Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

A Brockton woman and a Fall River man face Massachusetts criminal charges of receiving stolen property and conspiracy to commit a crime in connection with a shoplifting scam that used fake receipts, the Brockton Enterprise reported.

Police say Natalie Tanya Reyes, 19, of 23 Marion Ave., Brockton, and Andre K. Samuel, 27, of 119 Wade St., Fall River, made fake receipts with a printer rigged up to a car cigarette lighter. The receiving stolen property charge alleges a value greater than $250. Under Massachusetts law, the charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. A value under $250 is punishable by up to 2 1/2 years in prison.

The two were arrested during a traffic stop on westbound Route 9 at the Natick Collection. Samuel reportedly told officers his license was suspended; he was arrested after police determined the car was rented and he did not have permission to drive it.

During the arrest, officers found $330 worth of clothing from a children's store. Police also found a home printer, copier and scanner powered by an adapter that plugged into a car cigarette lighter, along with a blank roll of register receipts. In this case, a Framingham defense lawyer will likely take a close look at the probable cause for the traffic stop, as well as the search of the vehicle. If it can be proven that the search of the vehicle was improper, the evidence would not be permitted to be used in court against the defendants.

Police contend the pair shoplifted items, or obtained them with fraudulent store credit, created receipts and returned them for cash.

Reyes also was charged with uttering a false document and larceny of less than $250. Police report she had an outstanding warrant issued through Quincy District Court , charging her with larceny of more than $250 and receiving stolen property worth less than $250.

Samuel was also charged with driving without a license and using a vehicle without authority.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty in Framingham District Court on Monday and were released without bail. They are due back in court for a pretrial conference on July 8.

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The owner of a closed Quincy massage school is facing Massachusetts larceny charges after two former students accused her of taking tuition money after the state had suspended the school's license last June, the Patriot Ledger reported.

Elizabeth Hunter-Vasco, owner of the John Winsolow Institute School of Massage on Hancock Street, has pleaded not guilty in Quincy District Court to two charges of larceny over $250. A lawyer representing eight other former students said he is considering pressing charges.

The charges stem from criminal complaints filed by two former students, who claim they were denied massage therapy licenses after completing classes because the school's license to teach the certification courses had been suspended. The owner has applied for a new license and was released from court on personal recognizance. She is due back in court on May 26.

Her attorney said his client "looks forward to defending herself." He said no criminal acts were committed and that the owner has no income because her business has been ruined. Twenty-six students were enrolled in the school when it abruptly closed in January. The students have not received tuition refunds, according to the Patriot Ledger. Others, who bought gift certificates for tuition to the school, have also lost their money.

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A Mansfield man is facing Massachusetts car theft charges in Attleboro District Court, after police say he was driving a stolen car over the weekend to confront a man with his ex-girlfriend, according to The Sun Chronicle.

A Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer should represent anyone facing serious traffic or criminal charges in Attleboro District Court, including Attleboro drunk driving charges, theft charges and Massachusetts drug charges.

Police say the man was already out on court supervision and wearing a GPS bracelet for another criminal case accusing him of assaulting a police officer after a high-speed chase.

The defendant was ordered held in jail on $50,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty earlier this week in Attleboro District Court. Police say the man stole a car from a Citgo gas station at South Common and was stopped by a patrolman a few miles away on route 106.

Police reported finding a double-edge knife and a small folding knife in his possession. The defendant allegedly told police he was on his way to confront a man with his ex-girlfriend after getting into an argument on the phone.

It is unclear whether he could face probation violations after being placed on supervision as a result of the 2008 case for assaulting an officer. The defendant faces charges of receiving a stolen motor vehicle, using a motor vehicle without authority, driving with a revoked license because he is a habitual traffic offender and carrying a dangerous weapon.

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A Mansfield man pleaded not guilty to charges of embezzlement from his employer, Marlborough's Marriot Residence Inn. Timothy Thursby was arrested on February 4th on a single charge of larceny over $250 by single scheme and falsifying and/or omitting entries in the hotel's record books.

Police allege that Thursby embezzled $80,000 from the hotel by issuing false credits to different customers from the hotel, and then crediting the money to his own debit account. According to court records, the hotel's front-office manager found more than 30 credits to the care totaling more than $60,000. After a search warranted was issued to investigate Thursby's bank records, police detectives found over 70 credits had been charged to the card since March 2008, totaling about $80,000.

Typically larceny charges are divided into two categories. Larceny under $250.00 and larceny over $250.00.

A larceny charge under $250.00 is considered a misdemeanor offense, but can have serious consequences. Larceny over $ 250.00 is a felony offense.

Continue reading "Bristol County Man Charged With Embezzlement in Massachusetts" »

Police arrested a Hingham man Friday whom they suspect of committing scores of burglaries across the region, according to the Brockton Enterprise.

Anyone facing burglary, breaking and entering, or other property or theft crimes in Quincy District Court or Newburyport District Court should seek an experienced Massachusetts defense attorney to fight the charges. In this case, the defendant is also facing a host of bail and probation violations that will require the knowledge and experience of a qualified Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer.

Newbury police stopped the man at about 1:40 a.m. Friday; he was driving a minivan that had been reported stolen. The six counts Newbury police filed against him bring the crimes he is accused of committing to 68.

The defendant has been under investigation for months; a Quincy District Court judge let the 50-year-old defendant out of jail in December, according to the Enterprise.

The judge ordered the man back to jail in December but he reportedly fled instead. The defendant has almost 50 criminal convictions dating back to 1978 and has been in and out of prison for most of his adult life.

He was arraigned Friday in Newburyport District Court, where is bail was revoked and he was ordered held for 60 days. He is incarcerated in the Essex County jail. He pleaded not guilty to charges of larceny of a motor vehicle, larceny, felony breaking and entering into a vehicle at night, driving with a suspended license and marked lane violations.

Police call him a career criminal who has hit houses and vehicles from Plymouth to Quincy and beyond. Charges among 43 arrest warrants obtained by Marshfield police include a charge accusing him of being a common and notorious thief, which carries a 20-year sentence. He also faces 19 charges by Norwell police, including breaking and entering at night and identity fraud.

Police reportedly found a storage unit in Hingham filled with what they believe is stolen evidence from home and vehicle break ins across the region, including Christmas presents.

Continue reading "Hingham, Massachusetts man faces dozens of theft charges in Quincy District Court" »

A Westborough, Massachusetts man, Rodrigo Silva, faces four charges, including two charges of motor vehicle larceny after being arrested by the Northborough police.

It appears that in addition to pending charges in Westborough district court, that according to the Metro West Daily News, that Silva has additional charges pending against him, which the news report states is a subsequent offense of larceny of a motor vehicle.

A charge of larceny of a motor vehicle is a felony offense that carries with it a potential sentence of 15 years if the Commonwealth seeks an indictment or 2.5 years if the charge remains in the district court. A conviction of a subsequent offense charge of larceny of a motor vehicle carries a mandatory minimum one year jail sentence.

In many charges involving motor vehicle larceny, a Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer will attempt to prove that the defendant did not possess the motor vehicle but was merely present in the vehicle as a passenger. Massachusetts criminal law provides that a mere presence in a stolen vehicle is insufficient to prove possession. The Commonwealth would have to prove other factors showing possession of the motor vehicle. Additionally, other defenses a Massachusetts criminal defense attorney would pursue would be to attempt to have the prosecutor reduce the charge from a felony offense to a lesser misdemeanor offense of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

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Two Attleboro, Massachusetts teens face charges of vandalism in the Attleboro District Court. Brandon Simison is alleged to have attempted to break into a car at the North Attleboro Teen Center and vandalize the air condition cover. The Attleboro teen was also charged with attempted breaking and entering into a motor vehicle. According to the news account, the teen ran from the car along with another individual when the owner came out.

As a Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer, a charge of attempt requires the Commonwealth to prove that the defendant committed an overt act toward committing the criminal offense. Essentially, the Commonwealth is requires to prove that the defendant had a specific intent to commit the crime of attempted burglary, that the defendant took an overt act toward committing the crime, which was part of carrying out the particular crime and came reasonably close to committing the crime.

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