A New Hampshire man who pleaded guilty to a charge tied to a plot to extort Harvard University for bitcoin by making bomb threats was sentenced Thursday.
William Giordani, 55, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested last year on charges includi…
Massachusetts
Man who tried to exorcise his father’s ‘demon’ as a teenager convicted of involuntary manslaughter
A Massachusetts man who was 19 years old when he drowned his father in a Duxbury pond has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Jack Callahan, now 22, told police in 2021 that he tried to exorcise a “demon” from his father, 57-yea…
Man fatally shot in Lawrence, suspected gunman arrested
A man was fatally shot in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Wednesday night and his suspected killer was arrested, authorities said.
Jason Rivera was charged with murder and is being held without bail, the Essex District Attorney’s Office and Lawrence…
Ex-Burlington firefighter gets probation in animal cruelty case
A former Massachusetts firefighter who ran a dog training and boarding facility in South Boston where he allegedly abused animals will be on probation for two years after pleading in the case, prosecutors said Thursday.
Tyler Falconer, who used to own Falco K9, on Wednesday pleaded to a continuance without a finding on two count of animal cruelty by a custodian, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. A judge sentenced him to two years of probation and ordered that he not own any animals or operate any business involving animals for three years.
Falconer was initially charged with three counts of animal cruelty by a custodian and three counts of improperly tethering or confining an animal. After he was charged, Burlington town officials announced that Falconer had been placed on paid leave from the Burlington Fire Department; he later resigned.
Prosecutors said the alleged offenses involved three dogs boarded on various dates at Falco K9 that each lost significant amounts of weight or were injured. One dog allegedly lost 20 lbs.; another allegedly suffered a foot wound requiring medical attention.
“All animals, especially pets at a facility specialized to board and shelter them, should be treated with care. Pets bring so much happiness to those in their lives. Boarding pets can be stressful, and owners deserve to know that their pets are being treated compassionately,” Hayden said in a statement Thursday.
Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden pays $5,000 fine for ethics violation during 2022 primary
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden paid a $5,000 civil fine for violating conflict of interest laws during the 2022 Democratic primary election, according to the State Ethics Commission.
The violation concerns the Democratic primary for the Suffolk County District Attorney race, which Hayden won over then-Boston city councilor Felix Arroyo. In August 2022, during the height of the race, a newspaper article resurfaced allegations against Arroyo in a 2005 sexual assault investigation. It set off a firestorm of criticism and prompted back-and-forth release of documents as Arroyo attempted to defend himself as he lost endorsements. It’s worth noting that the case was ruled unfounded.
Just days before the primary, on Sept. 2, 2022, Hayden’s office issued a statement that his office had reviewed the files in the case, and that “nothing in the file suggests the allegations were unfounded,” and that “the campaign to sabotage the victim’s credibility is shameful.”
That statement is what concerned the Ethics Commission, which said that Hayden knew his staff intended to release that statement and took no action to stop it. He also made no effort to withdraw the statement after the fact.
“By these failures to act, Hayden knowingly or with reason to know used his official position as Suffolk District Attorney to secure for himself the unwarranted privilege of using valuable public resources for his own personal political advantage and violated the conflict of interest law,” the Commission said in a media release.
Hayden went on to win the primary and the overall election for his position. He has paid the fine and signed an agreement admitting to the violation, and waiving his right to a hearing.
Boston bouncer who allegedly killed Marine vet in 2022 expected to plead guilty
The Boston bouncer who allegedly stabbed a 23-year-old Marine veteran to death in March of 2022 is expected to plead guilty in Suffolk Superior Court Thursday morning, according to county prosecutors.
Alvaro Omar Larrama, who was a bouncer at the former Sons of Boston bar on Union Street near Faneuil Hall, was charged with murder in the killing of Daniel Martinez. Martinez was from the Chicago area.
The incident happened on March 19, 2022. Prosecutors at the time said that Martinez was waiting in line with a friend just before 7 p.m., when words were exchanged between Larrama and Martinez. Investigators learned that Larrama denied Martinez and his friend entry to the bar.
Prosecutors said that the pair began walking away, and was pursued by Larrama. Larrama allegedly stabbed Martinez in the chest during the incident. Martinez was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The bouncer, an East Boston resident, turned himself in two days later.
Sons of Boston had its liquor license suspended in April of 2022. A former manager and partial owner pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in November 2023.
The bar’s ownership was preparing to reopen under the name Loyal Nine, the Boston Globe reported last year, which has since opened its doors.
