The Animal Rescue League of Boston rescued four three-week-old kittens and their mom after they were called by employees at a New Bedford restaurant who said they could hear kittens mewing from the ceiling.

Upon arrival, Animal Rescue League of Boston agents could see kittens through a hole in the ceiling. While agents were able to reach into the space and carefully remove the four kittens, mom wouldn’t budge. Initially agents, let the kittens meow hoping mom would be concerned and come out but that didn’t work. They then tried using treats and food, but she was determined to stay hidden.

Animal Rescue League of Boston photo.

Agents then placed a humane trap in the hole and left taking the four kittens to the Animal Rescue League’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center for veterinary care and treatment while they waited for mom to trigger the trap.

At approximately 11:00pm the restaurant reported that mom was in the trap and ready to be picked up and reunited with her babies. The entire family will remain in foster care so mom can have a safe, quiet environment to care for her kittens. The mom will be spayed and be made available for adoption at a later date. When the kittens are mature enough they will also be up for adoption.

The Animal Rescue League of Boston respected the restaurant’s desire to remain anonymity.

Animal Rescue League of Boston photo.

Animal Rescue League of Boston photo.

“The NBPD wants to urge those who are meeting individuals for transactions of items purchased or sold that were negotiated either through phone, text, email, or social media sites like Facebook or Craigslist to use extreme caution and care when doing so.

The New Bedford Police Department does have a “Safe Zone” at Police Headquarters (located at 871 Rockdale Avenue) where transactions by private parties can be made in a safe and secure environment. Those engaging in transactions can simply pull up to the entrance area of Headquarters and make the transactions.

If you choose not to make the transactions here, please consider using a public place where there are several people around to avoid dangerous encounters.”-City of New Bedford Police Department.

“BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover cryptocurrency alleged to include proceeds of a “pig butchering” fraud scheme targeting a Massachusetts resident as part of a romance scam.

Specifically, the government seeks to forfeit 299,457.4 USD Coin (USDC), 1,455,305.997648 Tether (USDT), 102,278.515015 Tron (TRX), 3,032.1689461 Solana (SOL), 67.79400436 Binance Coin (BNB), 13,703.955431 Cardano (ADA) and 0.54151495 Ether (ETH) seized from two accounts located at Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian. Collectively, this cryptocurrency has a current estimated value of approximately $2,300,000.

In the spring of 2023, an investigation began into a “pig butchering” fraud scheme targeting a Massachusetts resident. In a pig-butchering scheme, scammers obtain funds from victims using manipulative tactics. The scammer establishes a level of trust with a victim in online communications and then entices the victim into investing in a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. Often the victim is enticed to make additional payments before realizing they are a victim of fraud. The “butchering” or “slaughtering” of the victim occurs once the victim’s assets, or funds, are stolen by the criminal, or criminals, ultimately causing the victim financial and emotional harm. Perpetrators behind “pig butchering” fraud schemes are often located overseas.

As alleged in court documents, a Massachusetts resident was a victim of a romance scam and was tricked into wiring over $400,000 into a cryptocurrency wallet hosted by a legitimate cryptocurrency exchange. Some of those funds were subsequently transferred to other wallets and ultimately to Binance. Some of the funds were traced to two Binance accounts and the cryptocurrency was seized in January 2024. The investigation revealed that the accounts from which the cryptocurrency was seized had been associated with funds from 36 other victims of fraud located across the United States.

It is a violation of federal law to use wire communications as part of a scheme to defraud or to obtain money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses. It is also a violation of federal law to conduct, or attempt to conduct, a financial transaction involving property which is known to represent the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity, knowing that such transaction is designed to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of those proceeds of unlawful activity. The complaint alleges that the cryptocurrency is traceable to proceeds of wire fraud and was involved in money laundering and is subject to forfeiture. A civil forfeiture action allows third parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims.

This is one of several civil forfeiture actions the U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed seeking to forfeit cryptocurrency traced to fraud schemes targeting Massachusetts victims.

Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams and “pig butchering” fraud scams – should contact USAMA.CyberTip@usdoj.gov.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The civil forfeiture action is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Lyons of the Asset Recovery Unit.

The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint are allegations. The United States Attorney’s Office has not filed a corresponding criminal action on the matter.”-Massachusetts Department of Justice.

Melissa Lavinson appointed as Executive Director to execute community-by-community decarbonization strategy.

“BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced the establishment of the Office of the Energy Transformation (OET) and the appointment of Melissa Lavinson as its Executive Director.

The Office will be housed within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and is charged with the hands-on execution of the clean energy transition, including ensuring the availability and readiness of electrical infrastructure, electric and gas transition coordination, and a just transition for impacted workers and businesses. Lavinson will also convene an Energy Transformation Task Force with industry, labor and supply chain representatives, among others, to accelerate cooperation and understanding of the current state of the energy transition in Massachusetts. This is the first position of its kind in the nation. 

“We are committed to equitably and fairly transitioning to clean energy. This means working closely with workers and businesses to set them up for success in an economy powered by clean energy,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Melissa Lavinson joins our team with close working relationships with the utilities and unions and will be able to build quick consensus as we make the transition away from fossil fuels. She’ll be able to translate our policy goals into real-world actions.” 

“We are at an inflection point where our policy vision needs to be translated into practical solutions,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Our new Office of Energy Transformation and the Energy Transformation Task Force will be able to execute on the important granular work of readying our electrical grid and supporting our fossil fuel workers over the next few years.” 

“The DPU’s order on the Future of Gas gave us the regulatory framework to end Massachusetts’ reliance on natural gas, and now it’s time to act,” said Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper. “This is a transition for the consumer switching to electric appliances, for the worker being trained in the latest decarbonization technologies, and for our utility companies, which will need to adopt a new business model. We are establishing the Office of Energy Transformation with a dedicated team focused on transitioning our utilities and their employees to our clean energy future. Melissa Lavinson shares our urgency and commitment to an equitable transition. I know she will be able to hit the ground running and lead this new office with enthusiasm.”  

“I’m thrilled to join the Healey-Driscoll Administration and get to work bringing the benefits of the clean energy transition to every community in Massachusetts,” said Melissa Lavinson. “I’m looking forward to bringing together energy workers, businesses, and other stakeholders to develop practical and immediate steps we can take to equitably, affordably, and responsibly shift to a cleaner, more electrified, and fossil fuel-free future. Our office will tackle some of the most complex and important barriers to this transition and build meaningful consensus to meet this moment. It will take all of us, working together, to make this vision a reality.” 

The Department of Public Utilities’ groundbreaking order in Docket 20-80 confirmed that Massachusetts will move away from fossil fuels and its supporting infrastructure as quickly as possible toward electrification, including advancing targeted electrification pilots and expanding geothermal. The electric network is projected to be the primary energy delivery mechanism for the entire state by 2050. To achieve this vision, the Healey-Driscoll Administration recognizes the need for a dedicated team to focus on to real-world, daily impacts of executing the energy transition. 

The Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of Energy Transformation will provide leadership in strategic planning, roadmap development, and stakeholder engagement to advance the transformation of the state’s energy delivery ecosystem.

In this role, Lavinson will focus on three key areas:  

• Electric Infrastructure: As residents make the switch to electric heating and vehicles, the OET will work to ensure there is adequate infrastructure, regulations, and supply chain in place to accommodate increasing electric load on the timeline outlined in the state’s Clean Energy and Climate Plans. 

• Electric and Gas Coordination: The OET will work with the electric and gas utilities to ensure a coordinated approach to the energy transition that maintains reliability, safety, and affordability.

• Just Transition for Workers & Businesses: Many companies and thousands of workers are dependent on fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil, and propane for their livelihoods. The OET will work with stakeholders to develop a roadmap to empower and prepare workers and businesses for the future, while ensuring the safe and reliable operation of energy infrastructure during the transition. 

To address these issues, Lavinson will convene an Energy Transformation Task Force comprised of representatives from utilities, business, labor, supply chain industry, municipalities, and other implementation partners to accelerate cooperation and understanding of the current state of the energy transition in Massachusetts and areas in which immediate progress can and must be made. In collaboration with the Task Force, Lavinson will develop a slate of near-term priority actions to address current barriers to the transition and a longer-term execution roadmap to help companies and individuals implement the transition.

Such a roadmap would evaluate where and when new electric infrastructure is needed, gas infrastructure can be retired, and near-term transition projects, including geothermal and targeted electrification projects, can advance. Planning ahead and taking a coordinated approach will help contain costs and minimize impacts on ratepayers. Additionally, the OET and Task Force will develop and execute a transition plan for gas workers and gas-dependent businesses to set them up for future success and competitiveness. 

_________________________________________________________________

About Melissa Lavinson 

Melissa Lavinson joins the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs from National Grid, New England, where she previously served as Head of Corporate Affairs, leading National Grid’s state and municipal government relations, community and stakeholder engagement, media relations, municipal customer management, strategic communications, and the company’s Equity in Energy initiative and Grid for Good philanthropic program in New England.

Previously, Lavinson was Senior Vice President of Federal Government and Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy at Exelon Corporation and Senior Vice President of Governmental and External Affairs for Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI), the parent company of Pepco, Delmarva Power, and Atlantic City Electric, which provide gas and electric service to Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. Lavinson also spent more than 20 years at California-based PG&E Corporation, including as Vice President of Federal Affairs and Policy and Chief Sustainability Officer. Earlier in her career, she worked at MRW and Associates and in ICF Consulting’s Climate Change Practice. Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Hamilton College. She starts as Executive Director on May 1.”

“The New Bedford Police Department has collaborated with the New Bedford Fire Department and New Bedford Police Animal Control to take students from the Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative on a tour of the South-End Public Safety Complex.

Students were able to check out the police and fire department’s side, hang out in our roll-call room, sit in our cruisers, check out Animal Control’s headquarters, and see some really cool animals! 🐍🐶🐢🦜

Thank you to everyone who pitched in to make these tours a success! 💙🖤”-“City of New Bedford Police Department.

All photos by the City of New Bedford Police Department:

“On Sunday, March 17, 2024, there will be significant disruptions to service due to the New Bedford Half-Marathon. It is our goal to provide the best level of service we can, however, expect delays and detours due to higher-than-normal traffic volumes and road closures.

The New Bedford Terminal will be closed to accommodate the start/finish line for the race. All routes will be detoured to MacArthur Dr. and Union St for the entire day.

From 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM the following routes will be suspended:

• Route 201 – Fort Rodman
• Route 203 – Dartmouth St
• Route 205 – South Central
• Route 206 – Shawmut Ave
• Route 208 – Mt. Pleasant

All other routes will continue to operate; however, delays are expected.”-Southeastern Regional Transit Authority.

Southeastern Regional Transit Authority photo.

Southeastern Regional Transit Authority photo.

Defendants arranged sham marriages and submitted fraudulent “green card” applications for over 600 non-citizens

“BOSTON – Four California-based individuals have been sentenced in federal court in Boston for their roles in running a large-scale marriage fraud “agency” that arranged hundreds of sham marriages for the primary purpose of circumventing immigration laws. This included, among other things, obtaining green cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by claiming falsely that the undocumented clients had been abused by American spouses.

The defendants, all Philippine nationals residing in Los Angeles, were arrested and charged along with seven others with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud in April 2022.

Massachusetts Department of Justice photo.

Marcialito Biol Benitez, a/k/a “Mars,” 50, was sentenced on March 7, 2024 by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 22 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Benitez pleaded guilty in September 2023. Also on March 7, 2024, Juanita Pacson, 48, was sentenced by Judge Casper to two years of supervised release with the first four months on home detention after previously pleading guilty in September 2023.

Engilbert Ulan, 43, was sentenced on March 6, 2024 by Judge Casper to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Ulan was convicted by a federal jury in November 2023.

On Jan. 11, 2024, Nino Valmeo, 47, was sentenced by Judge Casper to three years of supervised release with the first six months on home confinement after pleading guilty in August 2023.

Benitez, with the help of co-defendants, operated what he and others referred to as an “agency” that arranged hundreds of sham marriages between foreign national “clients” and United States citizens, including at least one foreign national who resided in Massachusetts. The agency then prepared and submitted false petitions, applications and other documents to substantiate the sham marriages and secure adjustment of clients’ immigration statuses for a fee of between $20,000 and $35,000 in cash.

Massachusetts Department of Justice photo.

Benitez operated the agency out of brick-and-mortar offices in Los Angeles, where he employed co-defendants Ulan and Valmeo as staff. Ulan and Valmeo assisted with arranging marriages and submitting fraudulent marriage and immigration documents for the agency’s clients. Benitez relied on several other co-conspirators to recruit U.S. citizens to marry the agency’s clients in exchange for payment.

After pairing foreign national clients with citizen spouses, Benitez’s agency staged fake wedding ceremonies at chapels, parks and other locations, performed by hired online officiants. Pacson, a friend of these co-defendants who worked at one of the chapels, assisted with sham wedding ceremonies and marriage documents. For many clients, the agency would take photos of undocumented clients and citizen spouses in front of prop wedding decorations for later submission with immigration petitions.

Benitez’s agency then submitted fraudulent, marriage-based immigration petitions to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the federal agency responsible for granting lawful permanent resident status. Benitez, Ulan, Pacson, and others, advised clients about creating and maintaining the appearance of legitimate marriage to their spouses.

Massachusetts Department of Justice photo.

Ulan conducted practice interviews with the agency’s clients and their fake spouses for the purpose of preparing couples to pass required interviews with immigration authorities. He coached the sham couples to provide the same fabricated answers to questions posed during green card interviews and conceal the fraudulent nature of the marriages.

Benitez, Ulan, Valmeo, and Pacson assisted clients with preparing fraudulent supporting documents submitted as “evidence” of the marriages’ legitimacy. Ulan, Valmeo and Pacson also rented the use of their apartment addresses to clients who lived outside of Los Angeles so those clients could list these addresses as their own on green card applications and related documents, to make it appear to immigration authorities that they were living with their sham spouses in the Los Angeles area. Ulan and Valmeo also received cash commissions for referring new clients to the agency.

Benitez’s agency would assist certain clients – typically those whose spouses became unresponsive or uncooperative – with obtaining green cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by claiming the undocumented clients had been abused by alleged American spouses. Specifically, Benitez, Valmeo, and others, would submit fraudulent applications on clients’ behalf for temporary restraining orders against spouses based on fabricated domestic violence allegations. Benitez’s agency would then submit the restraining order documentation along with immigration petitions to USCIS, in order to take advantage of VAWA provisions that permit non-citizen victims of spousal abuse to apply for lawful permanent resident status without their spouses’ involvement.

Benitez’s agency arranged sham marriages and submitted fraudulent immigration documents for at least 600 clients between October 2016 and March 2022.

Several co-defendants were previously sentenced by Judge Casper for their roles in this scheme. Peterson Souza, who referred non-citizens to the agency for a fee was sentenced to five months in prison and three years of supervised release with the first five months on home detention, and Felipe David, who referred clients to the agency for assistance with VAWA-based applications was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Office; Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego; and Alanna Ow, Director of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, San Diego District made the announcement today. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided valuable assistance in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Holcomb and Leslie A. Wright of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.”-Massachusetts Department of Justice.

“Massachusetts State Police detectives today arrested a Revere man after an investigation uncovered hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his mobile phone.

Troopers charged KENNETH HIGGINS, 45, with possession of child pornography and possession of child pornography, third offense.

HIGGINS, who is classified as a Level 2 Sex Offender, has multiple prior convictions for possession of child sexual abuse materials; he is currently on probation imposed following a prison sentence he served for a 2008 child pornography conviction.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

Today’s charges stemmed from an investigation by the State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County and the State Police Cyber Crime Unit that began recently as a result of a cyber tip provided by Yahoo to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tip included several picture files depicting child pornography and data related to the IP address that accessed the picture files. NCMEC referred the tip to MSP.

Early this morning Troopers from the State Police Detective Unit and the State Police Cyber Crime Unit, with assistance from a Revere Police detective, executed a search warrant at HIGGINS’ Revere Beach Parkway apartment, where they located his phone. HIGGINS refused to provide a passcode to access the phone, but a Trooper was able to retrieve its memory card per the court authorized search. The hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material were extracted from the card.

HIGGINS was placed under arrest and transported to the State Police-Revere Barracks for processing. After he was booked he was brought to Chelsea District Court for arraignment, and was ordered held without bail for violating his probation from the previous case by re-offending.

As part of the same investigation Troopers this morning executed a separate search warrant on an apartment at 165 Hawthorne St., Chelsea, the residence of a friend of HIGGINS. Troopers seized several electronic devices from that apartment, which will be analyzed by the Cyber Crime Unit.

Charges may be filed against the resident of that apartment depending on the results of the Cyber Crime Unit’s examination of the devices. HIGGINS’ booking photo from today’s arrest is included with this release.”-Massachusetts State Police.

“A 44-year-old Swansea man was sentenced to serve up to three decades in prison yesterday after being convicted at trial this week of raping and molesting a juvenile biological relative for several years, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Brad Johnson was convicted by Judge Thomas McGuire during a jury-waived trial in Fall River Superior Court on Tuesday of indictments charging him with Rape of a Child by Force, Assault with Intent to Rape a Child and four counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Person Under the Age of 14.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Danielle Pixley and Caleb Weiner. The defendant was sentenced on Wednesday morning by Judge McGuire to serve 20 to 30 years in state prison.

The defendant was accused of routinely sexually molesting his young female relative between November 2015 and May 2021, when the girl was between the ages of eight and 13. The allegations finally came to the attention of the authorities in June 2021 after the victim’s mother noticed the victim had been cutting her wrists and arms. When she confronted her daughter about the cutting, the victim told her mother what the defendant had been doing to her for years at his Walker Street home. The victim, just prior to her mother seeing the cuts on her wrists, had also confided in a close friend about the abuse.

The victim, her mother and the close friend all testified during the trial.

“The facts of this case are both reprehensible and heartbreaking. The defendant repeatedly molested the victim over a five year period, starting when she was just eight-years-old. He should have been loving and protecting her, especially at such a young age. He breached her trust by repeatedly sexually assaulting her and changed her life forever,” District Attorney Quinn said. “However, I admire the victim’s perseverance and fortitude in dealing with this incomprehensible situation. After speaking with her after sentencing, I know she is moving forward with her life and has a great future. I hope this conviction and lengthy prison sentence will give her and her family closure, so that she can put this tragedy behind her and have a productive life.”-Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

“The first crash occurred at the end of Long Point Road at 7:16 pm last night. A driver failed to navigate the corner and rolled into the Great Quittacas. The vehicle came to rest in about 3 feet of water on its side.

At the time of the crash, Ambulance 3 was committed to a medical emergency for an unresponsive male. A recall was issued, allowing for the response of Engines 1, Engine 2, Ambulance 2, Car 2, and Car 1.

Lakeville Fire Department photo.

Prior to the arrival of firefighters, police officers entered the water and were able to free the driver by breaking out a window. both officers were treated at the scene for minor cuts from the broken glass.

Ambulance 2 transported an adult female to St Lukes Hospital with injuries that did not appear to be serious.

Firefighters remained on the scene to assist with the removal of the vehicle from the pond. New Bedford Water was present to monitor for contamination of the water.

At 4:45 am this morning a vehicle failed to navigate the S Curves on Bedford St (area of 368 Bedford Street). Despite considerable damage to the vehicle, the driver managed to vacate the scene.
Crews remained on scene until hazards were mitigated.”-Lakeville Fire Department.

Lakeville Fire Department photo.

Lakeville Fire Department photo.

Lakeville Fire Department photo.