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Pittsfield Teen Accosted On Elm Street

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police are looking for a man who accosted a 17-year-old girl on Elm Street on Monday afternoon.
 
Police say the teenager was approached by the suspect shortly after 2 p.m. in the area on Elm between Ontario Street and Elmhurst Avenue. The girl was not injured.
 
Police are looking for a man described at being white with brown hair, in his late 20s, having a medium build, standing between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-8 and being either slightly bald or having or crew cut. He was wearing a blue hooded sweat shirt and tan colored pants. He was last seen running onto Putnam Avenue.
 
Anyone who witnessed it or has information is asked to contact the detective bureau at 413-448-9705 or tips can be made anonymously through the drug tips hotline at 413-448-9708 or texting PITTIP and the message to 847411.
     

Pittsfield Man Pleads Guilty to MassHealth Fraud

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Pittsfield man has pleaded guilty and been sentenced in connection with making duplicative claims for personal care services, resulting in an overpayment of approximately $82,000 in funds from the state's Medicaid Program (MassHealth), $46,500 of which was paid directly to him, Attorney General Maura Healey announced on Monday.

Frederick Phillips, 56, pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to charges of Medicaid fraud and larceny more than $250 by false pretenses.

"This defendant defrauded a system that provides vital health-care services to people with chronic or long-term disabilities," Healey said in a statement. "He took advantage of his role as caretaker for his brother to steal taxpayer dollars and divert critical resources from people in need."

After the plea was entered, Superior Court Judge John Agostini sentenced Phillips to two years in the Berkshire County House of Corrections, suspended for a probationary period of three years. During the that period, Phillips must refrain from illegal drug use, enter substance abuse counseling, and is prohibited from being a MassHealth provider.

The attorney general's investigation revealed that between March 2011 and November 2013, Phillips submitted fraudulent information to MassHealth's Adult Foster Care Program. Phillips, the AFC caretaker for his brother, billed MassHealth for AFC services knowing that his brother was receiving duplicative Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Program services at the same time.

MassHealth funds both programs, allowing members with chronic or long-term disabilities to live independently and remain in their communities. In both programs, caretakers assist with daily living activities such as taking medications, dressing, going to the bathroom and bathing. Under AFC regulation, MassHealth will not pay for AFC services if a member is receiving PCA services at the same time.

A Berkshire County Grand Jury returned indictments against Phillips in February 2016.

This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Evelyn Y. Tang of AG Healey's Medicaid Fraud Division and investigated by Investigators April Waterhouse and Michael Russo, also of the Medicaid Fraud Division. The Boston office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General assisted with the investigation.

     

Teen in Critical Condition Following Pittsfield Shooting

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A 17-year-old is in critical condition following a Friday night shooting.
 
Police did not identify the male victim but said officers responded to shots being fired in the area of 391 North St. - the address of Methuselah Bar and Lounge - Friday night at 11:28 p.m. Upon arrival, police found the victim with a single gunshot wound to the torso.
 
The 17-year-old is believed to in be stable but critical condition, police said Monday.
 
The shooting is being investigated by the detective bureau, along with assistance form crime scene services and the drug unit. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 413-448-9700 or through the drug tips hotline - 413-448-9708 - or texting 847411.
     

North Adams Apartment Fire Forces Out Five Families

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — At least 20 people were forced from their apartments on Wednesday afternoon after a fire broke out in the attic above one of the units.

The report of a fire in one of the rear units in the six-apartment building on Crossey Place came in before 3 p.m. The call came into dispatch from a resident in the apartment who said her walls were warm and "turning black."

"There was a report of the walls turning black and paint bubbling on the walls, said Fire Chief Stephen Meranti. "We did indeed find the wall turning black and the paint bubbling."

An all-call was put out to bring in off-duty firefighters; three engines including the ladder truck were at the scene along with police, North Adams Ambulance Service and Animal Control.

"When we came down the street, smoke was coming out of the eaves all along the whole building, so that's when I initially called for an all-call," said acting Lt. Stefan Lamarre, who arrived with D group. Meranti had already called for A group to get them rolling. "Luckily there wasn't much of a fire load up there so it didn't spread. It could have been a heck of a lot worse."

The attic bay on the long two-story building is open all the way through, which could have led to a much worse fire, Meranti said.

"It appears to be knob and tube wiring in the attic with insulation blown around it," he said, which did not allow for heat from the wires to dissipate, plus a cabinet was on top of that section of the attic floor. "It heated up in the joist space and extended through several bays and dropped down."

The key to containing the fire was the speed at which the first group got in, located it and got a line on it, Meranti said. "It was good work by the guys that initially hit this."

Police Sgt. James Burdick said one of the hydrants near the structure didn't work and would be addressed to the city but everything else went smoothly. No one was injured and River Street was blocked between Houghton and Brown.

"We had people on scene in less than a minute," he said.

Meranti said everyone works together as a team.

The occupants, numbering between 20 and 25, were quickly evacuated from the structure but found themselves standing in the snow in frigid temperatures. Porches Inn opened up its lobby to keep them warm until the Red Cross could arrive and situate them for the night. Building owner Michael Deep also arrived to speak with his tenants. 

The damage appeared to be contained to the back two units, which suffered fire, smoke and water damage. The back units cannot be occupied until the electrical repairs and some structural work is completed. The rest of the apartments escaped damage but the power was shut off.

"They do have an electrician on site and he's going to try to get power so no one loses their Thanksgiving food that's in the freezers," Meranti said. "We're trying to get everything back on so they can get back in for Thanksgiving. That's our goal."

     

Superior Court Briefs: Nov. 7 - Nov. 9

Staff Reports
Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Monday, Nov. 7.
 
Israel Delgado, 43, of Melville, N.J. pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to violate drug laws, to wit possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
 
He was ordered to pay a $500 fine. The charge stems from an incident in Great Barrington on February 20, 1998. 
 
A single count in trafficking in cocaine was dismissed by the state.
 
Nathan Tatro, 43, of North Adams pleaded guilty to three counts of assault and battery on a family or household member, two counts of strangulation or suffocation, and a single count of malicious damage to a motor vehicle in connection with incident in North Adams involving a 41-year-old woman between December 8, 2014 and May 17, 2015.
 
He pleaded guilty to a single count of intimidation of a witness in connection with an incident in North Adams between February 22, 2016 and March 13, 2016.
 
Tatro was ordered to serve 269 days at the Berkshire County House of Correction on the assault and battery charge and given two year's probation on the other charges. 
 
Two additional counts of intimidation of a witness and a single count of kidnapping were dismissed by the state.
 
Debra Davis, 42, of Great Barrington had not guilty pleas entered on her behalf on two counts of failing to report abuse of a disabled person, and single counts of accessory after the fact to wit, assault and battery on a disabled person, and misleading a police officer.
 
She was released on personal recognizance. The incidents allegedly occurred while Davis was employed by Eagleton School between November 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.
 
Stephen Hyland, 32, of Otis had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of rape of a child with force, intimidation of a witness, and open and gross lewdness.
 
He was released on $1,500 bail. The incidents allegedly occurred in Otis between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 and involved a five-year-old girl.
 
Tamara Marie Morgan, 31, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on her behalf on single counts of misleading a police officer, and possession of morphine with intent to distribute.
 
She was released on $1,000 bail. Morgan allegedly misled police officers between August 2, 106 and August 3, 2016 and was in possession of morphine with the intent to sell it on August 24, 2016.
 
Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
 
Gregory Parslow Jr., 30, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of buprenorphine.
 
He was ordered to serve two and a half years at the Berkshire County House of Correction on the possession of heroin charge and concurrent time on the other. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop and the execution of a search warrant at his home on October 9, 2015. 
 
A single count of conspiracy to violate drug laws was dismissed by the state.
 
Lawrence Murray, 33, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of failure to file a report of child abuse as a mandated reporter, and misleading a police officer. 
 
He was released on personal recognizance. The incidents allegedly occurred while Murray was working at Eagleton School between November 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.
 
Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
 
James Yeaman, 62, of Lee had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of accessory after the fact, to wit assault and battery on a disabled person, intimidation of a witness, and misleading a police officer.
 
He was released on personal recognizance. The incidents allegedly occurred between July 11, 2013 and December 31, 2015 while he was working at Eagleton School.
     
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