#Anthony D. Gulluni

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Massachusetts News: Bronx Man, Marvin Ortega Pleads Guilty To His Role in Large-Scale Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking Ring in Springfield

Massachusetts News: Bronx Man, Marvin Ortega Pleads Guilty To His Role in Large-Scale Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking Ring in Springfield

Defendant admitted his role in a drug trafficking organization responsible for fatal overdoses

BOSTON, Ms. (STL.News) – A Bronx, N.Y., man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to his role in a large-scale drug conspiracy that trafficked dozens of kilos of heroin and fentanyl into Springfield from New York City and the Dominican Republic.

Marvin Ortega, 35, pleaded guilty to…

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A group of middle school students were in court in Springfield on Tuesday morning, but they weren’t in trouble.

Instead, they were learning how the court system works from Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni himself!

Students from Kiley Middle School in Springfield started their day by meeting and learning from a prosecutor, judge, and many other professionals at the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse.

Then they were able to see first-hand how the legal system works by touring the building.

“It introduces them to these careers that they might not consider as they go through school at this very early age, ‘Maybe I want to strive to be a lawyer. Maybe I want to strive to be a court officer at one point,'” D.A. Gulluni told 22News.

Gulluni adopts many classrooms from schools across Hampden County with the hope of inspiring students to dream big and work hard.

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WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The crime of human trafficking is increasing in Massachusetts.

Over the last year, police have been seeing more cases of human trafficking.

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni led a panel at Westfield State University Wednesday, to talk about human trafficking in western Massachusetts.

“I didn’t realize how common it was,” Amanda Fountain of Westfield told 22News. “When people think of human trafficking they think it’s mostly women, but it is men too.”

Massachusetts has seen instances of both sex trafficking and labor trafficking, with arrests being made at several massage parlors in western Massachusetts in the last year.

DA Gulluni is part of the western Massachusetts Human Trafficking Task Force, which brings together local, state and federal law enforcement to fight human trafficking. The task force was formed in 2016.

Gulluni said there are many misconceptions surrounding human trafficking, and educating people is an important step to stop it.

“It doesn’t have to be a large very sophisticated criminal organization, and I think that’s what we’re seeing, where it can even be one on one where there is the person doing the trafficking and the person being victimized,” DA Gulluni told 22News.

The western Massachusetts Human Trafficking Task Force is a joint effort involving the Hampden County D.A., the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Attorney General Maura Healey.

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Hampden jury has found a Springfield man guilty of second degree murder, Thursday.

The Hampden County District Attorney’s Office said Jorge Concepcion-Pesquera was found guilty for the murder of Larry Santiago in 2016.

The incident happened in Ludlow in the parking lot outside of the Open Door Café.

Springfield man convicted of fatal shooting outside bar

“My sympathy continues to be with Mr. Santiago’s family as they deal with this tragic loss,” Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni stated in a news release. “I would like to thank the Ludlow Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to my office, and Chief Trial Counsel Eduardo Velazquez for diligence and great work in seeing this case to a conviction and a just result.”

Colon-Pesquera will be sentenced Friday at 11 a.m.

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Springfield man was sentenced up to 17 years in state prison after being found guilty of rape, Friday.

The Hampden District Attorney’s Office said on Monday that 45-year-old Carlos Rivera, was convicted of two counts of rape of a child.

The verdict came after a testimony by Rivera’s stepson describing sexual abuse spanning ten years from 1999 to 2009, in the family homes in Holyoke, when the victim would have been age six through sixteen.

“This verdict is the result of the brave testimony delivered by the survivor of this awful abuse,” Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni stated in a news release. “My office’s Special Victims Unit works very hard to empower victims of abuse to help us secure justice.”

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno says he is authorizing the city’s police commissioner and chief financial officer to “do whatever needs to be done” to reduce street gang violence in the city.

The mayor released a statement to 22News Thursday morning, in which he says he is authorizing a “full frontal attack on street gangs.”

The announcement comes after multiple violent incidents in the past several days. Two people were killed in separate shootings in the city over the weekend. In one of those shootings, a second victim was seriously injured and a third suffered a minor wound. Violence continued into the early portion of the work week, with a 21 year-old man being wounded in a shooting on Burr Street Tuesday night.

“Even though overall crime is down 19% under the leadership of Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri, a continued cancer to urban America is street gang violence,” Sarno said. “I have authorized Commissioner Barbieri and CAFO TJ Plante to do whatever needs to be done to quell and eradicate this uptick in gang hot spot areas ASAP. Included in this continued cooperation and use of our State Police, ATF, DEA, and FBI task forces, working hand in hand with our SPD. As always, we deeply appreciate and need our public’s support and cooperation.”

Sarno added that he is continuing to push for bail reforms being advanced by Rep. Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield) and District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, which the mayor says will keep violent repeat offenders off the streets.

“As you will find, with arrests made or to be made, there are repeat violent offenders, who, are again let go by our judicial system,” Sarno said.

There have been seven homicides so far in 2017 in the city of Springfield. There were 12 homicides in the city last year, and 18 in 2015.

Recent crime in Springfield

One dead after overnight shooting on Worthington Street

Three shot, one dead outside club on State St. in Springfield

Two men arrested in connection with Springfield shooting

Burr Street residents in fear following recent shootings

Springfield, MA homicides, 2017

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – If you want to get marijuana from someone in Massachusetts, you don't have to look very hard.

Maybe you've seen the websites. The 22News I-Team found one website that offers a gift of marijuana with the purchase of a $175 t-shirt, and a Craigslist ad that offers weed in exchange for a $90 empty sandwich bag.

Attorney Adam Fine, who helped write the law, told the I-Team that the marijuana gifts these websites are offering was not the intent of it. However, we discovered there’s a giant loophole in the law that may have turned the legalization of recreational pot into a goldmine for potential drug dealers.

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said he’s well aware of that provision; “There's a provision in the law around the legalization where without an exchange of money, it allows for the gifting of marijuana to a certain amount.”

Gulluni also said what these websites are doing is not legal; “They're misinterpreting the law, and trying to exercise what they would consider a loophole in that "gift" aspect of the new law, which I think is very clearly illegal.”

Continuing Coverage: Marijuana News

According to the provision, it’s legal for adults, "To give away or transfer without remuneration up to one ounce of marijuana…to a person 21-years of age or older, as long as the transfer is not advertised or promoted to the public."

The founder of the website that gives away marijuana for expensive t-shirts declined our request for an on-camera interview. Despite the fact they have a public website, they cited the section of the law that bans marijuana transfers from being promoted or advertised to the public, as the reason for not being able to do the interview.

The founder of the website sent the I-Team a statement instead, which reads in part:

We intend to follow the letter of the law. As you know the new Massachusetts marijuana law currently allows for giving a gift of up to one ounce of marijuana to a person over 21, with conditions.

The marijuana gifts these entrepreneurs are offering haven’t been challenged by prosecutors, and the gifting provision in the law hasn't been changed by lawmakers.

Residents will not be able to legally buy marijuana or marijuana seeds in Massachusetts until 2018, but if you happen to have it, no one can question you.

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The 22News I-Team asked Senate President Stan Rosenberg whether lawmakers and law enforcement are simply turning a blind eye. He replied, “That's a reasonable way to describe it. It's a kind of, looking the other way.”

The I-Team also asked Rosenberg whether the legislature will address the issue of people giving away “marijuana gifts” with the purchase of a product. He said he doesn’t think that’ll be addressed in the short run.

The Senate President also told the I-Team the state went through a similar issue with medical marijuana. He said residents could obtain medical cards shortly after the law passed in 2012, but the first medical marijuana dispensary didn't open until 2015.

Rosenberg said he believes recreational “marijuana gifts” will no longer be a problem once retail pot shops open in 2018.

Gulluni told the I-Team he doesn’t think the problem will be resolved until it eventually ends up in court.

To read the state's recreational marijuana law, Click Here.

Here’s what adults 21+ can do:

Possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana outside of home.

Possess up to 10 ounces of pot in home.

Transfer up to an ounce of pot to another adult, without the exchange of money, and without being advertised or promoted to the public.

Cultivate up to 6 marijuana plants in home, per individual, or up to 12 plants per household if more than one adult live there

Here’s what adults 21+ cannot do:

Sell Marijuana without a retail license.

Drive under the influence of marijuana.

Have open containers of marijuana in your car, unless it’s in the trunk or a glove compartment.

Cannot grow marijuana plants if they can be seen from the street or any public area.

Cannot bring marijuana across state lines or send it in the mail.

Possess, purchase, grow or smoke marijuana if under the age of 21.

Give marijuana to someone under the age of 21.

Smoke marijuana in a public

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Holyoke, Mass (WWLP) – Three men were arrested in Holyoke over the weekend after an investigation into an unarmed robbery on High Street.

According to Jim Leydon of the Hampden District Attorney’s Office, Holyoke Police and Fire were called to 591 High Street on February 8th, around 7:51 p.m., to investigate a report of an unconscious man lying on the ground.

The victim was later brought to Baystate Medical Center with serious injuries. Leydon said the victim’s condition appeared to be a medical issue, but police discovered that he had allegedly been robbed. He is currently in critical condition.

With the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit, Holyoke Police were able to identify the alleged suspects involved in the robbery. Then, on February 11th, Leydon said State and Holyoke detectives served an arrested warrant at 123 Cabot Street in Holyoke and arrested three men.

Leydon said the detectives arrested 22-year-old Julian Rivera, 31-year-old Roberto Rivera, both of Holyoke, and 32-year-old Edwin Rivera of Mars Hill, North Carolina. The men, who are brothers, were charged with Assault and Battery Causing Serious Bodily Injury and Unarmed Robbery. Edwin was also charged with Intimidating a Witness.

All three were held on $25,000 cash bail at the Holyoke Police Department, Leydon said.

District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni stated, “I would like to thank the Holyoke Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to my office for their quick action and hard work that led to these arrests. I and my office’s Murder and Major Felonies Unit are working together with detectives towards a successful prosecution and justice for the victim.”

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HOLYOKE — Holyoke Mall has partnered with Hampden County District Attorney, Anthony Gulluni and the West Springfield CARE Coalition to bring ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ to the shopping center.

‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ is an interactive exhibit that can help to educate parents on the signs that could potentially indicate substance abuse among their children through a display of a mock teen bedroom.  Many of the items are commonly found in some teen bedrooms but could also have a double meaning, and can be used to hide or mask the use of drugs.

“A major element in battling this disease is working collectively in the area of prevention and education,” said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. “The Hampden County Addiction Taskforce is proud to partner with all involved in sponsoring this display and working to end the stigma of addiction through constructive discussion and outreach.”

The display will be open during mall hours until Feb. 28, and will be located on the lower level in Sears Court.  Holyoke Mall’s General Manager, Bill Rogalski shared, “Given the tragic impact the opioid epidemic is having on our community, we naturally agreed when the West Springfield CARE Coalition approached us to host the event.”

Visitors to the display can pick up a flyer provided by the West Springfield CARE Coalition and tour the exhibit to see which everyday items could have a hidden, double use. The goal of the exhibit is to bring awareness to the opioid epidemic, help prevent drug use, educate parents and youth to recognize the signs of drug use, and help erase the stigma attached to the disease of addiction. In addition to the exhibit, there will be information about resources available for those who need to seek help.

Mercy Behavioral Health Care’s Robert Roose, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Addiction and Recovery Services said of the initiative, “in addition to providing access to high-quality treatment, a comprehensive strategy addressing substance use in our community must have a strong focus on prevention and early intervention.

“Providing education, and real-life scenarios like those in ‘Hidden in Plain Sight,’ which help individuals and families understand addiction and identify when someone is at risk, can be an incredibly valuable tool in this fight and improve countless lives,” he went on. “As a leading provider of substance use disorder treatment in our community, Mercy Behavioral Health is proud to partner with Hampden County District Attorney’s Office and Holyoke Mall at Ingleside to provide this innovative program to engage and educate our community and be a resource to individuals in need of care.”

Other shopping centers around the country have also hosted similar ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ displays, including Hanover Mall and Natick Mall in Massachusetts.  The display will be staffed by volunteers from the Hampden County Addiction Taskforce at scheduled times on Saturdays and Sundays through the 28th as well as weekdays during school vacation from Feb. 20-24. For more information on scheduling, visit www.holyokemall.com.

The post Holyoke Mall Hosts “Hidden in Plain Sight” appeared first on BusinessWest.

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield Police are still investigating the deadly crash that happened on Union Street, Tuesday night.

According to Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney, a 20-year-old man and 17-year-old girl, who were in a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee that crashed into a large tree on Tuesday, are still in critical condition at Baystate Medical Center. The three other people who were in the vehicle, a teen boy and two teen girls, have died.

Before the crash happened around 8:12 p.m. Tuesday, Massachusetts State Police saw the Jeep Cherokee driving at high speeds, but they did not follow. Sgt. Delaney said the Jeep was reportedly going about 60 miles per hour down Union Street, and near the intersection at Maple Street, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the tree.

3 dead, 2 critically hurt in Springfield SUV crash; vehicle had been stolen

Sgt. Delaney said the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was reported stolen from Milford, Connecticut on January 14, 2017.

The investigation is being directed by Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni’s Office with the Massachusetts State Police and the Springfield Police Department.

The names of the victims will not be released until the families have been notified.

22News will continue to cover this story and bring you the latest information, on-air and on WWLP.com, when it becomes available.

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