Crime

Former Lunenburg woman pleads guilty to stealing Social Security benefits
WORCESTER – A former Lunenburg woman pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Worcester to stealing Social Security benefits, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Sue E. Delaney, 68, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of theft of public funds. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10.

In 1999, Delaney’s mother-in-law, who was receiving monthly benefits from Social Security, died, according to the charging documents.

Delaney failed to inform the Social Security Administration of the death, and SSA continued to deposit monthly benefits into a bank account held by Delaney’s mother-in-law, according to the charging documents.

From November 2009 through March 2017, Delaney stole approximately $221,656 in Social Security benefits from her late mother-in-law’s account, according to the charging documents.

The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.  The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.

One man arrested and another summonsed to court after violent encounter involving bat and knife

FITCHBURG — Police arrested a city man on Sunday after learning he had used a baseball bat to strike his roommate in the head after the roommate stabbed him, according police and court documents.

Police were called to Myrtle Avenue on Sunday on a report of a disturbance between two men involving a baseball bat and knife, the reporting officer said.

When officers arrived at the residence they first noticed blood as they went inside and spoke with Eliacin Elius, 65, of Myrtle Avenue, who had a laceration on his head and shoulder and a small cut on one finger, the officer reported.

Elius told the officers that he had gotten into an argument with his roommate, Jean Pierre, 59, of the same address, which became physical and Pierre grabbed a baseball bat and started swinging it at him, striking him in the head and then Elius grabbed a knife and lunged at Pierre in an attempt to defend himself, stabbing him under the arm, the officer reported.

Because of the severity of the injuries, Elius was immediately transported to the UMass Medical Center in Worcester for treatment, the officer reported, noting that when he spoke with staff there and they conveyed to him that Elius was in stable condition, but would be admitted. His current status is unknown.

There was woman in the residence who told officers she heard the two fighting and when she came out of her room, Pierre had the bat and Elius the knife and “they were going at it,” the officer reported.

There was another man in the residence who heard the fight, but didn’t see it, but when he did encounter the two, he took the knife away from Elius “so he did not witness a murder,” the officer reported.

The officer then spoke to Pierre who told him that he was cooking his lunch when Elius came into the kitchen and began saying insulting things about his mother, which sparked the argument, the officer reported.

At that point he said Elius grabbed the knife and stabbed him, so Pierre left the kitchen back to his bedroom, grabbed a bat and went after Elius striking him in an attempt to get him to drop the knife, the officer reported.

The officer asked Pierre why he just didn’t stay in his room and lock the door, to which Pierre responded that Elius wanted to kill him and he had the right to protect himself, the officer reported.

While EMS was at the scene, Pierre was treated for the knife wound, but declined to go the hospital, the officer reported.

As a result of the incident, Pierre was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person over 60 and assault and battery, according to court documents.

When arraigned, Pierre, who pleaded not guilty, was released on personal recognizance, ordered to stay away from Elius and to return to court on July 13 for a pretrial hearing, according to court documents.

The officer also charged Elius with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery, and noted he would be summonsed to court on the charges.

After being stopped for inspection sticker, Fitchburg man summonsed to court on drug dealing charges

FITCHBURG — A State Police trooper on patrol in early December spotted a truck and when the trooper ran a RMV check found the truck’s inspection sticker had expired and stopped it, according to the trooper and court documents.

Before the truck’s driver, Julien M. Medrano, 23, of Hillcrest Street, got out, the trooper noted that he had several encounters with Medrano; one in March 2017 where $21,450 was seized believed to be the proceeds of illegal marijuana sales; and one in February 2019 where $3,510 and three pounds of marijuana had been seized, the trooper reported.

Once Medrano got out of the truck, the trooper asked him there was anything illegal inside, Medrano began to pace back and forth before saying, “You guys really got me good this time,” the trooper reported.

Medrano then told the trooper he had two pounds of marijuana, 920 THC cartridges and about $6,000 in cash, the trooper reported.

As a result, Medrano was charged with two counts of possession to distribute a Class D controlled substance, and an inspection sticker violation and summonsed to court, the trooper reported.

When arraigned on Tuesday, Medrano, who pleaded not guilty, was released on personal recognizance and ordered to return to court on June 17 for a pretrial hearing.

BOSTON – A former leader of the Lowell Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) pleaded guilty Thursday to racketeering charges.

Alfred Nieves, a/k/a “King Alfy,” 33, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conducting enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for July 21.

The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.

As stated during the plea hearing, Nieves served as the Inca, or leader, of the Lowell Chapter of the Latin Kings. During the course of the conspiracy in June 2019, Nieves requested permission from the state and regional leadership of the gang to assault a relative of a Latin Kings member. Separately, in 2017, Nieves admitted to sending a coded message to a Latin King member in the Massachusetts prison system directing violence to be taken against a certain individual who was also incarcerated. The coded message was intercepted and deciphered by investigators.

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Nieves is the 44th defendant to plead guilty in the case.

The RICO conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Mendell’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

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

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Fitchburg woman sentenced for Social Security, MassHealth and Food Stamp Fraud

WORCESTER – A Fitchburg woman was sentenced Monday in federal court to one month of home confinement and two years of probation for fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits, MassHealth and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Rhonda Bernal, 62, was also ordered to make restitution to the Social Security Administration, MassHealth, and the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance.

In December 2020, Bernal pleaded guilty to three counts of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements.

Over a period of approximately eight years, Bernal stole $71,462 in Social Security benefits, $6,444 in MassHealth benefits and $13,505 in SNAP benefits (previously known as Food Stamps), according to the charging documents.

In February 2015, Bernal falsely informed the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance that she was the only person in her household when, in fact, she was living with her husband. In addition, Bernal falsely told Social Security in April 2016 that she and a relative, who was not her husband, were the only members of her household, according to the charging documents.

Fitchburg woman arrested for allegedly attacking roommate

FITCHBURG — Apparently upset that her roommate was cooking, a city woman threatened the man with a knife before sucker punching him, according to police and court documents.

Police were called to Highland Avenue on Sunday evening on a report of a disturbance involving a woman and a knife, the reporting officer said.

When the officer arrived, he met Sheena M. Ducksworth, 33, of Highland Avenue, standing in the driveway, appearing unsteady on her feet and having an odor of alcohol when he asked her to sit down while another officer checked the apartment, the officer reported.

The officers then spoke with the victim, who told them that Ducksworth was drunk and had attacked him while he was cooking on the kitchen stove, the officer reported.

The victim said Ducksworth came into the living room holding a serrated knife and pointing it at him in a threatening manner at which time he went into the kitchen to get away from her. And once there, Ducksworth came in, began calling him names and as he was tending his dinner, she sucker punched him in the face, leaving the side of his face swollen, the officer reported, adding the knife was found and taken as evidence.

Ducksworth was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery, according to court documents.

When arraigned on Monday, Ducksworth, who pleaded not guilty, was ordered held in lieu of posting a $1,000 cash bail or $10,000 surety bond, ordered to stay away from the victim and return to court on April 16 for a pretrial hearing.

As of Wednesday, Ducksworth had not posted bail and was being held at the Western Mass Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee, according to a spokesperson at the center.

Leominster man returns to court on charge of OUI second offense related to crash

LEOMINSTER — A city man who was charged in October for OUI after losing control of his motor vehicle while racing and causing a chain reaction crash was back in court on Monday for a status hearing, according to police and court documents.

Police were called to an area at the intersection of Main and Pierce streets on Oct. 18 for a reported car crash, the reporting officer said.

When the officer arrived at the scene, she was met by James Bonilla, 42, of Cross Street, who identified himself as the driver of a Mitsubishi Lancer, which had violently crashed into a Toyota Tacoma, pushing it into Volkswagen Jetta, which in turn struck a Kia Soul, the officer reported, adding all the vehicles were unoccupied at the time of the crash.

When Bonilla was asked what happened, he told the officer he had been racing, against whom he wasn’t sure, and lost control of his vehicle just in front of 7 Pierce St. before slamming into the Tacoma, the officer reported. The officer stated that while Bonilla was steady on his feet and not slurring his speech, he had a strong odor of alcohol on him.

Bonilla was asked to get his license, which he had, and the officer saw that inside of his Lancer were several mostly empty nip bottles and an open can of an alcoholic beverage, the officer reported.

When Bonilla handed the officer his license, he said, “I know I (expletive) up,” the officer reported, including that Bonilla said he had been drinking all day.

An arriving officer stood with Bonilla while the responding officer spoke with witnesses who told her after the crash, a woman and a dog had gotten out of the Lancer and walked away, the officer reported, adding that Bonilla said she was not injured, named her, but wouldn’t elaborate.

The owners of two of the damaged vehicles by this time were outside and berating Bonilla for what had happened. He apologized to the vehicles’ owners and told them his insurance would pay for the damages, the officer reported.

He refused to submit to a field sobriety test, but said he would take the breathalyzer once back at the station, which he did and registered a .15 blood alcohol level, the officer reported, including that Bonilla had a guilty conviction for OUI in 2015.

As a result, Bonilla was charged with OUI-second offense, negligent operation, an open container violation, racing a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation, and speeding, according to court documents.

Bonilla, who pleaded not guilty, was originally arraigned on Oct. 19 and ordered held in lieu of posting a $2,500 cash bail or $25,000 surety bond, and ordered to remain drug and alcohol free, according to court documents.

Since the arraignment, Bonilla had one pretrial hearing in November, but each hearing since has been continued. He will return to court for another hearing on May 17, according to court documents.

 

Fitchburg man arrested for allegedly violating abuse prevention order

A Fitchburg man was arrested Saturday after allegedly violating a court order to stay away from a woman by calling her repeatedly and was also charged with resisting arrest, according to police and court documents.

The woman, who had an abuse prevention order against Francesco M. Gil, 25, of 129 Green St., called police on Saturday to report that he had called her on multiple times from different numbers and during one call told her he was coming to her residence, the reporting officer said.

Because Gil was headed to her residence, she and her boyfriend left, but Gil saw them driving away and while the car was still moving, jumped on it and then off, prompting the woman to call police, the officer reported.

Officers then learned Gil had allegedly gotten inside the woman’s house, possibly carrying a knife, so when the officer responded to the address, he had his gun drawn and announced himself and as he entered the residence and went to one of its bedrooms, he spotted a large knife on the bed, the officer reported.

The officer eventually located Gil, who had been hiding, and placed him in handcuffs. As he was leading Gil out of the residence, he began to resist, refusing to walk down a flight of stairs and threatening to kick officers who had arrived as backup, the officer reported, adding that Gil smashed his head against a storm door multiple times while in custody leaving him with a small wound on his forehead.

Once the officers got him into the cruiser, Gil continued to throw himself around in the cruiser and bang his head on the window, the officer reported.

As a result, Gil was charged with violation of an abuse prevention order and resisting arrest, according to court documents.

When arraigned, Gil, who pleaded not guilty, was ordered held in lieu of posting a $1,500 cash bail or $15,000 surety bond and ordered to stay away from the woman, according to court documents.

Gil has yet to post bail and remains in custody at the Worcester County House of Correction, according to a spokeswoman for the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.

FITCHBURG — After allegedly stabbing his girlfriend three times in the neck during an argument Sunday, a Boston man fled the scene and was taken into custody in Concord at the Route 2 rotary after his vehicle stopped because of three flat tires caused by stop sticks deployed by State Police, according to police and court documents.

Police were called to Leyte Road about 10 p.m. Sunday for a report of a man, later determined to be Keith Courage, 62, of 7 Frawley St., Boston, creating a disturbance, police said.

When a responding officer arrived at the residence, she saw a gray Lexus driving off at high speed down Water Street toward Leominster, the officer reported.

She then saw a man, the victim’s son, running outside the residence and when he spotted the officer he screamed: “He just stabbed my mom. She’s inside bleeding,” the officer reported.

The officer called for backup, described the car and went in the residence to check on the victim, the officer reported.

As the officer entered the apartment, he could see the victim kneeling on the living room with blood soaking the front of her shirt and more blood throughout the apartment, the officer reported.

The victim was alert and speaking, and the officer called for a ambulance and began to treat the victim’s wounds with pressure while waiting, the officer reported.

EMS arrived and stabilized the victim before taking her to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester for treatment, the officer reported.

With the victim on the way to the hospital, the officer spoke with the victim’s son who told the officer he had witnessed what happened, the officer reported.

The son said he had come to the apartment earlier in the day to help his mother do some packing because she was planning on moving the next day and that she and Courage had been drinking all day, the officer reported.

The son also said that about 9:30 p.m. he heard Courage throwing items in the kitchen and he and the victim yelling at each other. At that point, the son decided to call police as he was concerned the situation may escalate, the officer reported.

The son tried calming down Courage but suddenly he pulled out a small knife, pointed it at the son and yelled he was going to kill him, so the son started backing away and then kicked Courage to defend himself, the son told the officer.

After one of the kicks, Courage fell backwards into the victim and they began rolling around on the floor when the son jumped over them and ran to the door to open it for arriving officers and that was when Courage got up and ran out of the apartment, the officer reported. That was when the son saw his mother holding her neck and bleeding, the officer reported.

Other officers were now on the lookout for the gray Lexus and one spotted him turning onto Normandy Road then onto Water Street and speeding off with the officer chasing with his emergency lights on, but Courage didn’t stop and kept going down Water Street eventually exiting onto Route 2 eastbound, the officer reported.

During the pursuit, Courage reached speeds of at least 80 mph but the officer had to break off the chase after one of his tires went flat, the officer reported.

However, State Police caught up with Courage at the Route 2 rotary in Concord, where his Lexus was disabled by stop sticks and he was arrested and taken into custody, the officer reported.

As a result of the incident, Courage was charged with assault and battery with dangerous weapon causing serious injury, assault with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, failing to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and and marked lanes violation, according to court documents.

When arraigned on Monday, Courage was ordered held without bail after a dangerousness hearing, according to court documents.

Also in the court documents was a note that Courage spent six to seven years in prison for an armed robbery in 1992.