No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds
No Jail Time For Ex-Mass. Officer Who Punched Handcuffed Man 13 Times: Feds A former Weymouth police officer who was caught on video camera beating a handcuffed suspect will not serve any jail time, federal authorities said.  Justin Chappell, 43, was sentenced to two years of supervised release, with the first six months to be spent under house arrest, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said on Tuesday, July 16. He must also complete 40 hours of community service each year of his supervised release.  Chappell pleaded guilty in May to a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law, the prosecutor said.  The assault happened on July 2,…
Ex-Boston Prosecutor Gets 5-10 Years For 2021 Rape; Victim Says Her Life Full Of Fear, Paranoia Ex-Boston Prosecutor Gets 5-10 Years For 2021 Rape; Victim Says Her Life Full Of Fear, Paranoia
Ex-Boston Prosecutor Gets 5-10 Years For 2021 Rape; Victim Says Her Life Full Of Fear, Paranoia Gary Zerola, a well-known Boston defense attorney who served as a former prosecutor in Suffolk and Essex counties, was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of 2021 rape, authorities said.  Zerola, 52, of Salem, was found guilty last month after prosecutors said he broke into a 21-year-old woman's home in the middle of the night and sexually assaulted her.  He had been accused and acquitted of several rapes in 2008, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said.  Zerola's victim submitted a letter to the court explaining how her life has chang…
Springfield School Security Guard An Alleged Gun Trafficker; DA Blasts Judge's Bail Ruling Springfield School Security Guard An Alleged Gun Trafficker; DA Blasts Judge's Bail Ruling
Springfield School Security Guard An Alleged Gun Trafficker; DA Blasts Judge's Bail Ruling The Hampden District Attorney slammed a judge's decision to set the bail for an alleged gun trafficker at just $10,000 after prosecutors had asked for $50,000.  Pablo Correa, 44, was arrested on July 2 and charged with six counts of carrying a firearm and ammunition without a license, five counts of possession of a large capacity firearm or feeding device, and two counts of defacing a serial number on a firearm, the district attorney's office said.  Correa serves as a security guard at the Springfield High School of Science and Technology, where he's worked since 2021. He was plac…
'Barbaric Attack': 2 Men Who Burned Victim During Springfield Home Invasion Sentenced 'Barbaric Attack': 2 Men Who Burned Victim During Springfield Home Invasion Sentenced
'Barbaric Attack': 2 Men Who Burned Victim During Springfield Home Invasion Sentenced Two men found guilty of torturing and permanently disfiguring a Springfield man during a 2019 home invasion were sentenced to decades in prison on Thursday, June 27, authorities said.  Paul Gayle, 30, and Malik Erskine, 24, both of Springfield, were found guilty of multiple violent felonies in the "barbaric attack," Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. Markendall Johnson, now 21, who was charged as a youthful offender because of his age on the day of the robbery, was also convicted in the case. Gayle was sentenced to 35 to 40 years in state prison, and a judge gave …
Western Mass Man With History Of Sending Explicit Messages To Children Gets 5 Years In Prison Western Mass Man With History Of Sending Explicit Messages To Children Gets 5 Years In Prison
Western Mass Man With History Of Sending Explicit Messages To Children Gets 5 Years In Prison A Berkshire County man with a history of sexually exploiting children has admitted to filming an 11-year-old in the nude on a social media app, authorities said.  Tom Nelson, 38, of Williamstown, pleaded guilty to posing/exhibiting a child in the nude, posing/exhibiting a child in a sexual act, and dissemination of matter harmful to minors — his second offense, the Berkshire County. District Attorney said.  The prosecutor requested a 10-year prison sentence for the three charges, but the judge sentenced him to 5 years behind bars.  Berkshire County DA Timothy J. Shugrue…
Springfield Officer Shot In Head May Lose Vision In 1 Eye: Police Springfield Officer Shot In Head May Lose Vision In 1 Eye: Police
Springfield Officer Shot In Head May Lose Vision In 1 Eye: Police An off-duty Springfield officer who was shot in the head and leg as he drove to work Wednesday night, June 6, may lose vision in an eye as a result of the attack.  Officer Nestor Santos was identified as the person who was seriously injured as he was attacked while sitting in his unmarked police car in the 600 block of State Street, Springfield police authorities said.  Related: 7 Arrested After Police Say They Fired At Officers, Sending 1 To ER His squad supervisor and another police officer rushed him to Baystate Medical Center, and he was later airlifted to a Boston hospital f…
'More Playtime': Rex Heuermann Used 'Planning Document' To Guide Gilgo Beach Murders, DA Says 'More Playtime': Rex Heuermann Used 'Planning Document' To Guide Gilgo Beach Murders, DA Says
'More Playtime': Rex Heuermann Used 'Planning Document' To Guide Gilgo Beach Murders, DA Says New details are shedding light on the lengths that accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann went to in hopes of getting away with his alleged murder spree. The 60-year-old Long Island resident, of Massapequa Park, was arraigned on two more charges of second-degree murder in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, June 6, in the killings of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla. Heuermann was previously charged with the murders of four Gilgo Beach victims: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Earlier Report: Gilgo Beach Murders: Suspect …
New York Man Busted Driving To See Western Mass Child He Met Online: DA New York Man Busted Driving To See Western Mass Child He Met Online: DA
New York Man Busted Driving To See Western Mass Child He Met Online: DA A 62-year-old New York man was arrested on Thursday, May 30, in Berkshire County as he was on his way to meet a teenager he was speaking with online, authorities said.  David Stypa was charged with two counts of disseminating obscene material to a minor and attempting to commit a crime, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said. He was ordered held on a $100,000 bond.  Investigators said Stypa was speaking with the Pittsfield teen — who was younger than 16 — on multiple platforms.  Police are still investigating. The district attorney's office did not release any …
'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison 'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison
'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison A 51-year-old former Athol man who pleaded guilty to raping multiple children and forcing them to make child pornography will spend at least 25 years behind bars, authorities announced.  Jose A. Oquendo pleaded guilty to 27 charges — including rape and sexual assault — on Thursday, May 30, the Northwestern District Attorney said. He was accused of abusing three children for years.  Franklin Superior Court Judge David Hodge called the Oquendo's abuse "horrific" and commended the victims for standing up in court against their abuser.  He said the sentence of 25 to 30…