Dorchester, MA
Police & Fire
Men Busted For Running Organized Crime Loan Sharking, Gambling Ring: Mass AG Men Busted For Running Organized Crime Loan Sharking, Gambling Ring: Mass AG
Men Busted For Running Organized Crime Loan Sharking, Gambling Ring: Mass AG State and federal agents wrapped up a multi-year investigation with the arrest of three men who they say used threats, intimidation, and extortion to run a multi-million dollar gambling ring with the help of an organized crime syndicate.  Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced the arrests last week and laid out the state's case against them. They are, and their charges include: Eric Rogers, 54, of Revere: Extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, witness intimidation, and gambling charges.  Michael McMahon, 44, of Boston: Extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion,…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Central Mass Man Held On $10K Bail For Allegedly Assaulting Teenage Girl Central Mass Man Held On $10K Bail For Allegedly Assaulting Teenage Girl
Central Mass Man Held On $10K Bail For Allegedly Assaulting Teenage Girl A Blackstone man was being held on $10,000 bail after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a teenage girl last week, authorities said.  Michael Verzosa, age 34, was arrested after police responded to call about the assault on Mendon Street in Blackstone around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31, Police Chief Gregory Gilmore said. Verzosa is facing several charges including assault, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 and witness intimidation, Gilmore said. He is set to be arraigned in Uxbridge District Court on Sept. 30. 

SHARE

by David Cifarelli
Dorchester, MA
News
Massachusetts Man Allegedly Told Police To 'Watch Out' While Under Investigation Massachusetts Man Allegedly Told Police To 'Watch Out' While Under Investigation
Massachusetts Man Allegedly Told Police To 'Watch Out' While Under Investigation A Boston man is facing several charges for allegedly making threats against the Boston Police officers while he was under investigation for extortion, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said.  The investigation began when Christopher Drayton, age 31, allegedly refused to return equipment to a former business associate unless they paid him up to $500 in return, the office reports.  During a call with a Boston Police detective, who was trying to resolve the issue, Drayton made statements about the detective's address and claimed to know the layout of his house.&…

SHARE

by David Cifarelli
Towson, MD
Police & Fire
Three Repeat Offenders Arrested In Murder Of Baltimore Man Three Repeat Offenders Arrested In Murder Of Baltimore Man
Three Repeat Offenders Arrested In Murder Of Baltimore Man Three people including some violent offenders have been arrested in connection to a homicide that happened earlier this year, authorities said. Ronnie Harris Jr., 38, Janay Barksdale, 33, and Morgan Reed, 40 have all been arrested in connection to the murder of 31-year-old James Moore. Both Barksdale and Reed are repeat offenders and Harris is a repeat violent offender. Police were called to the unit block of Morris Road for a reported shooting shortly before 2 a.m. on January 31, 2022. Upon arrival, officers found Moore had died after suffering from multiple gunshots. Harris was charged…

SHARE

by David Cifarelli
Marlton-Evesham, NJ
News
COVID Relief Money Collected By South Jersey Street Gang, 6 'Racketeers' Arrested: Prosecutor COVID Relief Money Collected By South Jersey Street Gang, 6 'Racketeers' Arrested: Prosecutor
COVID Relief Money Collected By South Jersey Street Gang, 6 'Racketeers' Arrested: Prosecutor A gang of South Jersey men fraudulently collected COVID-19 relief money among an assortment of other crimes including murder, authorities said.  Six members of a Sunbury Village-based street gang have been charged with operating a criminal enterprise that is accused of carrying out multiple shootings – including two homicides – along with committing burglary, intimidating witnesses, possessing numerous firearms and fraudulently obtaining more than $125,000 in pandemic relief funds from the federal government, authorities said. Eight others have been charged for thei…

SHARE

by Jon Craig
Pittsfield, MA
News
Ex-Cop In Western Mass Found Guilty On Four Counts In Child Sex Abuse Case Ex-Cop In Western Mass Found Guilty On Four Counts In Child Sex Abuse Case
Ex-Cop In Western Mass Found Guilty On Four Counts In Child Sex Abuse Case A former police officer in Western Massachusetts has been found guilty on four of 26 charges levied against him in a child sexual abuse case. Former Springfield police officer Daniel Cintron was found guilty on two counts each of indecent assault and battery on a child and witness intimidation following a bench trial at Hampden Superior Court. Cintron, age 31, who was fired by the Springfield Police Department following accusations of raping three underage children, was also found not guilty or had multiple charges of rape, indecent assault, and battery on a child, witness tampering, and pr…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Springfield, MA
Police & Fire
City Man Accused Of Raping 2 Victims Was Out On Bail For Rape Charge At Time Of Arrest City Man Accused Of Raping 2 Victims Was Out On Bail For Rape Charge At Time Of Arrest
City Man Accused Of Raping 2 Victims Was Out On Bail For Rape Charge At Time Of Arrest A Springfield man who has been accused of rape and kidnapping on multiple occasions was recently arrested for allegedly raping two children. Christian Barbee, 35, of St. James Avenue in Springfield, was arrested at around 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at the intersection of Buckingham Place and Buckingham Street in Springfield, police said. An investigation by the Springfield Police allegedly revealed that Barbee had sexually assaulted two underage victims in the fall of 2020, police said. Barbee was out on bail for the rape of a child with force and other similar charges filed in 2019…

SHARE

by Kristin Palpini
Brentwood, NY
News
Long Island Teen Charged In Murder Of Man Scheduled To Testify Against MS-13 Gang Members Long Island Teen Charged In Murder Of Man Scheduled To Testify Against MS-13 Gang Members
Long Island Teen Charged In Murder Of Man Scheduled To Testify Against MS-13 Gang Members A teenager has been charged in the homicide earlier this month of a  36-year-old man scheduled to testify against MS-13 gang members. Wilmer Maldonado Rodriguez was allegedly attacked by nine MS-13 members in 2018 when he intervened while they were intimidating two teenagers. Rodriguez was found dead on Sunday, Feb. 2 behind an abandoned home in New Cassel at 1113 Broadway. Late Saturday, Feb. 15, Nassau County Police announced a 17-year-old from New Cassel has been charged with second-degree murder. The suspect, whose name was not released, is due to be arraigned Sund…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Newark Gangster Known As 'Homicide' Sentenced To Life In Bystander Killing Newark Gangster Known As 'Homicide' Sentenced To Life In Bystander Killing
Newark Gangster Known As 'Homicide' Sentenced To Life In Bystander Killing A Newark man who belonged to a violent street gang was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for crimes including the murder of a woman caught in the crossfire of a shootout that erupted over a drug debt nearly a decade ago, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Thursday.  Khalil Stafford, 35, a member of the Grape Street Crips who also went by the street names "Stod" and  "Homicide," had previously been found guilty of murder and drug-related racketeering charges.  He was among 66 gang members arrested in a May 2015 sweep and charged with a variety of drug-related offenses, includi…

SHARE

by Paul Milo
DV Plus - Fairfield, CT
Politics
Congressman Jim Himes Blasts President Trump For Alleged 'Witness Intimidation And Tampering' Congressman Jim Himes Blasts President Trump For Alleged 'Witness Intimidation And Tampering'
Congressman Jim Himes Blasts President Trump For Alleged 'Witness Intimidation And Tampering' Fairfield County Congressman Jim Himes came to the defense of two new witnesses in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. During the third day of public testimony,  the Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee took Trump to task for sending a Tweet that he said maligned Tuesday's first witness, Jennifer Williams.  Himes, who represents Connecticut's 4th Congressional District also came to the defense of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a highly-decorated Army officer and Ukraine expert at the National Security Council. When Trump's calls with the Ukrainian…

SHARE

by Jon Craig
DV Plus - Westchester, NY
Politics
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, Yorktown HS Grad, Slams Trump For 'Witness Intimidation' Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, Yorktown HS Grad, Slams Trump For 'Witness Intimidation'
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, Yorktown HS Grad, Slams Trump For 'Witness Intimidation' Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Yorktown High School graduate who now represents parts of New York City, didn't hold back on Friday, swatting back at President Donald Trump on Twitter after the Republican tweeted about former U.S Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch and her 33 years of public service as a federal diplomatic officer overseas. ""Trump himself is clearly not satisfied with only one article of impeachment," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter.."His choice to publicly broadcast his own, personally authored witness intimidation means he’s wants to sign up for another artic…

SHARE

by Jon Craig
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Reputed Newark Gangster Known As ‘Half A Brain’ Charged In Shootings Reputed Newark Gangster Known As ‘Half A Brain’ Charged In Shootings
Reputed Newark Gangster Known As ‘Half A Brain’ Charged In Shootings A Newark man who authorities say is steeped in the violent world of the city’s street gangs was charged Monday with attempted murder in connection with a conspiracy to deal drugs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Sean “Half a Brain” Hills, who has also gone by “Rydaman” and “Half”, was charged with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization conspiracy as well as distribution of cocaine. The RICO laws target organized crime. Hills, 28, is believed to be a longtime member of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips and is so immersed in the gang culture he has the names of its top members tattoo…

SHARE

by Paul Milo