60-year old New Bedford repeat offender charged with narcotics trafficking, two from Fairhaven face conspiracy charges

“On January 22, at approximately noon, narcotics detectives were conducting surveillance in the south-end sector when they observed a suspected drug transaction take place within a vehicle in the Cove St., S. Front St. area.

The involved parties were subsequently stopped. It was learned that DOUGLAS BARRETT, 60, of 412 Middle St., had sold cocaine to co-defendants NICOLE PETRONELLI, 35 and MICHAEL ST. JEAN, 38, both of 10 Lafayette St. in Fairhaven.

$180 in cash was seized from BARRETT as a result of the nature of his charges.

Barrett was charged with Distribution Class B, Distribution Class B Subsq. Offense, Drug Possession to Distribute Class B. Petronelli and St. Jean were charged with Conspiracy to Violate Drug Laws.” -New Bedford Police Department.




Massachusetts Gov. Baker files for $200 Million in Chapter 90 transportation funding, highlights FY 2023 local aid

The Baker-Polito Administration today announced plans to file legislation next week seeking $200 million in Chapter 90 funding to help all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts improve transportation infrastructure and address needs within their local communities. Governor Charlie Baker made the announcement at the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s (MMA) Annual Meeting today.

This funding request complements the $31.5 million increase in unrestricted local aid that will be included in the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget proposal, as announced by Lt. Governor Karyn Polito at the MMA meeting this past week. Keeping a commitment made by the Governor and Lt. Governor in 2014, the Administration’s budget proposals over the course of their time in office have increased local aid consistent with tax revenue growth. The Administration’s full FY23 budget proposal will be released in the coming days.

“As former local officials, Lt. Governor Polito and I pledged to be strong partners with cities and towns throughout our administration, and with these proposed investments in our cities and towns and local infrastructure, we are proud to sustain that commitment,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The budget proposals we have filed throughout our time in office kept our promise to cities and towns to increase local aid funding consistent with the growth in state tax revenue, and we have consistently filed for additional Chapter 90 funds to make critical improvements for local roads and bridges.”

“Our commitment to cities and towns has remained a vital part of our Administration’s approach, and we are proud to once again increase support for local aid through our FY23 budget proposal,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We look forward to partnering with our legislative colleagues to ensure our municipalities get the support they need to serve their residents and improve their local infrastructure.”

This $200 million in Chapter 90 funding would be available to local cities and towns for FY23. After taking office in 2015, Governor Baker quickly directed MassDOT to release $100 million in Chapter 90 funds that had been promised the previous year, fulfilling a commitment made to cities and towns. The Baker-Polito Administration has released a total of $1.56 billion in funding through the Chapter 90 formula, and if approved by the Legislature, this most recent request would bring the total to $1.76 billion.

“The Baker-Polito Administration continues to focus on supporting cities and towns by providing critical resources through the Chapter 90 program and through increases in local aid,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Michael J. Heffernan. “We are proud to once again request these important resources which give municipalities the tools they need to effectively improve their communities.”

In her remarks to the MMA yesterday, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito also announced that the Administration’s FY23 budget proposal will include $1.2 billion for unrestricted general government aid (UGGA), a $31.5 million increase over Fiscal Year 2022, and equal to a projected 2.7% increase in tax revenue in the FY23 consensus revenue estimate. Including the FY23 budget proposal, the Administration has increased the total annual UGGA distribution by $253.9 million since taking office.

“The Chapter 90 funding program is a lifeline for municipalities as they manage and maintain their roadways and bridges.” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler. “Additionally, the Baker/Polito Administration has created and funded municipal programs like the Complete Streets Funding Program, Shared Streets and Spaces, Municipal Small Bridge, Municipal Pavement and Local Bottleneck Reduction, which have not only provided a generational investment directly to communities but helped repair and modernize the transportation network of the Commonwealth.”

Through the Chapter 90 program, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) reimburses cities and towns for costs incurred for eligible transportation projects. Funding is awarded by municipality and is predetermined by a formula that includes factors such as population, road miles, and employment.

More information about the Chapter 90 program is available here.




Michigan man arrested for fraud, identity theft that allowed him to receive Massachusetts PUA

A Michigan man was arrested yesterday in Michigan in connection with his alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.

Devin Smith, 30, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Smith was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Michigan yesterday afternoon. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

In March 2020, in response to the global coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act provided funding to existing state unemployment insurance programs and created a new temporary federal program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). The PUA program, which in Massachusetts was administered by the Department of Unemployment Assistance, provided unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits.

According to the charging document, Smith participated in a scheme to obtain proceeds from fraudulent unemployment and PUA claims submitted in nine different states, including Massachusetts, between March and May 2020. Smith allegedly used stolen identities, including the identities of Massachusetts residents, to submit fraudulent unemployment and PUA claims and to purchase various commercial goods. Additionally, it is alleged that Smith filed multiple fraudulent unemployment and PUA claims in his own name in six different states, including in Massachusetts.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Postal Service and the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.




Massachusetts State Police Air Wing reunites with hunter they rescued last month

“Shortly before 9 p.m. on December 22, Troopers assigned to the State Police Air Wing scrambled in Air 3 to assist in the search for a missing hunter in a forest in Petersham. The helicopter’s flight crew was able to locate the missing individual by the light on his cell phone while he was deep in the woods.

The Troopers established contact with him by using the PA system installed on Air 3, then lit up the area with their “Midnight Sun” spotlight to lead ground units to the man’s location to complete the rescue.

Earlier today, the man, Herbert Moody, and his wife, Elizabeth Bassett, visited the Air Wing to express their gratitude.

“Thanks to all of you for being there, it went unbelievably smooth,” Mr. Moody said. His wife added that her husband’s rescue was the most wonderful Christmas gift the family could have received. The couple is seen in the photo with Lt. Kevin Kaupp (left), commander of the Air Wing, and Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Wilcox, commander of the Division of Homeland Security.” -Massachusetts State Police.




Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester Fire Departments respond to structure fire on Wareham Road

“Marion Fire/EMS responded to a reported structure on wareham Rd.

On arrival crew’s were meet with heavy smoke from the rear of the building. Engine -1 made an aggressive interior attack and fire was knocked down quickly minimizing the damage.

Thank you to our mutual aid partners Mattapoisett Fire Rescue Wareham Fire Department Rochester Fire.

Responding Marion units:

• C-1
• A-3
• Engine 1
• Engine -2
• Ladder -1

Mutual Aid
• Wareham Fire
• Mattapoisett fire
• Rochester Fire
• Marion police” -Marion Fire/EMS.


Marion Fire/EMS photo.


Marion Fire/EMS photo.


Marion Fire/EMS photo.


Marion Fire/EMS photo.




Guatemalan national living in Massachusetts pleads guilty to illegal reentry

A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Darwin Geovani Herrera Orellana, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for May 5, 2022. Herrera Orellana was indicted in September 2021.

Herrera Orellana was initially encountered in Arizona in 2009, determined to be illegally present in the United States and subsequently deported. Sometime thereafter his removal, Herrera Orellana illegally reentered the United States and was arrested in Texas in 2012. Herrera Orellana was again placed into removal proceedings and deported.

In December 2020, Herrera Orellana was arrested in Waltham and charged with, among other things, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. In June 2021, he was convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and sentenced to 14 months in prison. In July 2021, while serving this sentence in the Middlesex County House of Correction, agents determined that Herrera Orellana was illegally present in the United States after the fingerprints from his Waltham arrest and noncitizen records were determined to be a positive match. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Herrera Orellana was subsequently transferred into federal custody where he remains detained.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised released and a fine of up to $250,000. Herrera Orellana will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.




New Bedford roadwork sites for the upcoming week of December 20, 2021 – December 24, 2021

The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of December 20, 2021 – December 24, 2021 and they are as follows:

City Offices will be closed half day on Thursday, December 23rd and full day Friday, December 24th.

Eversource will be working on the gas main relays and services at:

• Tie in gas main on Phillips Rd at Regulator Station
• Relaying gas main on Church St at Tarkiln Hill Rd

Other:

• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on sewer installations on Cedar St (Maxfield St to Hillman St)
• Contractor (JH Lynch) to continue work at MassDOT Project #608536, intersection improvements at Rockdale Ave X Allen St.
• Contractor (K.R. Rezendes, Inc.) to continue work at MassDOT Project #606718, roadway reconstruction and related work (including traffic signal installation) along a section of Hathaway Rd, Nauset St and Mt Pleasant St.
• Contractor (PA Landers) to continue work at MassDOT Project #606709 with roadway and sidewalk reconstruction related work along a section of Kings Highway and Tarkiln Hill Rd.
• Contractor (SCR Constructors) will continue site work at the future South Coast Rail station platform locations in the City. (Church St at Carlisle St and Wamsutta St at Acushnet Ave.) Contractor will be performing test pits in Wamsutta St. Street closure from Acushnet Ave to N Front St. Detour signage and police details will be in place. If you have questions, please email the project team at SouthCoastRail@dot.state.ma.us
• Due to ongoing construction at the High Hill Reservoir residents may experience discolored water. The water is safe, and the discoloration will be temporary. We recommend allowing the water to settle for a few hours and then flushing your service line by letting the bathtub run for a few minutes until the water runs clear.

** Please note: Contractors will continue to follow guidelines and protocol regarding COVID-19 social distancing while conducting work in construction zone.




New Bedford man who threatened others with a knife on a SRTA bus sentenced

A 29-year-old New Bedford man who threatened passengers with a knife on a SRTA Bus and physically assaulted one of the female passengers last December was sentenced by a New Bedford District Court judge last week to serve two years in jail, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Dazzmen Parades was convicted on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery, after a bench trial before Judge Joseph P. Harrington.

On December 19, 2020, the defendant was on a city SRTA Bus from New Bedford to Fairhaven. According to trial testimony, the defendant was rapping to himself on the bus when a 34-year-old local woman looked over at him. The defendant began saying “What? What? You know who I am! I am D-Drizzy.” The defendant then got up from the back of the bus, pulled a knife from his belt, and made a thrusting motion towards the female victim. Other victims then yelled for the bus driver to stop the bus. When police boarded, they began to remove the defendant from it. While being escorted off the bus, the defendant elbowed the 34-year-old female in the head.

The defendant has a 10-page criminal record, and at the time of the trial, he had six open cases in New Bedford District Court.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Eric DeMoura and James Powderly.




Dominican National living in Massachusetts arrested for ID theft, COVID-19 PUA fraud

A Dominican National residing in Boston was arrested today for allegedly using others’ identities to fraudulently obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.

Wilson Radhames Peguero Brea, 52, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Following an initial appearance today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler, Peguero was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Dec. 22, 2021.

According to the charging documents, Peguero used the name and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to apply for and obtain PUA benefits. Peguero also allegedly applied for and received additional PUA benefits using another victim’s identity as well as his own.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Boston. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The details contained in the criminal complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.




FDA expands eligibility for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster to 16-17 year-olds

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, authorizing the use of a single booster dose for administration to individuals 16 and 17 years of age at least six months after completion of primary vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

“Vaccination and getting a booster when eligible, along with other preventive measures like masking and avoiding large crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, remain our most effective methods for fighting COVID-19,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “As people gather indoors with family and friends for the holidays, we can’t let up on all the preventive public health measures that we have been taking during the pandemic. With both the delta and omicron variants continuing to spread, vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19.”

On Nov. 19, the FDA authorized the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for administration to all individuals 18 years of age and older after completion of primary vaccination with any FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. Today’s action expands the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for administration to individuals 16 and 17 years of age at least six months after completion of a primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. The FDA-authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and the FDA-approved Comirnaty (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) are the only COVID-19 vaccines currently available for the 16- and 17- year-old age group. Individuals who are 16 and 17 years of age should only receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or Comirnaty as their booster dose.

“The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been available to individuals 16 years of age and older for nearly a year, and its benefits have been shown to clearly outweigh potential risks,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Since we first authorized the vaccine, new evidence indicates that vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 is waning after the second dose of the vaccine for all adults and for those in the 16- and 17-year-old age group. A single booster dose of the vaccine for those vaccinated at least six months prior will help provide continued protection against COVID-19 in this and older age groups.”

Data Supporting Effectiveness
The EUA for a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for individuals 16 and 17 years of age is based on the FDA’s previous analysis of immune response data that supported use of a booster dose in individuals 18 years of age and older.

The FDA had analyzed the immune response data from approximately 200 participants, 18 through 55 years of age, who received a single booster dose approximately six months after their second dose. The antibody response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus one month after a booster dose of the vaccine, when compared to the response one month after the two-dose primary series in the same individuals, demonstrated a booster response. The FDA’s assessment of the effectiveness of a booster dose for individuals 16 and 17 years of age is based on these data. Based on the available data for individuals 18 and older regarding effectiveness, the FDA has concluded that these data support extending the eligible booster age population to 16- and 17-year-olds.

FDA Evaluation of Benefits and Risks
In the time since Pfizer initially submitted safety and effectiveness data on a single booster dose following the two-dose primary series to the FDA, additional real-world data have become available on the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and on the risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) following vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. These additional data enabled the FDA to reassess the benefits and risks of the use of the vaccine in a wider population. The FDA has determined that the benefits of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or Comirnaty outweigh the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis in individuals 16 and 17 years of age to provide continued protection against COVID-19 and the associated serious consequences that can occur including hospitalization and death.

Pfizer is conducting post-authorization/post-marketing studies to assess known serious risks of myocarditis and pericarditis. In addition, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have several systems in place to continually monitor COVID-19 vaccine safety and allow for the rapid detection and investigation of potential safety concerns.

The fact sheets for recipients and caregivers and for healthcare providers contain information about the potential side effects, as well as the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis. The most commonly reported side effects by individuals who received a booster dose were pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, as well as fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain and chills. Of note, swollen lymph nodes in the underarm were observed more frequently following the booster dose than after the second dose of a two-dose primary series.

The FDA did not hold a meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on today’s action, as the agency previously convened the committee for extensive discussions regarding the use of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines and, after review of Pfizer’s EUA request, the FDA concluded that the request does not raise questions that would benefit from additional discussion by committee members. The FDA will be publicly posting documents regarding the agency’s decision on its website following authorization.

The amendment to the EUA was granted to Pfizer Inc.