PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former Adams police sergeant pleaded guilty Friday morning in Berkshire Superior Court to 10 counts of child pornography.

Alan C. Vigiard, 46, appeared before Judge Daniel Ford and pleaded guilty to 10 counts of knowlingly possessing visual material of a child depicted in sexual conduct. A single count of lasciviously posing a child in a state of nudity was dismissed at the request of the commonwealth.

Vigiard was released on personal recognizance pending sentencing, which will take place on June 22 at 3 p.m.

The veteran officer was being investigated after a folder with pornographic images was found on a CD sent to the district attorneys. Vigiard was caught viewing pornography on a police computer at the station on Oct. 29, 2009.

He was placed on administrative leave and then resigned. As of last year, he was receiving retirement benefits accrued during his service but will lose those if the retirement board determines his crimes were linked to his employment.

The investigation was conducted by state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office and members of the Adams Police Department. 

Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Wednesday, May 18.

Michael Bannister, 24, of Adams had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts distribution of oxycodone, two counts of drug violation within a school zone and one count of conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Bannister was released on personal recognizance. The incidents allegedly occurred between November 1, 2010 and November 25, 2010 in Adams.

Jeffrey Baribeault, 42, of North Adams was sentenced to a two year sentence at the Berkshire County House of Correction on one count of assault and batter and placed on two years probation on a single count of intimidation of a witness.

Baribeault pleaded guilty to the charges on May 3 from the incident that involved a 39-year-old woman in Adams on July 20, 2009.

Nicholas Bondini, 27, had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on five counts of possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute, seven counts of distribution of oxycodone, two counts of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, nine counts of drug violation within a school zone and one count of conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Bondini was released on personal recognizance. The incidents allegedly occurred in Adams and North Adams between November 5, 2010 and November 25, 2010.

Edward Jennings, 24, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and larceny from a person.

Ford sentenced Jennings to two years at the Berkshire County House of Correction on the assault and batter by means of a dangerous weapon and two years probation on the larceny charge.

Jennings assaulted and took money from a 42-year-old man in Pittsfield on March 9, 2010.

Rodney K Lewis, 46, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to one count of unarmed robbery.

Lewis was sentenced to serve four to five years in state prison at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction. Lewis robbed a clerk at Convenience Plus on Tyler Street on October 2, 2008.

Jeffrey V. Williams, of Pittsfield, had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of illegal possession of a firearm, rifle or shotgun, receiving stolen property over $250, one count of possession of ammunition without proper identification and improper storage of a firearm.

Williams was released on personal recognizance. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on October 23, 2010.

Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Thursday, May 19.

Timothy Kasuba, 28, of Lanesborough had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of distribution of oxycodone and one count of conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Kasuba was released on personal recognizance. The incidents are alleged to have occurred in Lanesborough between November 1. 2010 and November 25, 2010.

Michael LaPrise, 35, of North Adams had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on one counts of distribution of oxycodone and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

LaPrise was released on personal recognizance. The incidents allegedly occurred in North Adams between November 1, 2010 and November 25, 2010.

Marc Tucker, 32, of North Adams had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of distribution of marijuana - his second offense - and two counts of drug violation within a school zone.

Tucker was released on personal recognizance. The incidents allegedly occurred in North Adams on November 5, 2010 and November 15, 2010.

LENOX, Mass. — The town's ambulance is out of commission after it was involved in a head-on crash Thursday morning while transporting a patient to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.

Police Chief Stephen E. O'Brien said Lenox Ambulance was dispatched at 5:11 a.m. on Thursday to Curtis Housing on Main Street for a woman with abdominal pain. By 5:25, the firefighter emergency medical technicians Jason Saunders and Daniel Pirettihad had her on the way to Pittsfield. 

Saunders, who was driving the ambulance, reported six minutes later that it had been involved in a head-on motor vehicle crash on Main Street near the entrance to the Church on the Hill. 

Police said Matthew Bak, 20, of Cheshire, was operating a 1997 Chevy pickup GMT 400 southbound on Main Street when he fell asleep at the wheel, crossed the center line, and collided with the 2008 Ford E450 Type III ambulance.

Saunders requested aid from the Fire Department, two other ambulances and Lenox Police. 

The EMTs on the ambulance began caring for the other patients involved and, once more firefighters arrived, a third ambulance was requested for the personnel involved in the crash.

Saunders, 36, and Piretti, 27, who was caring for the patient in the back of the ambulance, were both treated at BMC for minor injuries and released after being transported by County Ambulance. The 83-year-old patient was taken to BMC with neck and back pain via another County Ambulance.

Bak complained of neck and back pain and was transported to BMC by Lee Ambulance.   

The crash remains under investigation and both criminal and civil charges are pending. There was extensive damage to both involved vehicles, which were towed away.

Although the town will be without an ambulance, Fire Chief Daniel W. Clifford said the Lenox Fire Department will continue to provide emergency medical services and will rely on mutual aid ambulance services for transport until a more permanent solution for a replacement ambulance becomes available.

Update: May 17, 2011 at 3:27 p.m.: Police reported Tuesday that Tatro will be charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, his second offense, operating to endanger, marked lanes violation and wanton injury to personal property or to a dwelling house in connection with the crash.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A car crashed into a Route 7 house late Sunday night and triggered a massive fire, leaving two people homeless.

According to Fire Chief Craig Pedercini, police and fire personnel responded to a call of a car crashing into the house at 780 New Ashford Road at about 10 p.m. Sunday night, and immediately found the vehicle on fire with the driver still inside. The driver was removed in the "nick of time" before the blaze spread to the rest of the structure.

"When the first officer arrived on the scene he found the front end of the car on fire with the driver still in the vehicle," Pedercini said early Monday morning. "We almost had an instant fire here."

According to police, Timothy M. Tatro, 29, of Pittsfield was driving the 2002 Dodge Caravan  southbound on New Ashford Road when he failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway. He left the east side of the road, traveled approximately 178 feet and struck the residence.

Tatro was taken to Berkshire Medical Center and may have suffered burns on his legs, Pedercini said. There were two people inside the house when the crash occured; they both escaped unharmed. No firefighters were injured while extinguishing the blaze.

"They were up and I believe just watching television," Pedercini said. "There was fuel from the car that accelerated the fire."

Mutual aid from New Ashford, Hancock, Clarksburg and Pownal, Vt. fire departments were called in. The fire was controlled shortly after midnight; firefighters remained on the scene for a few more hours to extinguish smoldering debris.

"Most of us left at about 4 or 5 and we had some people here to keep watch," Pedercini said. "There was a lot of fire."

The house is outside of the fire district and tankers had to shuttle water to the scene. The house is a total loss.

The people inside the 1,500 square-foot home were renters. The property is listed as owned by John and Sharon Fleury.

Police Chief Kyle Johnson said the accident was still under investigation.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A massive fire in an apartment complex on Saturday afternoon left more than 40 people homeless.

The five-alarm  blaze was brought under control by Pittsfield firefighters after nearly seven hours and with the aid of at least six county fire companies.

No one was injured but the historic three-story Elmwood Court was heavily damaged.

Chief Robert Czerwinski said crews did an initial sweep of the building to ensure no one was inside. All the tenants had gotten out safely; two are out of town.

"We were having a tough time fighting it," said Czerwinski at around 8 p.m. "We're keeping a crew here over night to make sure it doesn't start back up."

The chief said the fire started in the basement and moved through the attic, helped along by the 160-year-old building's balloon construction.

The department received a call of smoke in the basement at about 12:30 Saturday afternoon. As the large fire moved through the 28 apartments, Pittsfield called surrounding towns for mutual aid.

Adams, Cheshire, Lanesborough, Lenox, Hinsdale and Richmond responded. The state's Fire Services Division also responded to provide support and coordination.

Czerwinski said the investigation "will start in earnest in the morning."

The local Red Cross chapter was helping any of the 45 or so tenants in need of aid.

The original mansion was built by Edward Learned, an industrialist and financier, in 1854 and was later known as one of the Berkshire cottages. It housed Miss Hall's School for the first decade of the last century and then was an inn, before being turned into apartments.

The property is owned by Cavalier S.E. Properties LLC, based in Egremont, which purchased it in 2004 from MP Bartlett Realty Trust for $1.1 million.

Updated and rewritten throughout at 9:12 p.m., May 14, 2011.