New Bedford’s Buttonwood Park Zoo expansion will welcome new animals!

Buttonwood Park Zoo is set to welcome new animals as it expands its Animal Ambassador program. Mayor Jon Mitchell, along with Buttonwood Park Zoo’s Director of Zoological Services Gary Lunsford and others, broke ground on the expansion project at the Buttonwood Barn, located in the northwest corner of the zoo by Charlie’s Nature Play Area.

The renovation aims to increase the program’s capacity and exhibit space, allowing for a more diverse range of animals. Mayor Mitchell highlighted the importance of the program for children, stating that it offers a unique learning opportunity that isn’t available online.

“In the Animal Ambassador program, children can interact with animals up close, an opportunity to learn that isn’t available on the Internet,” Mayor Mitchell said. “Expanding this program is great for the Zoo because it creates educational opportunities for the region’s school children.”


Buttonwood Park Zoo photo.

The current 3,600-square-foot barn will undergo a complete remodel to enhance animal exhibits, provide more space for enclosures and medical care, and expand educational space and programs. A new entrance vestibule and a family restroom will also be added, with the existing restrooms being refurbished.

The renovation will also prioritize environmental sustainability. The old gas heating system will be replaced with electric heating and cooling to eliminate the need for fossil fuels. Additionally, irrigation infrastructure in the rear of the building will minimize stormwater runoff.

The Zoo’s Animal Ambassador program, which began in 2014, is an environmental education-based initiative that allows visitors to connect with animals up close. From opossums and skunks to birds and others, these animals will now be visible to zoo guests instead of being kept behind the scenes.


Buttonwood Park Zoo photo.

“We are very excited about renovating the Buttonwood Barn into an educational animal facility,” Lunsford said. “We have shaped this project for several years now to find the best fit to serve the City of New Bedford. This is a big step in revitalizing the Buttonwood Farm for our guests.”

Construction on the $2.4 million renovation project is scheduled to begin in March, with an estimated completion in January. The Buttonwood Park Zoological Society has been a key supporter of the project, providing an initial $100,000 for design work and assisting with animal accommodation during the renovation. BayCoast Bank has also shown its support for the Animal Ambassador program with a $250,000 donation to further educational opportunities.

The expansion project is part of Phase II of the Zoo’s Master Plan, unveiled in 2016, which outlines expansion efforts over the next decade.


Buttonwood Park Zoo photo.




City of New Bedford spreads word about Vineyard Wind’s Fisheries Compensation Program

We wanted to spread the word about Vineyard Wind’s Fisheries Compensation Program:

“The third party administered program seeks to provide fair, equitable compensation to commercial fishermen for economic impacts attributable to the project’s construction, operations, and decommissioning activities. The launch of the program opens a 90-day window for fishermen to qualify for compensation at www.vw1fisheriescomp.com.”

“BOSTON, MA – Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a global leader in green energy investment and in offshore wind development through its affiliate Vineyard Offshore, today announced that the Vineyard Wind 1 project has launched its Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program. The third party administered program seeks to provide fair, equitable compensation to commercial fishermen for economic impacts attributable to the project’s construction, operations, and decommissioning activities. The launch of the program opens a 90-day window for fishermen to qualify for compensation at www.vw1fisheriescomp.com.

“Throughout the development of Vineyard Wind 1, we have focused on building relationships with local fishing communities while ensuring that each of these vital industries can co-exist to the benefit of the entire Northeast region,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. “By launching this program we are making good on our promise to work with the fishing industry to address financial impacts related to the development of this project, and we encourage any commercial fishermen affected to apply for eligibility.”

“The launch of these funds are the latest example of our commitment to working with the fishing industry to create successful programs together,” said Crista Bank, Fisheries Manager for Vineyard Offshore. “In addition to these funds, we’ve also employed dozens of fishing vessels to work on different scopes of the project, a model we hope to expand as we develop projects around North America. By working together, we can power healthy communities and environments with 100 percent clean energy and the fishing industry can continue to provide healthy locally caught seafood.”

“As Massachusetts leads the nation in offshore wind development, sustaining our nation-leading seafood industry is an equally important priority,” said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper. “For centuries, commercial fisheries have played an essential role in our state’s history, culture, and economy. The Vineyard Wind Fisheries Compensation Fund will bolster our commercial fisheries during this time of transition to clean energy—we hope this fund can be a model for ensuring offshore wind and commercial fisheries thrive together.”

To support the program, Vineyard Wind 1 has established three escrow funds to compensate affected fishermen in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. Compensation may also be available to shoreside businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The launch of the program opens a 90-day window, until June 3, 2024, for commercial fishermen to apply for eligibility and qualify for compensation payments based on defined eligibility criteria. Critically, this 90-day timeframe is the only opportunity that fishermen will have to qualify for compensation over the life of the program. Fishermen will not need to demonstrate economic impacts from Vineyard Wind 1 to qualify for the program or receive compensation payments.

The program is open to commercial fishing vessel owners/lessees in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island who can demonstrate historical fishing activities in the lease area, OCS-A 0501; and shoreside businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Information about the shoreside business portion of the program will be available at a later date.

“CZM was pleased to work with the Division of Marine Fisheries to secure these mitigation funds from Vineyard Wind for the commercial fishing industry,” said Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Acting Director Tyler Soleau. “These funds were actively negotiated with stakeholders through the Fisheries Working Group and will help ensure that Massachusetts’ historic fisheries remain safe and profitable as the important offshore wind industry emerges and grows.”

“Division of Marine Fisheries is glad to see Vineyard Wind Fisheries Compensation Fund, negotiated alongside our commercial fishing partners and the Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), provide real benefits for our impacted fishermen and local businesses,” said Division of Marine Fisheries Director Dan McKiernan. “DMF is committed to working closely with impacted individuals to connect them with this critical support.”

Vineyard Wind is hosting open house and tabling events in the month of March to assist fishermen with their applications and answer any questions they may have. Information about these events is available at www.vw1fisheriescomp.com.

To qualify for the program, fishermen must be able to demonstrate that they:

• are a commercial fishing vessel owner/operator homeported in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, or Rhode Island.
• have a 2023 commercial fishing permit from NOAA Fisheries.
• have a valid government-issued vessel registration that shows vessel ownership, or a vessel lease agreement.
• fished in the Vineyard Wind 1 lease area, OCS-A 0501, for at least three years between 2016 and 2022.
• have annual revenue from fishing activities for at least the corresponding three years between 2016 and 2022 (e.g., IRS Form 1099 and/or other tax documents, sales receipts, dealer slips, and/or dealer compilation reports).

Fishermen must include evidence of fishing activities in the lease area, OCS-A 0501, in their application.

This evidence may include, but is not limited to the following:

• Vessel Trip Reports
• Vessel Monitoring System information
• Automatic identification system information
• Fishery Observer or At-Sea Monitoring Information
• NOAA Cooperative Research Study Fleet information
• Chart plotter data/images time-stamped
• Logbooks (supported by additional data)
• Other trip-level reporting information that establishes fishing activity in the lease area

After qualifying, eligible commercial fishing vessel owners/operators will receive annual compensation payments for the first five years of the program. Every five years, participants will need to submit evidence of ongoing and active fishing activities to continue receiving payments. Notably, fishermen do not have to demonstrate an impact to qualify for the program or receive payments.

The program is administered by de maximis, inc., an independent third-party administrator, with support from local fixed gear and mobile gear fisheries advisors. The third-party administrator’s point of contact is Major Sharpe, who can be contacted at vineyardwind@demaximis.com.

Vineyard Wind is not involved in the administration of the program, application review process, payment determinations, dispute resolution, or other program functions. The program will continue until Vineyard Wind 1 is decommissioned.

An 806-megawatt project located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard Wind will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually.”-Vineyard Wind.




New Bedford Police spotlight clinician during National Social Work Month, International Women’s Day

“Isabel has been a calm, steady presence and resource for not only our officers, but also for our community.

She has been able to connect with so many people to help get them the care they need,” said Assistant Deputy Chief Belong.

“Isabel continues to be a key member of our team here at the NBPD and has never asked for or sought out public recognition for her work. We are very proud of her and fortunate to have her working as a co-response clinician with our officers.”

We appreciate you, Isabel, as well as all of our other co-response clinicians! We will be highlighting all of the great work they do during #NationalSocialWorkMonth.”-City of New Bedford Police Department.

“In honor of National Social Work Month, we would like to recognize our lead co-response clinician Isabel. Isabel has been doing police co-response with NBPD since September of 2021.

Isabel does not often get the recognition she deserves as a social work. She goes above and beyond the call of duty not only as a co-response clinician but trains all new co-response clinicians and also has completed the Co-Response Certificate program through William James College.

Isabel thank you for all you do for our program and especially for the patients we service!”-CFS Community Behavioral Health Center.




Southcoast Health Heart & Vascular performs 600 watchman procedures to treat atrial fibrillation

“FALL RIVER, Mass. – Dr. Adam Saltzman, Medical Director of the Structural Heart Disease Program at Southcoast Health with Dr. Ramin Davoudi, Medical Director of Electrophysiology, Dr. Nitesh Sood, Director of Southcoast Health’s Atrial Fibrillation Wellness Program, and the outstanding team at Southcoast Heart & Vascular have completed over 600 WATCHMAN procedures to treat patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is an abnormal heart rhythm characterized by a rapid and irregular heartbeat, called an arrhythmia. According to the American Heart Association, untreated AFib doubles the risk of heart-related deaths, and patients with AFib are five times more likely to suffer a stroke than individuals with a normal heart rhythm.


Southcoast Health photo.

“As the region’s leading heart and vascular hospital, we are proud to have been offering this innovative procedure to those with Atrial Fibrillation for over eight years,” Saltzman said. “Atrial Fibrillation greatly increases a patient’s risk of stroke, a leading cause of death and disability. The Watchman device mitigates stroke risk similarly to blood thinners. This milestone represents the team’s dedication to treating this common arrhythmia and I am so proud of the region leading program we have built here at Southcoast Health.”

This procedure provides a one-time treatment option for patients with Atrial Fibrillation that is a permanent alternative to taking oral blood thinners every day for the rest of their lives. Charlton Memorial Hospital first implemented Boston Scientific’s WATCHMAN device to treat patients with Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib) on August 24, 2015.

Today, AFib is one of the most common heart arrhythmias and the CDC estimates that 12.1 million people in the United States will have AFib in 2030.


Southcoast Health photo.

Congratulations to our amazing team on reaching this impressive milestone!

For more information about Southcoast Health’s Heart & Vascular services visit Top Cardiologist Southeast MA | Southcoast Health.

______________________________________________________________

About Southcoast Health
Founded in 1996, Southcoast Health serves communities across southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island as the largest provider of primary and specialty care in the region. The not-for-profit, charitable system includes three acute care hospitals – Charlton Memorial in Fall River, St. Luke’s in New Bedford (a Level II Trauma Center), and Tobey in Wareham, Massachusetts with a physician network of more than 675 providers.

The system has established more than 55 service locations across the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including six urgent care locations, a Visiting Nurse Association, the Southcoast Health Cancer Center, the region’s only Level II Adult Trauma Center and numerous ancillary facilities.

Southcoast Health has been recognized consecutively for six years in a row as a Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital from 2019-2024 and named a Maternity Care Access Hospital for 2023-2024 by U.S. News & World Report. The organization was recognized as the best place to work for the sixth consecutive year by Southcoast Media Group’s community choice awards.

With upward of 7,500 employees, Southcoast Health is the largest employer in southeastern Massachusetts, and one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth, according to the Boston Business Journal. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org.”




New Bedford Police searching for woman who damaged cruisers, almost striking detectives, in chase

On Wednesday, at approximately 5:00pm New Bedford Police made a traffic stop on 64-year-old Clifford Colby, of Bourne. As police approached her window, for reasons unknown, she slammed on the gas and sped away.

While leaving the scene, police officers had to jump out of the way of her vehicle to avoid being struck. A car pursuit ensued and in the process she ended up striking two unmarked police vehicles before police decided to terminate the chase

When found and arrested Colby will be charged with failing to stop for police, leaving the scene of property damage, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.




Freetown, New Bedford Firefighters battle basement fire at town line

Shortly after 10:00 am on Thursday Freetown Dispatch was notified of Smoke in the house at 1A County Rd.

Stations 2 and 3 were dispatched, New Bedford Fire Department also responded with Engine 5 and a District Chief due to the proximity to the Town Line. Freetown Car 1 arrived first, on sizeup the Chief found a fire in the basement of the residence. The Chief was able to keep the fire in check with a water extinguisher while the Duty crew on Engine 2 advanced a hose line to fully extinguish the Fire.

New Bedford E5 assisted with Ventilation on the First and Second floors.

There are no reported injuries however a cat is missing. The cat is not believed to be harmed. The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.”-Freetown Fire Department.




Somerset man who lured underage teen through SnapChat sentenced for rape of a child by force

“A 27-year-old Somerset man was sentenced to serve eight to 12 years in state prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to child rape charges just as his Fall River Superior Court trial was set to begin, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Ian Anderson pleaded guilty to indictments charging him with Rape of a Child By Force and Rape of a Child.

On or about November 17, 2022 the parents of the 15-year-old victim noticed that she had not been acting like herself for the past two days. They described her as depressed and withdrawn. As a result, they went through her phone and found concerning snapchat messages, which indicated that she had engaged in intercourse with a person later identified as the defendant. The parents took screen shots of the messages and called the police.

The communications between the child and the defendant occurred on Snapchat. The defendant was communicating using the user name “Nacho_Medeiros.”

The messages showed that the defendant had engaged in sex with the underage girl and acknowledged knowing she was underage.

The child sat for a forensic interview on November 29, 2022. The child revealed that she met the defendant via a quick add feature on Snapchat, and the two began conversing and made plans to hang out. Before they met they exchanged photos and their ages. After she knew his age the victim was less keen on meeting the defendant but he insisted. The defendant picked the child up from her friend’s house and brought her back to his house. Once at his home the defendant quickly ushered the child into his bedroom and commented that he didn’t want anyone in the house to see them together, and that if anyone asks, she should tell them that she is 19 years old.

Once inside the defendant’s bedroom, the defendant asked the child if she was into older men. He then pushed her down on the bed and tried pulling off her pants. The child told him no, and told him she was uncomfortable. She struggled to keep her pants up as he pulled them down. He ultimately grabbed her wrist so hard that she was forced to let go of the waistband of her pants.

She told him he was hurting her. When he was successful in getting her pants down, he raped her. He covered her mouth with his hand and told her to be quiet. The child was crying and again told him to stop and that he was hurting her. The child reported she was hyperventilating but the defendant didn’t seem to care. The child asked him to take her home and he warned her not to tell anyone about this because he could get into serious trouble because of the age difference. The car ride back to her house was silent. When she got to her house she tried to pretend like nothing happened.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Casey Smith and the initial investigation was conducted by Somerset Police Detective Mike Demoranville, who did a tremendous job assisting in the case in the lead up to the potential trial.

The state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan.

“This cases highlights the extreme danger of meeting a stranger online. It eventually led to the defendant committing a violent sexual assault against the victim. Fortunately her family obtained her messages which led to the defendant being arrested,” District Attorney Quinn said. “As jury selection was underway, the defendant even tried to get a witness to lie on his behalf. The sentence was well-deserved and I hope the victim can move forward with her life.””




[WATCH] A look inside the Bristol County Sheriff’s fight against high suicide rates in Dartmouth’s jail facility

The Bristol County Jail and House of Corrections has an alarmingly high suicide rate, which was reported to be three times higher than the national average. Sheriff Paul Heroux, who took office in January 2023, inherited this issue and has since taken significant steps to address it.

Upon assuming his role, Sheriff Heroux enlisted the expertise of prison suicide expert Lindsay Hayes to review the facility’s policies and procedures. Hayes’ review identified 23 specific issues that needed to be addressed. These issues ranged from infrastructure problems to procedural shortcomings.

On Wednesday, March 6th, we visited the Bristol County Jail and House of Corrections to speak with Sheriff Heroux and get an inside look as to how they are fighting this issue.

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61-year-old Dorchester man sentenced for tracking two underage girls, raping one

“A 61-year-old Dorchester man convicted at trial of tracking two underage girls and raping one of them was sentenced last Friday to serve 60 to 80 years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

The jury took less than an hour–after a two-week long trial in Fall River Superior Court—to convict Troy Footman of indictments charging him with two counts of Human Trafficking of a Child, one count of Rape of a Child-Subsequent Offense, two counts of Rape of a Child-Aggravated by Age Difference, one count of Rape of a Child by Use of Force, one count of Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, one count of Assault and Battery, one count of Threats to Harm and one count of Posing a Child in the State of Nudity.

The defendant trafficked the two girls and raped one of them in Seekonk motels in 2013 and 2014. He also violently assaulted the girl he raped on at least one occasion. His modus operandi was to have the girls work long shifts at a now defunct club in Providence, RI called “Cheaters.” The girls would dance and engage in sex in back rooms of the club for money. He was able to get them jobs at the club in Providence by falsifying identification documents.

The defendant would routinely transport the girls from Seekonk to Providence and then pick them up at the end of their shifts. When he picked the girls up, he would take all their money. If the girls did not make at least $1,000 per day, he would then prostitute them out of the Seekonk motels. The defendant would advertise the underage girls on the now-closed website, backpage.com.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Silvia Rudman and Casey Smith, and the lengthy state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan.

The multi-jurisdiction investigation was conducted by Seekonk Police, Boston Police, the Department of Homeland Security, Massachusetts State Police and Providence Police.

“I am very pleased with the jury verdict and the lengthy sentence imposed by the court, which was well deserved. This defendant has a lengthy history of trafficking and sexually assaulting girls and young women. I commend the victim for her perseverance and resiliency during the past decade,” District Attorney Quinn said. “It is great to know that the main victim, despite the terrible circumstances of this case, has turned her life around and has a bright future. Based on his criminal history and the facts of this case, this defendant should never be released from prison. I want to commend Silvia Rudman and Casey Smith for their efforts in this case, which led to the defendant’s conviction.”-Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.




Massachusetts coach sentenced for sextortion, cyberstalking, cyber fraud against 128 women

Defendant targeted at least 128 women and continued to engage in conduct after indictment

“BOSTON – A former college track and field coach was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain thousands of explicit photos from over 100 women across the country through the use of nearly two dozen sham social media and email accounts. The defendant cyberstalked one female student-athlete and orchestrated another scheme to gain unauthorized access to other victims’ Snapchat accounts.

The defendant previously worked as a track and field coach at several academic institutions, including Northeastern University, Penn State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee and Concordia University Chicago.

Steve Waithe, 31, formerly of Chicago, Ill., and Somerville, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Among the terms of his supervised release conditions, Waithe will be prohibited from taking any jobs in which he could serve as a coach, teacher, mentor, or any similar role involving women or girls and his internet usage will be strictly monitored by probation. In November 2023, Waithe pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud; one count of cyberstalking; one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud; and one count of computer fraud, aiding and abetting. Waithe was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2021.

“This defendant’s conduct is deplorable. He exploited his trusted role as a coach to college athletes to engage in a sextortion campaign that has left a trail of emotional devastation in its wake. We stand by the courageous victims who came forward and help this Office hold Mr. Waithe accountable. The array of on-line threats is striking, and this Office will be vigilant in investigating and prosecuting those who sexually exploit victims,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

“The depth of deceit demonstrated by Steve Waithe in this case is deeply disturbing. This predator readily betrayed the trust of over 50 women, tricking them into sending him explicit photos which he then used to exploit and extort them. His reprehensible actions inflicted significant anguish on these victims who were living in fear of being so personally exposed,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence shows that cyberstalking and sextortion is not some sick game, they’re serious crimes, and the FBI will continue to unmask and hold accountable anyone who uses today’s technology in such a vile way.”

While a track coach at Northeastern University, Waithe requested the cell phones of female student-athletes under the pretense of “filming their form” at practices and meets and then covertly sending himself explicit photos of the victims that had previously been saved on their phones.

Approximately one year later in February 2020, and after he no longer worked at Northeastern University, Waithe began perpetrating an evolving series of schemes to deceive women into sending him nude or semi-nude photos of themselves.

In total, Waithe victimized at least 56 women and attempted to victimize 72 more. Waithe used anonymized social media accounts with usernames like “anon.4887” and variations of the phrase “Privacy Protector” to contact prospective victims, including some of the same student-athletes from the Northeastern University track and field team, claiming that he had “found” compromising photos of them online and offering to “help” get the photos removed from the internet. Waithe also requested additional nude or semi-nude photos from victims that he could purportedly use for “reverse image searches.” Notably, none of the Northeastern University student-athletes were tricked by this scheme, though Waithe continued to try it on new prospective victims.

Further, Waithe fabricated at least two female personas, “Katie Janovich” and “Kathryn Svoboda,” in an effort to obtain additional nude and/or semi-nude photos of women. Under the purported premise of an “athlete research” or “body development” study, Waithe emailed prospective victims pretending to be “Katie” or “Kathryn” with email accounts in their names. The emails described a phony study for athletes and requested information relating to height, weight, body fat and diet habits. The emails also included a request for the victims to send photos of themselves in order to “track their progress” and recommended that the photos show the women in a “uniform or bathing suit to show as much skin as possible.” The emails often included attachments of sample nude and semi-nude images to illustrate the types of photos that victims should send.

Investigators identified 22 sham online accounts across at least seven different platforms used by Waithe and hundreds of photos sent by dozens of victims who thought they were emailing someone conducting a legitimate research study.

Waithe also cyberstalked one victim, from at least June 2020 to October 2020, through text messages and direct messages sent via social media, as well as by hacking into her Snapchat account. He texted and sent nude photos of the victim to the victim’s boyfriend, stating, “I wanted to make you aware that someone hacked your girlfriend’s snapchat account and will leak it soon. I need your help to assure this does not happen.” Over the course of five months, Waithe sent harassing and intimidating messages to the victim and her boyfriend. The messages included explicit photos that Waithe had stolen from the victim’s phone when she was on the track and field team at Northeastern.

In October 2020, Waithe conspired with another individual to hack into Snapchat accounts, ultimately gaining access to at least one account and its private “My Eyes Only” folder that contained nude and/or semi-nude photos. Additionally, Waithe provided his co-conspirator with the usernames and phone numbers for the Snapchat accounts of at least 15 women. Waithe and his co-conspirator then used this information to craft and send text messages purporting to be from the “Snapchat Support Team” and requesting security information, through which they gained access to at least one account.

The investigation revealed that Waithe’s internet browsing history included visits to webpages with titles like, “Can anyone trace my fake Instagram account back to me?” and “How to Hack Someones Snapchat the Easy Way.” Waithe’s search history also included searches for, among other things, “how to hack snapchat with a username and phone number.”

Waithe distributed some of the stolen images on websites where stolen and so-called “leaked” photos are posted, shared, and traded. In one post, Waithe wrote, “Does anyone want to trade nudes? I’m talking girls you actually know. Could be exes or whatever. I have quite a few and [am] down to trade over snap[chat] or something.” In total, Waithe posted or otherwise offered to trade images of victims on no fewer than 55 occasions.

After being released on conditions following his arrest in April 2021, Waithe continued to engage in virtually identical conduct while under pre-trial supervision. Specifically, Waithe accessed his Instagram account on more than a hundred occasions, soliciting new prospective victims and requesting that they send him photos of themselves via direct messages. In one Instagram conversation in late May and early June 2022 – approximately one year after his initial charge and arrest in this case, and months after being indicted by a federal grand jury – Waithe complimented a young woman via Instagram direct message and offered to pay her in exchange for allowing him to make “drawings” using photos of her. In another Instagram conversation with a separate prospective victim in June 2022, Waithe told a young woman that she is in “such great shape” and offered her $50 to participate in a “study.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The Northeastern University Police Department provided substantial assistance with the investigation. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Chicago Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.”-Massachusetts Department of Justice.