Yesterday, Senator Montigny (D-New Bedford) voted in favor of a 3-year, $600 million transportation financing bill that will provide cities and towns with much-needed support for local road and bridge repairs over a three year period. Local municipalities can expect to receive the following funding per year:

• Acushnet – $317,144
• Dartmouth – $1,193,570
• Fairhaven – $519,997
• Mattapoisett – $229,364
• New Bedford – $2,105,709

The vote comes just one week after the House approved its version of the bill, including only 1-year of $200 million in Chapter 90.

“This funding will give New Bedford and surrounding towns the much needed resources to attend to vital infrastructure repairs,” said Senator Montigny. “By extending this authorization through a multi-year period, we are also giving municipalities the ability to plan in advance. It is imperative that the House adopt the Senate’s plan so that cities and towns can achieve this important service for taxpayers.”

The bill must now be reconciled between the House and Senate before it proceeds to the Governor for final passage.

Congrats to New Bedford’s three newest police officers! From the New Bedford Police Department’s Facebook page:

“Congratulations to our newest officers, who graduated Wednesday night from the Reading Police Academy during a ceremony at the Galvin Middle School in Wakefield. From left are Deputy Chief Paul Oliveira, our three new officers Robinson Ubri, Marc Felix Jr. and Mason Oliveira, and Sgt. Michael Cassidy. They will be officially sworn in at a ceremony at City Hall this afternoon.”

An MS-13 member was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for racketeering conspiracy, including his involvement in a shooting that led to the death of an innocent bystander, as well as his involvement in an attempted murder of a rival gang member and armed robbery.

Hector Ramires, a/k/a “Cuervo,” 24, a Honduran national, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 27 years in prison. Ramires will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In October 2017, Ramires pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.

Ramires was a member of MS-13’s Enfermos Criminales Salvatrucha (ECS) clique, which operated in Chelsea and other parts of Massachusetts. On Oct. 18, 2014, Ramires and Bryan Galicia Barillas, a/k/a “Chucky,” another member of MS-13’s ECS clique, were walking the streets of Chelsea when they encountered a group of rival gang members. Ramires, who was armed, shot at one of the gang rivals and missed, killing a woman – an innocent bystander – who was looking out a nearby window of a room she shared with her three children. Both Ramires and Galicia Barillas were charged with RICO conspiracy and held responsible for the murder of the innocent bystander. Galicia Barillas was sentenced in March 2018 to 22 years in prison.

Ramires also accepted responsibility for his role in a March 28, 2014, attempted murder of a rival gang member in Chelsea, and an April 9, 2014, armed robbery in Chelsea.

After a multi-year investigation, Ramires was one of 61 persons named in a superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. Ramires is the 19th defendant to be sentenced in this case.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. All remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

According to the Massachusetts State Police, this morning at about 10:40 a.m. on Route 95 south in Waltham, a piece of debris went through the windshield of a Honda Odyssey. This caused non-life threatening facial injuries. The operator was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.

A Piece of debris which is believed to be a metal piece from a tractor-trailer designed to hold a tire mud flap in place went through the windshield.

The New Bedford City Council moved a step closer to strengthening the city’s Problem Property ordinance – lowering the number of valid police complaints necessary for a property to be designated a problem property from eight to four within a 12 month period.

On Tuesday, March 27, the Committee on Ordinances unanimously approved changes by an 11-0 vote. The major ordinance change lowers the number of valid police complaints necessary for a property to be designated a problem property from eight to four.

Once a property is designated a problem property, the City of New Bedford has the authority to assess the cost of police officers responding to the property. The City Council is expected to approve the ordinance since only 5 ‘yes’ votes are required.

The New Bedford City Council will now vote on Thursday, April 12, 2018, on making the ordinance official.

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New Bedford’s City Council – Committee on Ordinances approved by a 10-0 vote to make important changes to an ordinance related to trash. If the changes are approved during tomorrow’s City Council session, “property owners will have only three (3) days as opposed to fourteen (14) to dispose of litter that is a source of filth or that is dangerous to the public health, safety or welfare.”

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The new superintendent of New Bedford Public Schools was introduced at City Hall on Friday, March 30, 2018. Thomas Anderson will take over as Superintendent beginning July 1, 2018.

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With the tax deadline a few days away, the New Bedford Police Department is warning residents to be aware of scammers who are calling people at random and claiming to be from the IRS.

Remember:  The IRS does not call customers. They do not have the authority to issue warrants or make arrests.

Police urge the public to keep in mind a few basic points about the IRS.

The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.

The IRS does not threaten taxpayers with lawsuits, imprisonment or other enforcement actions. If you receive calls, call 1-800-366-4484. Visit irs.gov for more information on scams and schemes.

For more information, call the New Bedford Police Department at 508-991-6300, ext. 79519.

A 21-year-old city man died in a single home fire at 176 Potter Street this morning.

The New Bedford Fire Department received a 911 call this morning around 7:15 a.m. reporting the house fire. Although the fire was quickly extinguished by New Bedford Fire officials, one individual who was upstairs at the time the fire started did die in the fire. The deceased has been identified as Jaxson Leahy, 21, of the same Potter Street address.

The initial investigation has preliminarily revealed that the fire started in the downstairs living room of the home and was likely caused by improper disposal of smoking materials. There were six people inside the home at the time of the fire. Aside from the deceased, no others were injured during the blaze.

The State Fire Marshall’s Office is on scene and is investigating, along with New Bedford Fire and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to this office, to confirm the cause of the fire at this time.

A 47-year-old Taunton man who repeatedly violently assaulted his girlfriend and violated a restraining order on multiple occasions was sentenced last week in Fall River Superior Court to serve three to five years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Scott Williams pleaded guilty to a multi-count indictment charging him with three counts of assault and battery on a household member, two counts of strangulation, two counts of intimidation of a witness, and one count each of threats and violation of a restraining order.

The defendant and the victim were in a dating relationship. During the course of the relationship, the defendant became more and more abusive. The victim would routinely appear at work with bruises and other injuries but historically would not report the abuse. Finally, in November 2017, Taunton Police were called to the victim’s workplace. The victim told police of the abuse and stated that the night prior, the defendant beat her badly by repeatedly punching her in the face and choking her until she thought she was going to pass out. She also told police that in August, the defendant had struck her, choked her, and ripped out a clump of her hair during an argument. She told police she was fearful of proceeding with any charges at the time because the defendant had threatened to kill her if she called the police.

The victim obtained a restraining order, which the defendant promptly violated by sending several letters to her from the house of corrections during his pretrial detention. The defendant was held as a danger after his arraignment. While he was at the Bristol County House of Corrections, he wrote several letters to the victim in violation of the open restraining order. Each letter referenced the restraining order and the defendant repeatedly asked the victim to drop the charges. He also attempted to call the victim by phone on several occasions.

During a plea hearing held before Judge Renee Dupuis, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Thompson argued that due to the defendant’s lengthy criminal record and the repeated nature of the abuse, the defendant should be sentenced to serve four to six years in state prison. The defendant, however, requested a more lenient two-and-a-half to three year prison term.

Judge Dupuis sentenced the defendant to serve three to five years in state prison, to be followed by five years of supervised probation. The conditions of his probation include mandatory mental health counseling, no contact with the victim, GPS monitoring, and the completion of a certified batterers program.

“The victim was subjected to repeated violent assaults over a lengthy period of time. I commend her for finally coming forward and reporting the repeated acts of abuse, including the savage act of ripping her hair out, “District Attorney Quinn said. “The sentence imposed by the court was well-deserved, and hopefully will protect the victim in this case.”