WESLEY (D.O.B. 8/22/89) of all charges – unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm, and possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute – for his Feb. 2 arrest near Dudley station.

Assistant District Attorney Nicole Rimar of Conley’s Gun Prosecution Task Force recommended that Wesley serve a total of five years in jail with 2½ years committed and a second 2½-year term suspended for a five-year probationary period. Rimar further recommended that Wesley be ordered to stay away from the Dudley Square area, undergo drug testing, and be supervised by the Office of Community Corrections. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court judge yesterday ordered a Lynn man to Bridgewater State Hospital after prosecution and defense experts agreed that he suffered from a major mental illness at the time he stabbed his mother, Lisa Bryson Roche, to death two years ago.

Judge Charles Spurlock found CORY ROCHE (D.O.B. 6/15/84) not criminally responsible for Bryson Roche’s Feb. 25, 2008, stabbing death after an unusual jury-waived trial in which Suffolk County homicide prosecutors and Roche’s defense team stipulated to the underlying facts of Bryson Roche’s death. The only live testimony came from three psychiatric experts who diagnosed Roche with paranoid schizophrenia and concurred that he could not conform his behavior to the law when he killed the 42-year-old woman in the basement of her Revere home.

Prosecutors called the verdict a just one. Although the prosecution expert agreed that Roche was not criminally responsible for his actions, prosecutors sought to build a record of Roche’s actions and ensure that he remains in a secure and structured setting for the foreseeable future. Massachusetts law allows for a defendant such as Roche to remain hospitalized for an indefinite, and possibly lifelong, period. more »

“Let’s call it what it is,” the prosecutor said from a lectern facing 16 jurors chosen from hundreds for their fairness and impartiality. “It’s the execution of a 16-year-old boy.”

Assistant District Attorney John Pappas was referring to the Dec. 1, 2008, shooting of DeAndre Barboza near the intersection of Lyndhurst and Washington streets. Barboza sustained injuries that claimed his life two days later.

On trial for the Mattapan teen’s homicide is PATRICK GRIER (D.O.B. 7/11/88) of Dorchester, who allegedly fired several shots at Barboza at 9:08 a.m. amid the bustle of a busy Codman Square street corner and then fled on foot. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted a former state hospital patient of raping a 14-year-old girl in 2008 while she was a participant in a summer volunteer program at the hospital, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

VERNON THOMPSON (D.O.B. 1/28/70), a former patient at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, was convicted of two counts of rape of a child for bringing the victim to a stairwell in one of the hospital’s buildings and raping her. Sentencing is scheduled to take place Thurs., July 22 at 2 p.m. The maximum sentence for rape of a child is life in prison.

“Throughout her ordeal, the young woman in this case has displayed courage and great resilience,” Conley said. “She defied her fears and confronted her abuser in open court, possibly saving another young girl from victimization.” more »

Members of Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s Gang Unit swept an annual awards ceremony last week, earning accolades for their work to assist victims and prevent violence by holding violent felons accountable for their actions.

Assistant District Attorney Joseph Janezic, deputy chief of the Gang Unit, received the Brian J. Honan Award for Excellence in the Courtroom and the Communities We Serve at the seventh annual Suffolk Awards, held Thursday evening at Suffolk University. The Suffolk Awards, implemented by Conley when he took office, honor achievements by office staff during the previous year.

Janezic, who left the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office to prosecute gang-related violence as an assistant DA, “spends his days in court and his nights in the community,” Conley said, “with no extra compensation but the satisfaction that he’s doing the right thing. There’s a word for that: it’s dedication, and Joe Janezic defines it.” more »

They were two men carrying the tools of their trade. One, 27-year-old Jeff Santiago, carried a tool belt, tape measure, and other accoutrements of his job as a construction worker. The other, JESSE CAMACHO (D.O.B. 5/7/87), carried a loaded, unregistered handgun.

“They were two men who had never even met,” Suffolk County Chief Trial Counsel Patrick Haggan said this afternoon during opening statements in Camacho’s murder trial. “They were two men whose lives crossed paths one night with devastating consequences.”

Camacho is charged with first-degree murder for Santiago’s shooting death at King Arthur’s Lounge in Chelsea shortly after midnight on Jan. 24, 2008. He is additionally charged with two counts each of armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for allegedly shooting two other men – one a friend of the victim and one a doorman at the club – and unlawfully possessing the firearm with which he shot them. more »

The Dorchester man accused of gunning down 19-year-old Aaron Brown at a YMCA dance last summer was held without bail at prosecutors’ request following his arraignment for the slain teen’s murder, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

SHERMAN BADGETT (D.O.B. 2/23/91) is charged with first-degree murder for Brown’s fatal shooting, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for shooting and injuring another youth, and unlawful possession of the firearm he allegedly used on those victims at 776 Washington St. on the night of Aug. 29, 2009.

“We as a community need to denounce the person who brings a loaded gun to a teenage dance party,” Conley said. “We need to denounce the code of conduct that makes it acceptable to anyone anywhere.” more »

A West Coast man was arraigned in Boston today on charges that he swindled thousands of dollars from Boston-area residents who separately used the web site Craigslist to buy phony tickets to last night’s Celtics-Lakers playoff game, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

EDWARD S. LOPEZ (D.O.B. 9/22/67) a.k.a. JASON MARTEL of Whittier, California, was held on a total of $3,000 cash bail following his arraignment on three counts of larceny over $250 by scheme. Lopez incurred the charges by allegedly selling three bogus tickets to a Back Bay woman, three more her sister, and four to a Stoneham man who was not related to the other victims.

Lopez was apprehended after the first victim notified Boston Police and used her sister and that woman’s boyfriend to buy three more tickets as detectives looked on. The Stoneham man’s case came to prosecutors’ attention this morning as the case was headed to arraignment in the Boston Municipal Court. more »

Eleven Suffolk County prosecutors, victim-witness advocates, civilian investigators, and support staff will be honored tonight at an awards ceremony recognizing their achievements during the past year.

The seventh annual Suffolk Awards will be held this evening at Suffolk University Law School. Instituted by District Attorney Daniel F. Conley during his first year in office, the awards are based upon nominations by office staff and come with a $1,000 bonus. They honor members of a public safety agency that is chronically underfunded and understaffed but responsible for more than 40,000 criminal cases each year.

Awards are presented to outstanding district and superior court staff. Prosecutors assigned to Conley’s Superior Court trial teams are eligible for awards named after prior district attorneys Newman Flanagan and Ralph C. Martin II. Members of the office are also eligible for awards named after former Boston City Councilor Brian J. Honan and murdered gang prosecutor Paul R. McLaughlin. The latter has only been presented twice in its history. more »

The state’s district attorneys today honored a West Roxbury man with an award for victim services named after a former DA, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said.

Michael Coffey, who recently observed his 25th year as a Suffolk County victim-witness advocate, was awarded the Gerard D. Downing Advocate of the Year Award at the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association annual meeting in Worcester.

Coffey began his career as a Suffolk County victim advocate in 1985, shortly after the Victim’s Bill of Rights was signed into Massachusetts law and at a time when “there was no roadmap or precedent for the responsibilities he was assuming,” Conley said. more »

Two men and a woman were held on high bail this week for allegedly firing a handgun on Logan Way and then leading Boston Police on a car chase that ended when the female driver crashed on Massachusetts Avenue, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

KALISE FITZGERALD (D.O.B. 10/21/81), TYLER KEE (D.O.B. 4/19/90), and SKILAR MORRIS (D.O.B. 5/28/92), all of Roxbury, were arraigned Monday in South Boston District Court following their arrests for the June 6 incident. All were charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.

Morris, the driver, was additionally charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, and assault and battery on a police officer. She and Fitzgerald each incurred an additional charge of resisting arrest as well. more »

>“The wounds are deep,” Assistant District Attorney Stacie Moeser said of the injuries to four men stabbed near a Revere subway station five years ago. “You heard about the operations. You saw the scars.”

Speaking in closing arguments, Moeser urged a Suffolk Superior Court jury to convict ERVIN MEMUSHAJ (D.O.B. 8/22/82), a one-time South Boston resident, of one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and three counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The victims were a Revere man, then 27, and his Winthrop friends, ages 22, 25, and 26 at the time.

Prosecutors say the victims had attended a party at Club Lido on the night of Feb. 11, 2005, and were headed to their vehicles just before 2 a.m. on Feb. 12 when they encountered the defendant at the Wonderland Station parking lot. more »

A Dorchester man was held without bail today following his arrest and arraignment for allegedly stabbing 42-year-old Tai Yee to death last night, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

THANH VAN TRUONG (D.O.B. 1/1/55) was charged with a single count of murder for allegedly stabbing Yee in the chest at about 9:30 last night, causing an injury that later claimed Yee’s life at Boston Medical Center. Dorchester District Court Judge Robert Tochka ordered him held without bail.

Prosecutors believe the two men were arguing inside Truong’s apartment prior to the fatal altercation and were among several people present at the time. At some point, that altercation spilled outside and escalated into a physical fight. It was during that fight, prosecutors say, that Truong stabbed Yee with a steak knife. more »

A teenage gang member brought a loaded .45 to a Chelsea strip club two years ago and “turned what should have been a barroom scuffle into an execution,” a Suffolk County prosecutor told a Superior Court jury this morning.

Charged with first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Jeff Santiago, JESSE CAMACHO (D.O.B. 5/7/87) of East Boston opened fire at King Arthur’s Lounge in what Chief Trial Counsel Patrick M. Haggan called “a shooting rampage” that also left one of Santiago’s friends and a club employee with gunshot wounds to their legs in the early morning of Jan. 25, 2008.

After two full weeks of testimony, Haggan delivered his closing arguments this morning and told jurors that Santiago died “face down on a dirty, beer stained barroom floor” as his “cowardly killer” walked away trying to fire a gun he’d emptied after shooting seven separate shots. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley last week presented two mechanical engineering doctoral fellows with plaques thanking them for their “efforts to reduce gun violence and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.”

Conley’s office on Friday presented the plaques to Priam Pillai and Adam Wahab, both of whom are pursuing doctoral degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to thank them for their work with the DA’s Gun Prosecution Task Force. Both men have testified as expert witnesses in the Suffolk County Gun Court, which fast-tracks cases of unlawful firearms possession and boasts an overall conviction rate of almost 90%.

Pillai and Wahab have told judges and juries about the science behind thermal imaging devices such as the Bullard TI Commander, which records heat output the way a conventional camera records reflected light: when the device is trained on a recently-discarded handgun, the body heat retained by the gun’s metal frame shows up as brighter than the area surrounding it. This can be used to corroborate a police officer’s observations that a suspect was carrying and tossed a firearm, and can dispel a claim that a recovered gun had been in place and untouched for an extended period of time. more »

The Suffolk County Grand Jury today indicted a Dorchester teen for allegedly gunning down 19-year-old Aaron Brown at the YMCA on Washington Street last summer, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

The indictments charge SHERMAN BADGETT (D.O.B. 2/23/91) with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for Brown’s fatal shooting at 776 Washington St. on the night of Aug. 29, 2009.

“Long after a case leaves the headlines, Suffolk prosecutors and Boston Police continue to work their cases,” Conley said. “Sometimes an arrest comes in days or weeks. Sometimes it takes months or years. But they will never give up on a case, a victim, or a grieving family.” more »

The day 16-year-old DeAndre Barboza was shot began like most others for people in Codman Square, Assistant District Attorney John Pappas told a Suffolk Superior Court today, with people hustling to work and school.

“But there was another person who started his day a different way,” Pappas said. “He started his day by arming himself with a gun.”

Pappas told the court that PATRICK GRIER (D.O.B. 7/11/88) concealed a Harrington & Richardson .22 caliber revolver with a sawed-off barrel and obliterated serial number on his person and headed to Codman Square on the morning of Dec. 1, 2008. Once there, he encountered DeAndre Barboza and shot him, causing injuries that would cause his death on Dec. 3, just one day after his 17th birthday. more »

One of the two men charged with murdering a Hyde Park mechanic was so incensed by a faulty engine that he went to the man’s auto body shop and threatened to “come back to shoot up the place,” a Suffolk County prosecutor said during a homicide arraignment today.

MARIO BURNS (D.O.B. 10/5/72) and CORNELIUS EVANS (D.O.B. 6/19/75) were formally charged today with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition, for the March 29 shooting death of 36-year-old Charles Cantave, a Hyde Park resident who worked in Brockton. The Suffolk County Grand Jury indicted the duo yesterday.

Assistant District Attorney Holly Broadbent, who led the grand jury investigation for Suffolk DA Daniel F. Conley’s office, told the court that, approximately three weeks prior to the shooting, Burns and his wife had gone to the garage where Cantave worked and “confronted him over the sale of a faulty engine” that his wife had purchased for her Volvo. more »

A Mattapan man was held on $1 million cash bail today following his arraignment for trafficking in one of the largest quantities of marijuana ever seized in Boston, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

EDGAR GONZALEZ (D.O.B. 6/15/69), a.k.a. FELIX BAEZ SOTO, was also held on an immigration detainer lodged by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. In addition to setting the high bail, Judge Rosalind Miller ordered Gonzalez to return to court on June 30.

“This is the single largest seizure of marijuana in recent memory,” Conley said. “Detectives said they hadn’t seen such a quantity in at least 20 years.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley this week met with a trio of fifth-graders after they wrote award-winning essays as part of their school’s Peace Night writing competition.

Earlier this year, the John Marshall Elementary School challenged its fifth grade class to write an original essay, poem, or song to explain how they would bring peace to the world. The assignment asked students to identify their dream careers and explain how they could improve their communities and promote peace through their goals. The school invited members of Conley’s office and local community groups to choose the top three essays from 100 entries.

On June 1, after a guided tour of Roxbury District Court, Conley took winners Kashaye Everette-Charles, Leidineice Pereira, and Alysha Baez to lunch at The Olive Garden in Dorchester’s South Bay Shopping Center. more »

A man was held on high bail at arraignment today after Transportation Security Administration officials discovered a large quantity of cocaine in his checked baggage at Logan Airport, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

LUYONGA MUKASA (D.O.B 11/09/1964), of Bedford, Texas, was held on $200,000 cash bail following his arraignment in East Boston District Court on charges of trafficking in more than 200 grams of cocaine. Prosecutors had sought $500,000 bail.

Shortly after 8:15 p.m. yesterday evening, Conley said, TSA requested assistance at the American Airlines bag room regarding a suspicious laptop checked onto its flight to London’s Heathrow Airport. Upon examination of the laptop, officials found a plastic bag containing a powdery white substance beneath the loose keyboard. The Massachusetts Port Authority Fire Department responded for a possible hazmat situation, but a field test indicated that the substance was in fact cocaine. more »

A 60-year-old Plymouth man was arraigned today on charges that he tried to kill his wife by strangling her as she lay in her bed at a downtown hospital Friday afternoon, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOHN J. RILEY (D.O.B. 11/1/49) was charged with assault and battery on a person over the age of 60, assault with intent to murder, and assault and battery, for the May 28 attack on his 66-year-old wife at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Assistant District Attorney Andrius Knasas requested that Riley be held on $50,000 cash bail. Boston Municipal Court Judge Tracy-Lee Lyons set bail in the amount of $45,000 and additionally ordered him to stay away from and have no contact with the victim or Massachusetts General Hospital. more »

A Massachusetts Turnpike toll taker pleaded guilty today as his trial was set to begin on charges that he pocketed money from motorists amid a seven-moth investigation by State Police and Suffolk County prosecutors, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

KING CHAN (D.O.B. 3/19/58) of Wellesley admitted to a single count of larceny over $250 and 10 counts of false entry on corporate books for keeping more than $1,000 in tolls he collected between October 2007 and May 2008.

Prosecutors recommended that he serve three months in jail followed by three years of probation, pay full restitution, and perform community service. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Frank Gaziano sentenced Chan to three years of probation and ordered him to pay the restitution. Chan will lose his job and his pension as a result of the criminal case, Conley said. more »

The suspects in the Sunday evening shooting death of 14-year-old boy Nicholas Fomby-Davis were held without bail at prosecutors’ request, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said, noting that the slain boy was “a truly innocent victim.”

JOSHUA FERNANDES (D.O.B. 8/8/93 and CRISOSTOMO LOPES (D.O.B. 2/27/90), both of Dorchester, were formally charged in Dorchester District Court with Fomby-Davis’ murder. Fernandes was additionally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and discharging a firearm within 500’ of a dwelling. Pleas of not guilty were automatically entered by the court. more »

The suspect in a Jamaica Plain bank robbery pleaded guilty yesterday, accepting a prison sentence of up to 12 years rather than face trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ROYAL BENJAMIN, Jr. (D.O.B. 6/27/60), who has no fixed address, admitted to a single count of unarmed robbery for the brazen daylight heist from the Mt. Washington Bank on Centre Street on the afternoon of June 17, 2009. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Patrick Brady sentenced Benjamin to a term of 10 to 12 years in state prison.

Had the case proceeded to trial, Assistant District Attorney Philip O’Brien of Conley’s Senior Trial Unit would have introduced evidence and testimony from bank employees, Boston Police, and other witnesses. The evidence would have shown that Benjamin approached a teller with two $5 bills and requested a roll of dimes. more »

A violent brawl erupted in Suffolk Superior Court today as 16-year-old Terrance Jacobs’ killers were sentenced to life in prison, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Judge Judith Fabricant imposed the mandatory sentence, which allows for the possibility of parole after 15 years, on PAUL GOODE (D.O.B. 1/9/83), PEDRO ORTIZ (D.O.B. 8/8/79), and TERRANCE PABON (D.O.B. 1/22/90), all of Dorchester, and MARKEESE MITCHELL (D.O.B. 4/9/91) of Brockton. The four were convicted yesterday after a four-week trial.

Spectators in the gallery began to mutter, shout, and storm from the room as the clerk of the court read off the men’s sentences. Within seconds, that activity escalated into shouted expletives, pushes, and punches, with court officers and Boston Police ordering all parties from the courtroom. Additional court officers and Boston Police responded to assist in clearing the room and quelling the disturbance, which by then had spilled into the lobby. They made two arrests, suffering minor injuries in the process. more »

Two Dorchester men were held without bail today following their arraignments for the murder of 24-year-old Toneika Jones and the non-fatal shooting of a 19-year-old male on Harvard Street over the weekend, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

KADEEM FOREMAN and TERRELL RAINEY, both 20, were charged with murder, armed assault with intent to murder, and gun offenses in Dorchester District Court this morning. Both were ordered to return to court on June 23.

Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren of Conley’s Homicide Unit told the court that Jones and the surviving victim were in the vestibule of 183 Harvard St. in Dorchester just after 1:00 Saturday morning when “several shots pierced the metal security door.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the convictions of four men for the murder of 16-year-old Terrance Jacobs in Dorchester almost exactly three years ago.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury found PAUL GOODE (D.O.B. 1/9/83), PEDRO ORTIZ (D.O.B. 8/8/79), and TERRANCE PABON (D.O.B. 1/22/90), all of Dorchester, and MARKEESE MITCHELL (D.O.B. 4/9/91) of Brockton guilty of second-degree murder for beating and stabbing Jacobs to death on May 22, 2007.

“This was a just verdict and one supported by the facts, the evidence, and the law,” Conley said. “For three years they’ve waited for justice, and today it was delivered by a jury of 12 members of the community. It took herculean efforts on the street, in the grand jury, and before the jury, but those efforts paid off.” more »

A 42-year-old man was arraigned today in the Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court on charges that he allegedly sexually assaulted a female employee of a Washington Street hotel earlier this month, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

LEONARD HALL (D.O.B. 2/16/68), a homeless man living in Boston, was charged with assault with intent to rape, indecent assault and battery, and assault and battery, all in connection with a May 9 incident at the DoubleTree Boston Hotel.

Assistant District Attorney David Deakin, chief of Conley’s Family Protection and Sexual Assault Bureau, in requesting that Hall be held on $250,000 cash bail, said that “the defendant is somebody without regard for the law and the personal and physical integrity of the person he assaulted.” more »

A Suffolk Superior Court judge last week denied a convicted killer what would have been his third trial for the 1995 murder of 33-year-old Sharilee Banks, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The decision, filed May 13 and received by prosecutors today, upholds the second-degree murder conviction of WILLIAM LaPAGE (D.O.B. 8/20/52) for stabbing Banks to death in her Winthrop home on the morning of Feb. 25, 1995.

LaPage was initially found guilty of Banks’ murder in 1997, but his conviction was overturned four years later when the state’s Supreme Judicial Court found that the trial judge gave faulty instructions on the issue of self-defense. He was found guilty at a second trial in 2005. more »

Two Dorchester men were held on high bails and had their earlier bails revoked after a major marijuana bust led Boston Police to an assault rifle and more than 100 rounds of ammunition, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

RUDOLPH LAWRENCE (D.O.B. 8/14/74) and KAREEM MUHAMMED (D.O.B. 1/1/83) were each held on $750,000 cash bail in the Boston Municipal Court today on charges of trafficking in more than 100 lbs of marijuana.

Additionally, Conley said, both men had their open bails on pending Dorchester charges revoked: Lawrence was on personal recognizance following his February arraignment for possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute, and Muhammed had been released on $5,000 cash bail following a firearms possession arraignment in October. Prosecutors had sought $15,000 cash bail in that case. more »

The state’s highest court today affirmed a cold-case rape conviction that a lower court vacated last year, ensuring that the defendant will serve out the 15-year prison sentenced imposed after trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Supreme Judicial Court today overruled the Massachusetts Appeals Court’s decision to vacate RONALD McCOY’s 2006 conviction for rape, kidnapping, and assault and battery. The convictions came after Suffolk prosecutors proved that McCoy had held a woman against her will, beat her, and raped her ten years earlier; when the Appeals Court vacated the conviction, prosecutors sought further appellate review by the high court.

In an 11-page decision authored by Justice Francis X. Spina, the SJC found that the introduction of certain testimony was error under the state’s first complaint doctrine but “the error did not create a substantial risk of miscarriage of justice.” more »

A Chelsea man who last month fled police custody was ordered held on $1 million cash bail at his Suffolk Superior Court arraignment today, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

JOEL McDONALD (D.O.B. 1/26/90) is charged with assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, unlawful possession of ammunition, and carrying a loaded firearm, all in connection with the Jan. 21 non-fatal shooting of a 53-year-old man near McDonald’s Chelsea home.

McDonald was also charged with assault and battery and two counts of threats for allegedly attacking a 42-year-old female relative who also lives in the Hawthorne Street residence. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office today argued against sentence reductions for two of Boston’s most notorious murderers in hearings before a panel of Superior Court judges.

Assistant District Attorney Charles Bartoloni told Judges Barbara Dortch-Okara, Wendie Gershengorn, and Peter Lauriat that five consecutive life terms was the appropriate sentence for SINY VAN TRAN (D.O.B. 9/9/57). Tran, a one-time Boston resident, was convicted at a 2005 trial of the first-degree murders of Chung Kand Luu, 26; Chung Wah Son, 58; Van Tran, 31; Man Cheung, 55; and David Quang Lam, 32, in the basement of 85 Tyler St. in the early morning hours of Jan. 12, 1991.

A short time later, First Assistant District Attorney Josh Wall argued that JOSEPH COUSIN (D.O.B. 8/9/84) should serve the consecutive sentences imposed following his convictions for the second-degree murder of 10-year-old Trina Persad, unlawful possession of the shotgun with which he shot her, and receiving the stolen motor vehicle from which he fired it on the evening of June 29, 2002. more »

No one has been charged and foul play is not alleged in an incident that left one man dead and sent another to the hospital last night after rescue efforts by four separate public safety agencies, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Massachusetts State Police, fire departments from Boston and Cambridge, and Boston Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to the area of the Harvard Bridge, which traverses the Charles River along Massachusetts Avenue, at about 11:00 last night for a report of two men in the water.

An ongoing death investigation by State Police detectives assigned to Conley’s office indicates that one man, a 28-year-old Hyde Park resident, jumped into the water from the bridge and that a friend, a 27-year-old Dorchester man, followed suit in an effort to rescue him. more »

A man who allegedly beat his girlfriend and then tried to shoot her, only to hit a bystander instead, is expected to face trial in Suffolk Superior Court today with the man who allegedly handed him the firearm.

JUSTIN SEARCY (D.O.B. 3/14/90) of Mattapan, who allegedly fired the shot at his 25-year-old girlfriend but struck her 31-year-old male cousin in the face early last year, is charged with armed assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and firearms offenses.

THEODORE GAMBLE (D.O.B. 12/8/84) of Jamaica Plain, who allegedly provided Searcy with the loaded .38 caliber revolver as Searcy argued with the woman, is charged with the same offenses. He is also charged under the state’s Armed Career Criminal statute and with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a second or subsequent offense, both of which provide for enhanced penalties if he is convicted. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today delivered the following remarks on the need for Criminal Offender Record Information reform at the Massachusetts State House:

“As the District Attorney for Suffolk County, I take seriously my obligation to bring criminal offenders to justice, to serve victims, and to use all the powers of my office to protect the public safety. For a long time, the issue of CORI reform has been gridlocked with seemingly no middle ground to be found that balances the public safety with the goal of providing offenders with a fair opportunity to remake their lives as responsible, productive and law abiding citizens.

“Over the past two years, members of my staff and I have had the pleasure of engaging in wide ranging, substantive, and fact-based discussions about CORI reform with people of good will and tremendous integrity, representing any number of constituencies and perspectives on CORI reform. The result of those discussions was that I became convinced that the rights of employers to critical information, the hope of ex-offenders to earn a second chance – and I stress the word earn – and the all-important mandate to promote the public safety, were not mutually exclusive. In fact, the CORI reform provisions adopted by the Senate in November achieved this balance and deserve passage by the House as well. more »

State Police assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office are investigating the discovery of a dead body near Interstate 93 southbound in Boston’s South End last night.

State Police responded at about 9:30 p.m. to find the remains of a white male in what appeared to be a makeshift shelter underneath the Albany Street off ramp. There were no outward signs of trauma and no signs of violence at the scene, but the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy today to determine cause and manner of death.

The deceased has been tentatively identified as a 45-year-old homeless man, but investigators are not releasing his identity until it has been confirmed and next of kin can be notified.

State Police assigned to Conley’s office investigate all unattended deaths and homicides on state highways, waterways, and property within the City of Boston.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today declared itself hopelessly deadlocked in its deliberations regarding a Roxbury resident accused of gunning down an innocent man during a 2007 shooting that prosecutors say was gang-related.

SHAWN “SHANKS” DAUGHTRY (D.O.B. 5/14/80) of Roxbury, was charged with first-degree murder for the Sept. 20, 2007, shooting death of 29-year-old Urel Duncan. Duncan was sitting outside a Codman Park residence with friends when two men approached the group and opened fire, killing him and wounding another.

Duncan was not involved with gangs, prosecutors said, and was targeted because of where he was – in the Academy Homes housing development – not who he was. more »

A Chelsea man will serve up to 13 years in state prison for fatally stabbing his mother’s boyfriend during a confrontation inside their Chester Avenue home, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

EUGENE TEIXEIRA (D.O.B. 3/25/87) was convicted Thursday of manslaughter for the April 29, 2008 stabbing death of 25-year-old Shadeed “Cleo” Wiggins in the home the two shared with Teixeira’s mother and younger brother. The mother was Wiggins’ girlfriend.

During a sentencing hearing this afternoon in Suffolk Superior Court, Assistant District Attorney Cory Flashner recommended that Teixeira serve 15 years in prison for Superior Court Judge Patrick F. Brady sentenced Teixeira to serve a term of nine to 13 years behind bars. more »

Three men were held on high bail today following their arraignment for allegedly holing up in a Chelsea home after an armed robbery yesterday, prompting a standoff with Chelsea Police and the assistance of the Boston Police SWAT team, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

All three men were charged with armed robbery, armed carjacking, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and firearms offenses. EDWARD FUNES (D.O.B. 2/10/75) of Revere was held on $75,000 cash bail; JOSE PARADA (D.O.B. 1/7/91) of Saugus was held on $50,000; and LUIS SANTIAGO (D.O.B. 7/12/86) of Chelsea was held on $100,000. Chelsea District Court Judge Diana Maldonado ordered all three to return to court on June 14.

Chelsea Police responded to a Spruce Street residence shortly before 8:00 yesterday morning after two victims reported being robbed and beaten at gunpoint near the Addison Street intersection. The victims told officers that they saw the assailants flee into the Spruce Street home. more »

An East Boston man who allegedly tried to steal two pairs of jeans was held on $100,000 cash bail at his arraignment today because the security guards who stopped him also found a loaded handgun on his person, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JASON MORALES (D.O.B. 2/18/92) was arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court today on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawfully carrying a loaded handgun, and larceny under $250.

Suffolk prosecutors told the court that Morales was observed at about 6:30 on Saturday evening in the Macy’s at Downtown Crossing. After allegedly noting the positions of store security cameras, Morales was allegedly seen placing two pairs of Levi’s jeans into a shopping bag he’d been carrying. Morales allegedly tried to leave the department store without paying for the pants. more »

Jury selection is scheduled to begin today for the trial of a Lynn man accused of stabbing his mother to death in her Revere home two years ago.

COREY ROCHE (D.O.B. 6/15/84) is charged with first-degree murder and armed assault with intent to murder for allegedly stabbing 42-year-old Lisa Bryson Roche to death inside her Fernview Avenue residence on the afternoon of Feb. 25, 2008.

Revere Police responded to the scene at about 3:15 to find Roche holding a knife and his mother suffering grievous injuries. Officers ordered him to drop his weapon; Roche allegedly refused to do so and instead extended it toward an officer. He sustained a single gunshot wound from a Revere Police service weapon. more »

The leader of a botched ransom plot will spend at least two decades behind bars for kidnapping, beating, and trying to kill a small-time marijuana dealer two years ago, and two of his co-defendants will serve terms that are shorter but still significant, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Frank Gaziano sentenced JOSEPH CALDWELL (D.O.B. 12/5/82) of Mattapan to a term of 20 to 25 years in state prison on the lead charge of kidnapping with intent to extort, plus concurrent sentences of 18 to 20 years and 14 to 15 years for attempted murder and aggravated assault and battery. Caldwell was convicted of those offenses on April 15.

Gaziano said he took note of the “physical and psychological harm” done to the victim in deciding on the sentence, and further noted that Caldwell’s prior state prison sentences on unrelated offenses “didn’t deter him from his conduct. In fact, he was on probation at the time of the offense.” more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted a Chelsea man of stabbing his mother’s boyfriend to death during a melee inside their Chester Avenue home two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

EUGENE TEIXEIRA (D.O.B. 3/25/87) was convicted of manslaughter for the April 29, 2008, stabbing death of 25-year-old Cleo “Shadeed” Wiggins. Jurors acquitted Teixeira’s brother, AASIM SMITH (D.O.B. 4/13/92), of his role in the incident.

Prosecutors had argued during the two-week trial that Teixeira fatally stabbed Wiggins and that Smith, who allegedly wielded a baseball bat but was kept away from Wiggins by a family friend, shared his deadly intent. more »

A former building and grounds manager for the Massachusetts Society for the Protection of Animals was formally charged today with setting a fire in the agency’s Boston headquarters earlier this year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

At his Superior Court arraignment this morning, WILLIAM FITZGERALD (D.O.B. 4/19/58) of Plymouth pleaded not guilty to charges of arson of a dwelling, willful and wanton destruction of property, and injuries to a firefighter resulting from criminal offenses. The charges stem from a February fire at 350 South Huntington Ave. more »

The Suffolk County Grand Jury yesterday indicted a former employee of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for allegedly setting a fire in the agency’s headquarters, which housed animals and veterinarians at the time, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

WILLIAM FITZGERALD (D.O.B. 4/19/58) of Plymouth is expected to be arraigned tomorrow in Suffolk Superior Court on charges of arson of a dwelling, willful and wanton destruction of property, and injury to a firefighter.

The indictments allege that FitzGerald started a fire on the fourth floor of 350 South Huntington Ave. late on Feb. 19. FitzGerald is a former MSPCA manager of building and grounds; he has since been terminated from that position. more »

Seven adults and two juveniles were arraigned today for a “shocking” group attack on a developmentally disabled teen on Parkman Street in Dorchester yesterday, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Arraigned in Dorchester District Court today were: more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, joining Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, today delivered the following remarks urging community cooperation in the April 8 homicide of 14-year-old Jaewon Martin on Parker Street:

“One of the questions we’re asked after crimes as horrible as this one is “Why.” Why did this happen? Why would anyone kill a 14-year-old in cold blood as he stood talking to friends, posing no threat to anyone? more »

A suspect in the stabbing death of 22-year-old Beau Youngs was held without bail today following his arraignment on a murder charge, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Hickman of Conley’s Homicide Unit told the court that KEVIN JAMES (D.O.B. 11/1/66) wielded the knife that left Youngs mortally wounded during a physical altercation late on the evening of April 30. Youngs was transported to Boston Medical Center, where he later died of a single stab wound to the heart. Neither Youngs nor James had a fixed address. more »

The trials of three men for two separate Suffolk County homicides ended with closing arguments and jury instructions this morning, with both cases expected to go to their respective Superior Court juries by this afternoon.

Summing up the case against SHAWN “SHANKS” DAUGHTRY (D.O.B. 5/14/80) of Roxbury, charged with first-degree murder for the 2007 shooting death of 29-year-old Urel Duncan, Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren said that Daughtry was bent on retaliating against members of a rival gang when he traveled to Codman Park with a firearm.

“On Sept. 20, 2007, Urel Duncan was doing nothing more than hanging out with friends and family,” Lundgren said. “He did nothing more than live on a street in Academy Homes territory.” more »

The Chelsea youth shot Tuesday succumbed to his injury last night, investigators said this morning.

Roland Polacios, 17, died at Massachusetts General Hospital shortly before 11:30 last night. He had sustained a gunshot wound at about 4:30 Tuesday afternoon in the area of 20 Suffolk St. in Chelsea.

Chelsea Police and State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office have been investigating the shooting “non-stop” since shortly after it took place, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. more »

Chelsea Police and State Police assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office are investigating a shooting that left a Chelsea teen near death yesterday afternoon.

Chelsea Police were called to the area of 20 Suffolk St. in Chelsea at about 4:30 yesterday afternoon for a report of a man shot. They found a 17-year-old male Chelsea resident suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Because of the nature of the injury, members of the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit were notified and responded to the scene. State Police assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office investigate all homicides in the City of Chelsea with the support and assistance of Chelsea Police. more »

A repeat sex offender will serve up to 30 years in state prison and must wear a Global Positioning System monitoring device for 10 years after his release for attacking and trying to rape a woman in a Massachusetts General Hospital bathroom late last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Suffolk prosecutors had recommended that DAVID FLAVELL (D.O.B. 6/22/69) serve a term of 30 to 40 years behind bars. Superior Court Judge Charles Spurlock imposed a 25- to 30-year term but also ordered that Flavell serve 10 years of probation upon his release. During those 10 years, Flavell must wear a GPS device, stay away from the victim and the hospital, register as a sex offender, undergo sex offender evaluation and treatment, submit a sample to the state’s DNA database, and take any medications as ordered. more »

The longest-serving victim-witness advocate in Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office was recognized today by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance.

Michael Coffey, a West Roxbury native, was honored for his 25th year of consecutive service at a ceremony this morning at the Massachusetts State House. Coffey has been “a shoulder for victims, witnesses, and their families to lean on” since 1985, Conley said.

Coffey began training as a Suffolk victim advocate in the Boston Municipal Court not long after the Victim’s Bill of Rights was codified under Ch. 258B of the Massachusetts General Laws. He was later dispatched to Roxbury and Brighton district courts and rose through the ranks to work alongside Superior Court trial teams in the DA’s Homicide Unit and Major Felony Bureau, where he is currently assigned. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced the conviction today of a repeat sex offender on charges that he attacked and tried to rape a woman at Massachusetts General Hospital last year.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury on its second day of deliberations found DAVID C. FLAVELL (D.O.B. 6/22/69) guilty of assault with intent to rape, assault and battery, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for the Oct. 22, 2009, attack on a 27-year-old female inside an MGH bathroom. The latter convictions reflect Flavell’s use of a wall and the floor to inflict injuries upon the woman. more »

A Suffolk County victim-witness advocate will be honored tomorrow for his quarter century of service to the victims of violent crime in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

The Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance will honor Michael Coffey’s 25th anniversary tomorrow at the Massachusetts State House as part of a day-long event observing Victims Rights Month and recognizing leaders in the field of victim services.

“From the time a case is assigned until well after it’s concluded, Michael is often the bridge between a victim or family and the criminal justice system,” Conley said. “His kindness, his patience, and his generosity are legendary in his field. In a time of need, there are few better friends than Michael Coffey.” more »

The Chelsea home in which 25-year-old Shadeed “Cleo” Wiggins was stabbed to death was “dysfunctional,” with his alleged killers’ mother choosing him over her own sons, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said during opening statements in their murder trial today.

AASIM SMITH (D.O.B. 4/13/92) and EUGENE TEIXEIRA (D.O.B. 3/25/87) are both charged with second-degree murder for allegedly joining together in a fatal 2008 attack on Wiggins, their mother’s boyfriend, in the Chester Avenue apartment they all shared.

“This case is about choices,” Assistant District Attorney Cory Flashner said. “The choice of a mother to select her boyfriend over her two sons and to kick her two sons out of the house … and the choices of those two sons to come back into the house, back through the door, to arm themselves, and to kill that boyfriend.” more »

A Chelsea man today took the rare step of stipulating to facts in a hearing that will keep him held without bail for up to 90 days after badly beating his pregnant girlfriend, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

JOSE JOBSON (D.O.B. 5/31/83) did not challenge the allegation that no conditions of his release on bail would “reasonably assure the safety of any person or the community,” the standard for pre-trial detention under Ch. 276, Sect. 58A, of the Massachusetts General Laws. The so-called “dangerousness hearing” took place in Dorchester District Court this morning, seven days after he allegedly beat his eight-months-pregnant girlfriend so badly that doctors had to induce labor. He is also charged with unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, pointing that gun at the 22-year-old victim and two other witnesses, and attacking a group of police officers whom he led on a high-speed chase. more »

Jury selection is under way for the trial of two brothers accused of stabbing their mother’s live-in boyfriend to death of inside their Chelsea home two years ago.

EUGENE TEIXEIRA (D.O.B. 3/25/87) and AASIM SMITH (D.O.B. 4/13/92) are both charged with second-degree murder for the April 29, 2008, homicide of 25-year-old Shadeed “Cleo” Wiggins.

Evidence suggests that, after an argument, the defendants’ mother and Wiggins asked Teixeira and Smith to leave the Chester Avenue apartment where they all resided. The two brothers complied and left the home.

Teixeira and Smith allegedly returned to the apartment later that day and forced their way inside. Evidence suggests that the two defendants became engaged in a verbal altercation with Wiggins, which became fatal when Teixeira allegedly grabbed a knife and stabbed the victim seven times while Smith attempted to strike Wiggins with a baseball bat. more »

When 29-year-old Urel Duncan and his friend made the decision to sit on the front steps of a Codman Park duplex townhouse on a fall night almost three years ago, “unbeknownst to any of them…they were literally risking their lives,” a Suffolk County prosecutor told a Superior Court jury in the second murder trial to open today in Suffolk Superior Court.

SHAWN “SHANKS” DAUGHTRY (D.O.B. 5/14/80) of Roxbury is charged with first-degree murder for Duncan’s fatal shooting on the evening of Sept. 20, 2007, and armed assault with intent to murder for the non-fatal shooting of Duncan’s then 19-year-old friend, who was seated next to him on the steps. He is additionally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm. more »

Standing before a panel of 15 Superior Court jurors, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor explained the circumstances of 16-year-old Terrence Jacobs’ stabbing death on a busy Dorchester street three years ago.

“It’s a case about revenge and retaliation,” Assistant District Attorney Mark Hallal said, “and these four defendants – PAUL GOODE, PEDRO ORTIZ, TERRANCE PABON, and MARKEESE MITCHELL – who made a conscious and deliberate decision on May 22, 2007, to take the life of Terrence Jacobs by literally chasing him down, stabbing him in the back, and plunging their lives into his body no less than 20 times.” more »

A Lynn man was held on $10,000 cash bail today and may enter a substance abuse clinic following his arrest for assaulting an MBTA employee while shouting ethnic slurs at him earlier this month, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DANIEL JOURDET (D.O.B. 5/2/52) was arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court this morning on charges of assault and battery, violation of civil rights, disorderly conduct, and trespassing, all incurred on the evening of April 1 on the inbound platform of Copley station. more »

Two would-be entrepreneurs were held on $1000 cash bail each today following their arrests by Transit Police for allegedly selling MBTA employee parking spaces at North Station before last night’s Celtics game, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DANIEL CAMPBELL (D.O.B. 9/17/62), who has no fixed residence, and THOMAS FITZPATRICK (D.O.B. 11/10/66) of Dorchester were arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court today on charges of trespassing and larceny. The charges stem from observations made at about 7:30 p.m. by MBTA Inspector Gregory Lowe, who saw the duo charging money for access to a private North Station parking lot for MBTA employees. more »

A Chelsea man charged with viciously beating a pregnant woman on Sunday was held without bail today pending a hearing at which prosecutors will argue that he cannot be safely released before trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

JOSE JOBSON (D.O.B. 5/31/83) was arraigned this morning in Dorchester District Court on charges of assault with intent to murder, mayhem, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault and battery, unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm, failure to stop for police, resisting arrest, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and a litany of motor vehicle offenses. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury this morning convicted the last of four defendants charged in a botched kidnapping ploy that nearly killed an Allston man two summers ago, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Jurors found TYON FEASTER (D.O.B. 7/31/84) of Cambridge guilty of kidnapping with intent to commit extortion, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and attempted murder. The verdict came one day after the convictions of Feaster’s two male co-defendants, JOSEPH CALDWELL (D.O.B. 12/5/82) of Mattapan and DOMONIC CAMPBELL (D.O.B. 4/15/88) of Cambridge, and their femme fatale associate, JILLIAN JACQUES (D.O.B. 3/31/85) of Allston. more »

Two men were held without bail today at their arraignment on charges that they shared responsibility for the fatal shooting of Charles Cantave inside his car late last month, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MARIO H. BURNS (D.O.B. 10/5/72) and CORNELIUS F. EVANS (D.O.B. 6/19/75), both of Dorchester, were formally charged with murder today in the very same courthouse at which Burns’ wife had filed a small claims action against the 36-year-old victim.

Assistant District Attorney Holly Broadbent told the court that Burns, his wife, and Cantave were present in the courthouse regarding that Dorchester District Court civil case on the morning of March 29. Video surveillance from the area shows a vehicle owned by Burns’ wife crossing paths with Cantave outside the courthouse as Cantave walked to his car near the corner of Washington and Park streets, Broadbent said. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the convictions of three kidnappers for an incident that nearly killed an Allston man in a botched ransom plot during the summer of 2008.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today found JOSEPH CALDWELL (D.O.B. 12/5/82) of Mattapan and DOMONIC CAMPBELL (D.O.B. 4/15/88) of Cambridge guilty of kidnapping with intent to commit extortion, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and attempted murder. Jurors also found JILLIAN JACQUES (D.O.B. 3/31/85) of Allston guilty of kidnapping and aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon but acquitted her of attempted murder.

Jurors did not reach verdicts on a fourth co-defendant, TYON FEASTER (D.O.B. 7/31/84) of Cambridge, who is charged with the same offenses. Presiding Judge Frank Gaziano instructed jurors to resume their deliberations with regard to that defendant. more »

Bail was set at $10,000 cash today for a former basketball coach accused of bringing a New York boy to Boston and sexually assaulting him here more than 30 years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

In addition to setting the bail recommended by Assistant District Attorney Leora Joseph, Suffolk Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong also imposed the recommended conditions of release: That ROBERT “BOB” OLIVA (D.O.B. 12/30/44) have no contact with the alleged victim or witnesses in the case and that he have no contact with any child under the age of 16 during the pendency of his case.

Wong set a tentative trial date of May 3, 2011. more »

An Allston man who was kidnapped, tortured, and tied to a chair for 11 hours while his assailants undertook a ransom plot studied the faces of those who held him “in case he was allowed to live,” a Suffolk prosecutor said during closing arguments in the four-defendant trial.

JOSEPH CALDWELL (D.O.B. 12/5/82) of Mattapan, DOMONIC CAMPBELL (D.O.B. 4/15/88) of Cambridge, TYON FEASTER (D.O.B. 7/31/84) of Cambridge, and JILLIAN JACQUES, 23 (D.O.B. 3/31/85), of Allston are charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, and arson for the June 1, 2008, incident on Glenville Avenue.

“[The victim] is trying to stay alive,” said Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Bucci, chief of Suffolk DA Daniel F. Conley’s Narcotics Unit. “He’s paying attention to the people who did this to him. He’s looking at their faces in case he’s allowed to live.” more »

A Dorchester man was held without bail today following his indictment for allegedly shooting 28-year-old George “Jeffrey” Thompson to death in Thompson’s Dorchester home following an argument, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

OMAY TAVARES (D.O.B. 4/24/89) was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court today on charges of first-degree murder, possession of a firearm without a license as a subsequent offense, carrying a loaded firearm, and two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition, all in connection with the Jan. 7 inside Thompson’s Rosseter Street residence.

At the time of the shooting, Lundgren said, Tavares was on probation after serving an 18-month jail sentence for an unrelated firearm possession conviction. more »

A Dorchester man was held on high bail today after a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor recounted his alleged role in the fatal shooting of Charles Cantave a short time after the victim left a hearing in small claims court, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MARIO F. BURNS (D.O.B. 10/5/72) was held on $750,000 cash bail following his arraignment on charges of being an accessory after the fact to Cantave’s homicide as he sat inside his car near the intersection of Washington and Park streets late last month. Additionally, Burns’ bail was revoked on an unrelated charge of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. more »

Jury selection is expected to begin today for the trial of four defendants charged with murdering 16-year-old Terrance Jacobs in broad daylight in Dorchester three years ago.

PAUL GOODE, a.k.a. PAUL JONES (D.O.B. 1/9/83), of Dorchester; MARKEESE MITCHELL (D.O.B. 4/9/91) of Brockton; PEDRO ORTIZ (D.O.B. 8/8/79) of Dorchester; and TERRANCE PABON (D.O.B. 1/22/90) of Dorchester are all charged with murder for the May 22, 2007, beating and stabbing that took Jacobs’ life on Havelock Street. more »

A Roxbury man was sentenced to 22 years in state prison today after admitting that he robbed and violently raped a woman at the Back Bay MBTA station in 2008, Suffolk County District attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

RICHARD FLOWERS (D.O.B. 2/14/60) pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated rape, assault with intent to rape, kidnapping, and assault and battery. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Carol Ball handed down the sentence recommended by prosecutors: 19 to 22 years in state prison, followed by 15 years of probation. If Flowers reoffends during those 15 years, he could be surrendered and face life in prison. more »

A Brighton District Court judge today ordered an Allston man held without bail at his arraignment on charges that he fatally stabbed a man who objected when the defendant threw a bottle at his girlfriend, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

JULIO “FREDDIE” MARISCAL (D.O.B. 12/1/70), a.k.a JULIO CUELLAR, was charged with murder for the April 3 stabbing death of 40-year-old Jose Mendoza Villalta of Brighton inside the defendant’s Mansfield Street home. Investigators believe the stabbing took place Saturday night after Mariscal’s girlfriend drank a toast with Villalta, prompting Mariscal to throw a beer bottle at her and Villalta to decry that act. more »

The young man who provided his friend with the gun used to kill an innocent 13-year-old boy pleaded guilty today to that offense and others stemming from the Oct. 4, 2007, fatal shooting of Steven Odom, Suffolk County District attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

DAVID JOHNSON (D.O.B. 8/20/89) of Mattapan today admitted to charges of accessory before the fact to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, accessory after the fact to murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and being an armed career criminal. more »

A Lynn man has been ordered not to drive if he posts the bail set during his arraignment on charges that he left the scene of a collision that took the life of 59-year-old Bianca Moreno near her Revere home this morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

EVERTON MUIR (D.O.B. 10/2/84) was arraigned this afternoon in Chelsea District Court on a single count of leaving the scene of an accident causing death. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced that his office would not seek criminal charges against an off-duty special police officer who shot and killed a man during a knife attack at a downtown Boston medical suite late last year.

“Paul Langone acted in self-defense and the defense of Dr. Astrid Desrosiers when he fired on Jay Carciero,” Conley said. “But for Mr. Langone’s actions that day, she would undoubtedly have died and others – including Mr. Langone himself – could have been seriously injured or killed as well.” more »

The Suffolk County Grand Jury yesterday returned indictments charging a Dorchester man with shooting two Maine residents in the head last summer, killing one and leaving the other near death, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

AMOS “ACE” DON (D.O.B. 3/11/86) is charged with first-degree murder for the Aug. 25, 2009, slaying of 29-year-old Erica Field; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and armed assault with intent to murder for the shooting of Field’s boyfriend, now 32; and unlawful possession of a firearm for the handgun he allegedly used. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today acquitted a Mattapan man of causing the motor vehicle crash that killed 18-year-old Porsche Hubbard and injured three others, ages 6 months through 25 years old, who were in her car at the time.

JASON BAILEY (D.O.B. 8/18/78) was acquitted of manslaughter and leaving the scene of the Aug. 3, 2007, collision in which Hubbard was killed. Hubbard’s 10-year-old cousin, her 25-year-old friend, and that woman’s 6-month-old daughter were also injured in the collision. more »

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Thomas E. Connolly today declared a mistrial in the case against two men accused of gunning down 18-year-old Cedirick Steele after jurors deadlocked in their deliberations. Jurors deliberated for about five full days following four weeks of trial.

Suffolk prosecutors and attorneys for ANTWAN CARTER (D.O.B. 10/13/88) and DANIEL PINCKNEY, Jr. (D.O.B. 7/4/88), both of Boston’s South End, will return to court on April 20 to pick a new trial date. Prosecutors said they would re-try the case at the earliest opportunity. more »

A Dorchester couple was barred from contact with children – including their own 2-year-old son – after a Suffolk County grand jury indicted them for allegedly allowing that boy and a 6-year-old neighbor to overdose on illegally-obtained heroin withdrawal medication, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Assistant District Attorney Leora Joseph, chief of Conley’s Child Protection Unit, sought that condition of release while HECTOR BATISTA (D.O.B. 3/21/61) and MARIA PEREZ (D.O.B. 9/12/65) await trial on charges of unlawful possession of a Class B substance, assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injury, and reckless endangerment of a child for the Jan. 16 incident in their Ballou Avenue apartment. The children swallowed tablets of Suboxone, a powerful drug used to treat heroin withdrawal, for which the defendants did not have a prescription. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced a three-count indictment charging a former New York high school basketball coach with sexually assaulting a young player and showing him pornography during a 1976 trip to Boston.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury today returned indictments charging ROBERT “BOB” OLIVA (D.O.B. 12/30/44) of Lynbrook, New York, with two counts of rape of a child and one count of disseminating pornography to a minor. The indictments stem from Oliva’s alleged actions with a New York boy, then 14, at the Sheraton Boston hotel in 1976. more »

A Chelsea man was sentenced to three years in state prison and will be deported upon his release after pleading guilty to raping a woman who worked as a prostitute, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

“No matter who they may be, no matter their station in life, we’re committed to finding justice for the victims of sexual violence,” Conley said. “From the moment this crime was first reported, Chelsea Police and Suffolk prosecutors worked toward a resolution that would protect the victim’s dignity and hold her assailant accountable.” more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the indictment of two Dorchester parents who allegedly allowed their 2-year-old son and a neighbor’s 6-year-old boy to overdose on a drug used to treat heroin addiction.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury on March 10 indicted HECTOR BATISTA, Sr. (D.O.B. 3/21/61) and MARIA PEREZ (D.O.B. 9/12/65) on charges of unlawful possession of a Class B substance, reckless endangerment of a child, and two counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injury. more »

Jury selection is scheduled to begin today for the trial of a Mattapan man whose driving was allegedly so aggressive that it caused a crash that claimed one young woman’s life and injured three others, including a 6-month-old girl.

JASON BAILEY (D.O.B. 8/18/78) is charged with involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of the collision that killed 18-year-old Porsche Hubbard on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester during the early morning hours of Aug. 3, 2007. Prosecutors say Bailey was driving his SUV behind the victims’ sedan in a manner that forced the victims to accelerate and ultimately lose control before crashing into a light pole and a tree. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court judge today sentenced a Dorchester man to serve eight years in state prison for fatally stabbing 27-year-old Sheldon Andrews during a physical confrontation at a backyard barbecue two summers ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

On March 15, a Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted RICHARD PARRIS (D.O.B. 4/12/69) of manslaughter after about a day and a half of deliberations. Prior to sentencing, Assistant District Attorney Edward Krippendorf of Conley’s Homicide Unit recommended that Parris be sentenced to a 13-to-15-year term in state prison. Parris had been indicted for second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life term with the possibility of parole after 15 years; jurors convicted him of the lesser included offense of manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in state prison. more »

In a closing argument today, a Suffolk County prosecutor told a Superior Court jury that two men “working in concert” were responsible for the 2007 fatal shooting of 18-year-old Cedirick Steele as he waited on a street corner for his mother across the street from a Boston middle school.

Assistant District Attorney Paul Treseler told the court that Steele, a college student who worked for Meals on Wheels, was standing on the corner of Highland and Centre streets on the afternoon of March 14, 2007, when “a coward snuck up on him.” more »

An Allston man who stabbed his estranged wife three dozen times with a pair of pliers before strangling her to death was sentenced today to life in prison, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Christine McEvoy sentenced DA LIN HUANG (D.O.B. 3/16/63) to life behind bars without the possibility of parole – the mandatory term for first-degree murder. A Superior Court jury convicted Huang of that offense on Feb. 17 after a 10-day trial. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the arrests of eight alleged co-conspirators in a Colombian drug syndicate that ran about a kilogram of cocaine each week through Boston, Chelsea, and Revere, with the operation’s alleged kingpin being held on $5 million dollars cash bail.

FERNEY PEREANEZ (D.O.B. 7/31/85), aka BENITO VALENTIN RIVERA, aka ALEXIS LANDA of East Boston was arraigned this afternoon following his indictment by a Suffolk County grand jury on charges of trafficking in more than 100 grams of cocaine, trafficking in more than 28 grams of cocaine, conspiracy to violate the state’s drug laws, and procuring a false Registry of Motor Vehicles document. Pereanez faces a mandatory 10-year state prison sentence if convicted on the lead trafficking charge. more »

A Dorchester man was convicted of manslaughter today for fatally stabbing 27-year-old Sheldon Andrews during a confrontation that erupted at a backyard barbecue two summers ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted RICHARD PARRIS (D.O.B. 4/12/69) after about a day and a half of deliberations. Judge Christine McEvoy will sentence him at 9:30 Monday morning in courtroom 808. more »

“Sheldon Andrews is dead today not because of anything he did on August 27, 2008,” a Suffolk County prosecutor told jurors during closing arguments in the murder trial of RICHARD PARRIS. “He is dead today because of one person’s decisions, because of one person’s violent actions.”

Those actions, Assistant District Attorney Edward Krippendorf told a Superior Court jury, included stabbing the 27-year-old Andrews over and over in the head, arm, shoulder, chest, and leg near a cookout attended by the two men’s friends. Andrews’ heart and lung were pierced by those stab wounds, causing injuries that led to his death in a hospital bed hours later. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today released a summary report on the first four years of the Firearm Priority Disposition Session, commonly known as “Gun Court,” announcing that the average duration of a firearm possession case has been cut by more than half while achieving an overall conviction rate that approaches 90%.

A dedicated set of sessions for gun possession cases and collateral offenses, Gun Court has been the site of more than 1,200 prosecutions since its inception in early 2006, Conley said. The process of adjudicating those cases has been streamlined such that a case that once took a year or more to go to trial is now disposed in an average of 146 days. more »

The Suffolk Superior Court judge who presided over the 2009 trial of CHRISTIAN KARL GERHARTSREITER (D.O.B. 2/21/61) last week denied the defendant’s motion for a new trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

After a six-day trial last summer, the man once known as “Clark Rockefeller” was found guilty of kidnapping his daughter, then 7, during a 2008 custody visit and absconding with her to Baltimore. He was also found guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for instructing his unwitting getaway driver to speed away from the scene while the social worker monitoring them clung to the vehicle’s door, causing the social worker to fall to the ground in Boston’s Back Bay. more »

Sheldon Andrews knew the man who killed him, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said during opening statements in that man’s murder trial today. The two had many of the same friends and, on the evening of Aug. 27, 2008, even had the same plans – to enjoy the company of friends at a typical backyard cookout.

“But that night would turn out to be anything but typical,” Assistant District Attorney Edward Krippendorf told a Suffolk Superior Court jury. “It would turn out to be the very last night of Sheldon Andrews’ life because of the anger and rage of one man – ROBERT PARRIS, the defendant before you.” more »

Days before his trial was set to begin, a Roxbury man this afternoon pleaded guilty to shooting 22-year-old Sheikh Kake after an argument two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

DARIUS WASHINGTON (D.O.B. 12/8/89) pleaded guilty to the crime of voluntary manslaughter for shooting Kake at the Academy Homes housing complex on the evening of May 17, 2008. Kake, who had recently moved to Roxbury from Maryland, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Carol Ball sentenced Washington to a term of 18 to 20 years for Kake’s death, plus a concurrent three- to five-year term for unlawful possession of a firearm. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court judge late today declared a mistrial in proceedings against a Dorchester woman charged with murdering her husband, Sylvester Mitchell, on the man’s 40th birthday.

Prosecutors said they intend to retry the case against SHARON FITZPATRICK (D.O.B. 7/26/71) at the earliest opportunity. The parties will return to court on March 9 for trial assignment. more »

Jury selection is expected to begin today for a Dorchester man charged with stabbing an acquaintance to death at a Holiday Street cookout two summers ago.

RICHARD PARRIS (D.O.B. 4/12/69) is charged with first-degree murder for the homicide of 27-year-old Sheldon Andrews on the evening of Aug. 27, 2008. Parris was apprehended in Kingston, Jamaica, on Sept. 5 of that year after Boston Police, Suffolk prosecutors, and U.S. Marshals learned he was en route to the island nation and expected to connect with a flight to Barbados. more »

The suspect in last year’s shooting death of a Jamaica Plain convenience store clerk was held without bail following his indictment on murder and other charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

<p></p>Conley’s chief trial counsel, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Haggan, described Corliss’ “troubling and horrendous” criminal record before recommending that Corliss continue to be held without bail. Clerk Magistrate Gary D. Wilson granted that request. more »

Nearly three years after 18-year-old Cedirick Steele was shot to death in broad daylight as he waited for his mother across the street from a Boston middle school, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor recounted his last moments.

“It’s March 14, 2007,” Assistant District Attorney Paul Treseler said during opening statements in the re-trial of ANTWAN CARTER (D.O.B. 10/13/88) and DANIEL PINCKNEY, Jr. (D.O.B. 7/4/88), both of Boston’s South End and both charged with first-degree murder in connection with Steele’s death. “A young man locks his keys in his car. A young man walks to the corner of Highland and Centre streets. It’s 3:50 in the afternoon. It’s a beautiful day. There’s a school across the street.” more »

A senior domestic violence prosecutor told a Suffolk Superior Court jury today that Sylvester Mitchell’s wife “stabbed him to death in anger,” not fear, and that the crime was murder, not self-defense.

Addressing jurors during closing arguments in her murder trial, Assistant District Attorney David Deakin said SHARON FITZPATRICK (D.O.B. 7/26/71) chose to hide the knife she used to stab Mitchell rather than call for help after the fatal conflict that claimed his life in the early morning hours of May 5, 2007 – Mitchell’s 40th birthday. more »

The suspect in 23-year-old Richard Bevins’s fatal stabbing in Allston yesterday morning was formally charged with murder today as Boston Police homicide detectives and Suffolk county prosecutors continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding it, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Acting on a request by Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum of Conley’s Homicide Unit, Brighton District Court Judge David T. Donnelly ordered MITCHELL MARTINEZ (D.O.B. 8/29/86) of Allston-Brighton held without bail on charges of murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, affray, and resisting arrest. more »

A Dorchester man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today after a Suffolk Superior Court jury found him guilty of killing 20-year-old Daniel Yakovleff two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

Jurors convicted STEVEN ODEGARD (D.O.B. 8/5/67) of first-degree murder on the theories of deliberate premeditation and extreme atrocity or cruelty. Judge Regina Quinlan imposed the mandatory life sentence about half an hour after the noontime verdict. more »

A Southbridge man will face charges of unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm after the Massachusetts Appeals Court found Boston Police officers were justified in conducting the pat frisk that led to its recovery, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Prosecutors assigned to Conley’s Appeals Division last year challenged a Boston Municipal Court judge’s ruling that two plainclothes officers didn’t have a reasonable apprehension of danger when they became outnumbered in a South End alley while investigating a possible drug transaction. That ruling would have made it impossible to prosecute ENRIQUE CABRERA (D.O.B. 12/8/82), in whose pocket the gun was found on the night of Oct. 15, 2007. more »

A 49-year-old man was held on $150,000 cash bail at his arraignment on charges that he punched an Auburn grandmother and slashed her hand with a knife before stealing her purse during a downtown carjacking, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F Conley said.

RICHARD MORSE (D.O.B. 12/23/60) of Boston is charged with armed robbery, armed carjacking, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person 60 or older for the Nov. 2, 2009, attack on a 61-year-old grandmother near Downtown Crossing. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced indictments charging a Roslindale man with the murder of 39-year-old Surendra Dangol during a Dec. 26 armed robbery at a Jamaica Plain convenience store.

The indictments charge EDWARD CORLISS (D.O.B. 2/7/46) with first-degree murder, armed robbery while masked, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He is expected to face arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court on March 3. more »

Two Dorchester teenagers, one 16 and the other 17, were held without bail today as they faced murder and robbery charges stemming from the fatal shooting of 71-year-old Geraldo Serrano in an Upham’s Corner convenience store Sunday morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Acting on Suffolk prosecutors’ requests, Roxbury District Court Judge Robert J. McKenna withheld bail and ordered MARTIN FREELES (D.O.B. 1/21/93) and ONYX WHITE (D.O.B. 10/6/93) to return to court on April 23. Both youths are charged with murder, armed robbery while masked, and firearms offenses. more »

A Dorchester youth was sentenced to more than two years in jail today after a Suffolk Superior Court jury found him guilty of unlawfully carrying a loaded handgun into English High School, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Prosecutors assigned to Conley’s Gang Unit recommended a 3- to 5-year state prison term for WALTER WEST, Jr (D.O.B. 10/26/91). Judge Frank Gaziano sentenced West to 2½ years in a house of correction to be followed by 2 years of probation. more »

Jury selection is expected to begin today for the re-trial of two men accused of gunning down 28-year-old Cedirick Steele across the street from a Boston middle school in 2007.

ANTWAN CARTER (D.O.B. 10/13/88) and DANIEL PINCKNEY, Jr. (D.O.B. 7/4/88), both of Boston’s South End, are both charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for their alleged roles in Steele’s fatal shooting on March 14, 2007. Steele was shot and killed in broad daylight as he stood across the street from Roxbury’s James P. Timilty Middle School waiting for his mother. more »

The suspect in a gunpoint carjacking yesterday who crashed a stolen vehicle first into a taxi and then into a tree was held on high bail for his Boston case and had his bail revoked on two unrelated cases in other jurisdictions, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

MICHAEL FITZPATRICK (D.O.B. 5/31/57) was arraigned today in the Boston Municipal Court on charges of carjacking, armed assault with intent to rob, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. Assistant District Attorney Vincent DeMore recommended that he be held on $250,000 cash bail; Judge Mark Summerville set bail at $100,000 and revoked Fitzpatrick’s bail on open cases in Quincy and Orange district courts. more »

A Dorchester youth already charged with multiple stabbings in Boston was arraigned today for additional offenses he allegedly committed in Revere, Suffolk County District attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The 16-YEAR-OLD MALE, whose name is not being released because of his age, was charged in Chelsea District Court with delinquency, to wit: armed assault with intent to murder, breaking and entering, and resisting arrest. His bail was set at $100,000 cash, an amount above and beyond the $1.5 million bail set following his arraignment in the Juvenile Session of Dorchester District Court earlier this month. more »

“What happened to Daniel Yakovleff was unworldly,” a senior Suffolk homicide prosecutor told a Superior Court jury today in the beloved hairstylist’s alleged killer’s murder trial. “It was beyond contemplation.”

Assistant District Attorney Mark Lee, deputy chief of the Suffolk DA’s Homicide Unit, said he could not explain why STEVEN ODEGARD (D.O.B. 8/5/67) allegedly stabbed Yakovleff more than a dozen times, killing him, but that overwhelming evidence showed that he did. more »

“Saturday, May 5, 2007, was Sylvester Mitchell’s 40th birthday, and he intended to celebrate on Friday and Saturday into Sunday morning,” a top domestic violence prosecutor told a Superior Court jury this morning. “He ultimately spent the morning hours of May 5 bleeding to death.”

During opening statements in the murder trial of Mitchell’s wife, SHARON FITZPATRICK (D.O.B. 7/26/71), Assistant District Attorney David Deakin, chief of the Suffolk DA’s Family Protection and Sexual Assault Bureau, told the court that on the evening of May 4, Mitchell made plans to go out to a bar with friends to celebrate his birthday. Mitchell told his wife that he would return to their Evans Street home before midnight, Deakin said. more »

A Massachusetts State trooper and two alleged co-conspirators have been indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury for allegedly colluding to provide fraudulent vehicle inspection forms in exchange for cash payments, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

The indictments, returned Tuesday, charge ROBERT A. FORREST, Jr. (D.O.B. 7/30/48) of Stoneham, a State trooper relieved from duty since last summer; BERNALDO HERNANDEZ (D.O.B. 5/20/62) of Lynn; and KENNETH LAFAUCI (D.O.B. 4/16/57) of Topsfield with one count each of bribery, making a false statement in an application for a title certificate, conspiracy to commit bribery, and conspiracy to make a false statement in an application for a title certificate. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today rejected an Allston man’s claim that he was not criminally responsible for his estranged wife’s murder, convicting him of first-degree murder for Gin Hua Xu’s homicide in his Cambridge Street apartment nine years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Jurors convicted DA LIN HUANG (D.O.B. 3/16/63) after about three full days of deliberations, finding that he acted with extreme atrocity or cruelty when he stabbed the mother of his two children dozens of times in the head with a pair of electrician’s pliers, strangled her, and mutilated her remains. more »

Three men charged with the shooting deaths of Angelo Henderson, Jaison Jenkins, and Anthony Williams on Floyd Street more than five years ago were ordered held without bail at their arraignments yesterday, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

“As prosecutors, we’re constantly trying to substantiate, corroborate, and verify the evidence,” Conley said. “One of the most effective tools in doing that is the Suffolk County Grand Jury. Boston Police and Suffolk prosecutors didn’t quit on this case five years ago and we won’t quit now.” more »

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced the identification of a suspect in a previously unsolved 1972 murder, saying that the same man – who died in 2001 – also raped a woman in 1985.

After a renewed investigation bolstered by forensic technology unavailable at the times of the offenses, Davis and Conley named MICHAEL SUMPTER (D.O.B. 9/26/47) of Roxbury as the prime suspect in two attacks in Boston’s Back Bay: the 1972 murder of Ellen Rutchick, 23, in her Beacon Street residence and the 1985 rape of a 21-year-old woman in her Marlboro Street residence. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced convictions for murder and other offenses in the trial of a woman who started a South Boston house fire that claimed the lives of 14-year-old Acia Johnson and her 2-year-old sister, Acia.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury late this afternoon found NICOLE CHUMINSKI (D.O.B. 5/19/82) of South Boston guilty of two counts of second-degree murder for the children’s deaths. Jurors also convicted her of arson for setting the blaze and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon – smoke and flames – for injuries sustained by the girls’ mother and brother, who survived the fire. more »

Jury selection is scheduled to begin today for the trial of a Dorchester woman accused of stabbing her husband, Sylvester Mitchell, to death on the morning of his 40th birthday.

SHARON FITZPATRICK (D.O.B. 7/26/71) is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Mitchell to death during an argument in their Evans Street home at about 4:30 a.m. on May 5, 2007. Fitzpatrick was allegedly angry at him because he came home later than expected that morning. In addition to stabbing him twice in the chest, Fitzpatrick allegedly slashed a tire on his vehicle. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis today announced the arrests of three men in connection with the fatal shootings of three men on Floyd Street in 2004.

Taken into custody today on warrants charging them with the murders of Angelo Henderson, 19; Jaison Jenkins, 24; and Anthony Williams, 24, were: more »

A man who allegedly stabbed his wife to death with a pair of pliers and a woman who allegedly set fire to her girlfriend’s home, killing the two children trapped inside, await judgment by two juries after their respective trials ended with lawyers’ closing arguments today.

DA LIN HUANG (D.O.B. 3/16/63) is charged with first-degree murder for the homicide of his 30-year-old wife, Gin Hua Xu, in his Allston apartment on the afternoon of Jan. 27, 2001. Xu was stabbed repeatedly with a pair of electrician’s pliers and her body was mutilated after her death. more »

A Jamaican national who for almost 15 years eluded capture for the murder of Zandera Sullivan was held without bail today after details of the fatal stabbing were presented in court, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTHONY PATRICK BROWN, a.k.a. DERRICK MALLOY, 36, was formally charged today with counts of first-degree murder and armed home invasion – offenses for which he was indicted by a Suffolk grand jury about a month after Sullivan’s May 29, 1995, homicide. Granting a request by Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren of Conley’s Homicide Unit, Clerk Magistrate Gary Wilson ordered Brown held without bail. more »

A Roxbury man was held on $5,000 cash bail today following his arraignment for allegedly forcing his hands down a young woman’s pants last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

RAPHAEL COX (D.O.B. 1/28/93) was arraigned in West Roxbury District Court for the Feb. 4 incident. Prosecutors say he indecently assaulted a 19-year-old female on Seaverns Avenue shortly before 8:30 a.m. If he should post bail, Cox must abide by a 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew, Conley said. more »

Following the success of last year’s tournament, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s second annual Basketball for Peace event is coming to Dorchester next week with local businesses pitching in and a former Boston Celtics player making a return appearance.

Employees of Best Buy will be on hand with complimentary gift cards for every young player and representatives of The Olive Garden will provide food and drinks for up to 100 attendees. Former Boston Celtics guard and Hub native Dana Barros will join in the fun as well. The event is scheduled for the afternoon of Feb. 18 at the Lilla G. Fredericks Middle School, located at 270 Columbia Rd. in Dorchester. more »

A Roslindale man was charged with open and gross lewdness last week after multiple passengers on his subway car reported to Transit Police that he was masturbating while en route to Forest Hills.

MIL DELACRUZ (D.O.B. 2/19/82) was arraigned Friday in West Roxbury District Court following his arrest by Transit Police on Thursday afternoon. Suffolk prosecutors recommended that he be held on $5000 cash bail; Judge Kathleen Coffey set bail at $300 and ordered him to stay off the MBTA during the pendency of his case, undergo alcohol abuse treatment, report to the Department of Probation weekly, and attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. more »

The young man who shot off-duty Revere Police Officer Daniel Talbot to death near a baseball field two years ago will serve a state prison sentence for possessing the murder weapon before he even begins the life term mandated by his murder conviction, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Patrick F. Brady sentenced ROBERT IACOVIELLO, Jr. (D.O.B. 6/19/87) to three years for unlawfully possessing the 9mm semiautomatic handgun he used to shoot Talbot in the head on the morning of Sept. 29, 2007, to be followed by a life in state prison. Because jurors convicted Iacoviello of second-degree murder, he will be eligible for – though not guaranteed – parole after serving 15 years of that sentence. more »

A Suffolk Superior Court jury today found a Revere man guilty of murder for shooting Revere Police Officer Daniel Talbot in the head, killing him, and convicted his co-defendant of helping to destroy and dispose of the murder weapon, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Jurors convicted ROBERT IACOVIELLO, Jr. (D.O.B. 6/19/87), of second-degree murder and JAMES HEANG (D.O.B. 6/19/90) of being an accessory after the fact to that murder. Judge Patrick Brady will sentence both men on Friday at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 815. more »

A Roxbury man has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison for his arrest with a high-capacity firearm in the aftermath of a Dorchester shooting two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury on Friday convicted MARVIN D. MINOR, Jr. (D.O.B. 5/28/83), of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawful possession of a high-capacity weapon, and receiving a firearm with an obliterated serial number. At a second proceeding, Judge Marita Hopkins found Minor to be an armed career criminal based on his 2001 conviction for a non-fatal stabbing and a 2002 conviction for distributing crack cocaine. more »

After playing in a nearby park with their brother and a friend on the evening of April 5, 2008, 14-year-old Acia Johnson took her 2-year-old sister, Sophia, back to their West 6th Street home and carried the little girl up to her third-floor bedroom, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor told a Superior Court jury this morning as their alleged killer’s trial began.

“What Acia didn’t realize,” Assistant District Attorney David Fredette said, “was that with every step she took, she was sealing her fate and Sophia’s fate.”

As the children slept, Fredette told jurors and a rapt courtroom audience, NICOLE CHUMINSKI (D.O.B. 5/19/82) arrived at their home and began to bang on the door. more »

“He knew how he wanted to kill her,” the top prosecuting attorney in Suffolk County told a Superior Court jury about Gin Hua Xu’s 2001 murder. “There was a motive and there was a plan.”

Delivering his opening statement in the murder trial of Xu’s husband, DA LIN HUANG (D.O.B. 3/16/63), First Assistant District Attorney Josh Wall said the 30-year-old Xu had asked for a divorce from Huang and was waiting for his answer.

“You will hear that on Jan. 27, 2001, she got her answer,” Wall told the panel of jurors. “You will hear that the answer he gave her was the clearest of all answers – the most definitive answer. His answer to his wife? He killed her.” more »

A Suffolk County prosecutor who by day works in District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s Appellate Unit, and by night plays in a symphony orchestra as an accomplished violinist, will be participating in a benefit concert for Haiti earthquake victims.

Assistant District Attorney Helle Sachse first joined Conley’s office in 2006, after working as a law clerk for the Massachusetts Appeals Court. A highly skilled attorney, Sachse is a 2004 graduate of Boston College Law School. She joined the Boston-based Longwood Symphony Orchestra in 1994. more »

Beloved South End hairstylist Daniel Yakovleff died when the person who took him home stabbed him more than a dozen times with a chef’s knife, and not at the hand of a “mysterious third man,” a top Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said today during opening statements in the alleged killer’s murder trial.

Assistant District Attorney Mark T. Lee, deputy chief of District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s Homicide Unit, told a panel of jurors that STEVEN ODEGARD (D.O.B. 8/5/67) met Yakovleff at a Tremont Street bar in the early morning hours of Jan. 17, 2008, and took the 20-year-old man back to his Dorchester apartment. more »

Richard Stroman was stabbed “until his blood was running down the walls and pooling around his lifeless body,” Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren told a Suffolk Superior Court jury at the close of his alleged killer’s murder trial this morning.

It was LARRY NELSON (D.O.B. 1/5/58), Lundgren said, who on Oct. 7, 2007 stabbed the 64-year-old Stroman 20 times on his face, neck, torso, arms, hands, and back in the victim’s Roxbury home before taking several items and fleeing the apartment. Nelson is charged with first-degree murder for Stroman’s homicide. more »

A Roxbury man was sentenced to life in prison today, just an hour and a half after a jury found that he stabbed 64-year-old Richard Stroman 20 times, killing him, in 2007, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

A Suffolk Superior Court jury found LARRY NELSON (D.O.B. 1/5/58) guilty of first-degree murder for Stroman’s homicide in his own Elm Hill Avenue apartment on the afternoon of Oct. 7, 2007. Judge Judith Fabricant sentenced him to the mandatory term for that offense, life in prison without the possibility of parole. more »

Chelsea Police and State Police homicide detectives assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s Office are investigating a shooting on Hawthorne Street yesterday that sent one man to the hospital in critical condition.

The victim, a 53-year-old Jamaica Plain resident, was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital moments after yesterday’s noontime shooting. His condition has since been upgraded to stable after emergency surgery. more »

Building on the success of last year’s first-ever Basketball for Peace tournament, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley has again invited kids, teens, and adults to Dorchester for an afternoon of safe, healthy, athletic fun next month.

The second annual tournament will be held at the Lilla G. Frederick Middle School on Feb. 18 – a date selected to coincide with school vacation week. Prosecutors from Conley’s office and other law enforcement and social service partners are expected to take part in the community-building event. more »

Five defendants are expected to face separate juries in first-degree murder trials by next week in a confluence of cases almost unheard of in any Massachusetts jurisdiction except Suffolk County, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Suffolk Superior Court juries are already hearing evidence in the trials of ROBERT IACOVIELLO, Jr. (D.O.B. 6/19/87) of Revere, accused of fatally shooting off-duty Revere Police Officer Daniel Talbot in September 2007, and LARRY NELSON (D.O.B. 1/5/58) of Roxbury, charged with stabbing 64-year-old Richard Stroman to death in the victim’s Elm Hill avenue residence in October of the same year. more »

The man accused of gunning down 39-year-old Surendra Dangol as he worked his shift at a Jamaica Plain convenience store was ordered held without bail at his arraignment today on murder and other charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

West Roxbury District Court Judge Kathleen Coffey withheld bail at the recommendation of Suffolk Chief Trial Counsel Patrick M. Haggan, who told the court that Corliss was “experiencing financial difficulties” in advance of the fatal Dec. 26 armed robbery at the Tedeschi’s on Centre Street. more »

The second defendant in the fatal stabbing of 24-year-old Curtis Ashford pleaded guilty to causing his death today, receiving a sentence of up to 20 years rather than face trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ROBERTO MENDES (D.O.B. 7/10/89) of Jamaica Plain pleaded guilty to the crime of manslaughter today. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Peter Lauriat sentenced him to the 18- to 20-year term recommended by Assistant District Attorney Mark Hallal, chief of Conley’s Senior Trial Unit. more »

A Suffolk County homicide prosecutor today told jurors that a friend of 64-year-old Richard Stroman brutally stabbed him almost two dozen times and left him to die in a pool of his own blood.

LARRY NELSON (D.O.B. 1/5/58) is charged with first-degree murder for Stroman’s homicide at the victim’s Elm Hill Avenue apartment on the afternoon of Oct. 7, 2007. His trial began in Suffolk Superior Court this morning.

In her opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Gretchen Lundgren told jurors that Nelson went to Stroman’s apartment on the day of the stabbing. more »

A Brockton man was held on $150,000 cash bail today at his arraignment for allegedly acting as a getaway driver for the man whom authorities say shot three people to death on Mount Ida Road early last year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

NIGEL A. NICHOLS (D.O.B. 11/5/85) was indicted Jan. 12 as an accessory after the fact to the March 29, 2009, murders of 20-year-old Shacora Gaines of Brockton, 20-year-old Chantal Palmer of Brockton, and 19-year-old Anthony Peoples of Boston. Nichols’s indictment came the same day a Suffolk County grand jury indicted KERON PIERRE (D.O.B. 11/26/85), formerly of Mattapan, on three counts of first-degree murder for allegedly shooting them to death. more »

A Dorchester man was held without bail after being formally charged with the slaying of George “Jeffrey” Thompson earlier this month, facing a murder arraignment on what would have been the victim’s 29th birthday, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

OMAY TAVARES (D.O.B. 4/24/89) is charged with murder and unlawful possession of a firearm for his alleged role in the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of George Thompson inside of the victim’s Rosseter Street apartment. Dorchester District Court Judge Rosalind Miller ordered Tavares, who is on probation after serving 18 months in jail for a firearm conviction, held without bail. more »

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today delivered the following remarks on charges in the Dec. 26, 2009, homicide of Surendra Dangol in Jamaica Plain:

“Shortly before 12:00 this afternoon, I authorized a warrant charging EDWARD CORLISS (D.O.B. 2/7/46) of Roslindale with the Dec. 26 homicide of Surendra Dangol in Jamaica Plain.

“Corliss is currently behind bars at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction and Boston Police homicide detectives will serve that warrant in the coming days. We expect to arraign Corliss Tuesday in West Roxbury court on charges of murder, armed robbery while masked, and firearms offenses. more »

Jury selection is expected to start today for a Roxbury man charged with stabbing 64-year-old Richard Stroman more than 20 times, killing him and leaving his remains to be discovered five days later.

LARRY NELSON (D.O.B. 1/5/58) is charged with first-degree murder for Stroman’s homicide, which prosecutors say took place in the victim’s Elm Hill Avenue apartment on the afternoon of Oct. 7, 2007. more »

A Brighton man was held on high bail today following his arraignment on charges that he robbed one Brighton convenience store late last month and acted as an accessory to another robbery late last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

MIGUEL VARGAS (D.O.B. 1/9/86) was arrested early this morning by Boston Police investigating multiple robberies of convenience stores in the Brighton area. At his Brighton District Court arraignment this afternoon, Vargas was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail on each of two separate complaints, for a total of $100,000. more »

A Lynn man today admitted to stabbing 24-year-old Curtis Ashford to death on a residential South Boston street and received a mandatory life term, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

EDWARD HOLLOMAN (D.O.B.12/15/88) pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the May 31, 2008 incident that took Ashford’s life. He was sentenced to the mandatory term for that offense, life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Holloman had been indicted for first-degree murder, which carries a life term with no possibility of parole. more »

Revere Police Officer Daniel Talbot was “murdered by a man with a purpose and a plan,” the top homicide prosecutor in Suffolk County told a Superior Court jury today at the start of his alleged killer’s murder trial.

“In the early morning hours of Sept. 29, 2007, the paths of two men crossed for an instant with tragic results,” Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin told the jury that will weigh the fate of the alleged gunman, ROBERT IACOVIELLO, Jr. (D.O.B. 6/19/87), and his alleged accessory, JAMES HEANG (D.O.B. 6/19/90). more »

A panel of 16 jurors has been selected for the trial of two Revere men charged in the 2007 fatal shooting of Revere Police Officer Daniel Talbot and the proceedings are expected to begin in earnest tomorrow.

Before the empanelment process began, murder defendant ROBERT IACOVIELLO, Jr. (D.O.B. 6/19/87), on Monday pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawful possession of a firearm for a 9mm Ruger handgun recovered from his Thurlow Avenue home a few days after Talbot’s homicide. more »

A Roxbury man was held without bail today following his arrest, indictment, and Superior Court arraignment for the first-degree murder of 18-year-old Guiliardo Rodrigues in Dorchester almost four years ago, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

In addition to Rodrigues’s murder, MANUEL DASILVA, Jr., a.k.a. “JUNIOR” (D.O.B. 10/28/87), was also charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and carrying a loaded firearm. more »

Fifty-year-old Israel Vasquez was stabbed to death during a fight with his 24-year-old roommate, who dumped his body in a trash can and dragged it about a block away from the crime scene to be discovered by passersby the next morning, a Suffolk County homicide prosecutor said at the alleged killer’s arraignment today.

MARVIN RUANO-GARCIA (D.O.B. 4/28/85) was arrested late last night after allegedly admitting to State Police homicide detectives that he stabbed Vasquez during an argument in the Grove Street apartment the two men shared. Assistant District Attorney John Pappas recommended that he be held without bail; Chelsea District Court Judge Pamela Wexler set bail at $250,000. more »

A Roxbury man was held on $2000 cash bail today following his arraignment on charges that he tried to burglarize a Boston firehouse while its occupants were fighting a fire, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DESI HALSELL (D.O.B. 7/17/69) was charged in Roxbury District Court with breaking and entering at night with the intent to commit a felony, larceny over $250, and possession of burglarious tools. In addition to setting bail, Judge Michael Coyne granted prosecutors’ requests that Halsell be ordered to stay away from the Boston Fire Department’s Engine 42 / Rescue 2 firehouse at 1870 Columbus Ave. more »

Local and State police are investigating the death of a man whose remains were found in Chelsea this morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Chelsea Police responded to the area of 114 Grove St. shortly before 7:00 this morning for a report of a found body. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy is expected later today. more »