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Superior Court Briefs: April 26 - April 27

Staff Reports
Cases heard before Judge Daniel ford on Wednesday, April 26.
 
Timothy Carnute, 34, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws, and single counts of possession of  possession of cocaine with intent to distribute - his second offense - possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute - his second offense - possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, armed career felon, illegal possession of a firearm, improper storage of a firearm, and possession of cocaine - his second offense.
 
He was released on $10,000 bail. The charges stem from a motor vehicle check in Pittsfield on January 1, 2017.
 
Wayne Green, 36, of Pittsfield had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf on a single count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute - his second offense.
 
He was released on $5,000 bail. The charge stems from the execution of a search warrant at his home and a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on March 3, 2017.
 
Michael Thorpe Jr., 35, of Great Barrington had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf on a single count of accessory after the fact, to wit: armed robbery.
 
He was released on personal recognizance. The charge stems from an alleged robbery of the Xtra Mart in Great Barrington on March 13, 2017.
 
Jessica Trottier, 40, of North Adams pleaded guilty to single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, conspiracy to violate drug laws to wit: possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to violate drug laws to wit: possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
 
She was ordered to serve two years at the Hampden County House of Correction Chicopee Woman's Facility. She will serve 142 days of that and was placed on one-year probation. 
 
The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at Brayton Hill Terrace on December 6, 2016.
 
Cases heard before Judge Daniel ford on Thursday, April 27.
 
Joseph Frusciente, 28, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws and single counts of distribution of heroin and possession of heroin with intent to distribute.
 
He was ordered to serve two and a half years at the Berkshire County House of Correction. Frusciente sold heroin and conspired with others to sell heroin in Pittsfield between February 27, 2017 and March 8, 2017.
 
Gregory Friend Jr., 32, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws, and single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute - his second offense - possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute - his second offense - possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, armed career felon, illegal possession of a firearm, improper storage of a firearm, and possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.
 
He was released on $10,000 bail. The charges stem from a motor vehicle check in Pittsfield on January 1, 2017.
 
Naquane Lamb, 34, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute - his second offense - and possession of oxycodone. 
 
He was released on $5,000 bail. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on February 15, 2017.
 
Jeremy Levernoch, 35, of Hinsdale pleaded guilty to single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, conspiracy to violate drug laws, and possession of clonazepam.
 
He was ordered to serve 120 days of a two and a half year sentence at the Berkshire County House Correction. He was also placed on probation for one year.
 
The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on July 25, 2016.
 
Tina Lorette, 37, of Lenox had not guilty pleas entered on her behalf on two counts of distribution of heroin - her second offense - and a single count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute - her second offense.
 
She was released on $500 bail. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on February 10, 2017.
 
Khyrstyna Nielson, 25, pleaded guilty to single counts of possession of oxycodone and possession of clonazepam. 
 
She was placed on probation for one year and given a one-year suspended sentence. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on July 25, 2016.
 
Single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws were dismissed by the state.
 
Jennifer Rilla, 20, of North Adams had a not guilty plea entered on her behalf on a single count of possession of heroin. She was released on personal recognizance. 
 
The charge stems from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on February 10, 2017.
 
Diane Wyand, 38, of Pittsfield had a not guilty plea entered on her behalf on a single count of possession of heroin. 
 
She was released on personal recognizance. The charge stems from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on February 10, 2017.
     

Pittsfield Police Arrest Two On Firearm Charges Following Search

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police seized a number of guns from a Linden Street home Friday morning. 
 
Police said the Berkshire County Special Response Team executed a "no-knock" search warrant at 108 Linden Street. The search was after an investigation in tandem with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 
 
Fabian Herandez, 34, of Pittsfield and Jeremy Paul, 39, of Pittsfield were arrested on firearm charges. During the search, police found a number of weapons including a sawed-off shotgun. 


     

Cheshire Man Killed In Head-on Collision in Windsor

Staff Reports
WINDSOR, Mass. — Daron Reynolds, 31, of Cheshire has been identified has the victim in Monday's fatal head-on crash in Windsor, by state police.
 
Reynolds was the passenger in the 2013 Camry that was struck by the other vehicle. The driver of the Camry, a 27-year-old Cheshire woman, and another passenger, a female toddler, suffered serious injuries and were transported to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield and then transferred to Baystate Medical Center, as was the driver of the Acura that apparently hit them. 
 
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police. No further information is being released at this time.
 
According to his Facebook page, Reynolds had been a disc jockey for WBRK Star 101.7 FM and attended both Pittsfield and Lee high schools. It lists him as residing in Pittsfield, although state police gave his town, and that of the driver of the car he was in, as Cheshire. 

Original post at 9:05 p.m. on April 24, 2017

WINDSOR, Mass. — A Cheshire man was killed Monday afternoon in an head-on collision on the Windsor/Cummington line on Route 9. 
 
State police are withholding identification of the 31-year-old man pending family notification. He was initially taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield and then to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield where he was pronounced dead. 
 
The crash occurred at about 1:45 p.m. and involved four people. 
 
Preliminary investigation by Sgt. Dean Clement indicates that a 2000 Acura 32TL crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a 2013 Toyota Camry head on at the Windsor/Cummington line on Route 9. The victim was a passenger in the Toyota. 
 
The Toyota's driver, a woman, and a juvenile passenger as well as the 23-year-old man driving the Acura were all transported to BMC and then to Baystate.
 
The cause of the crash remains under investigation with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section, and the Office of the Medical Examiner.  No charges have been filed at this time.
     

Pittsfield Police Offer Safety Tips After Walkers, Joggers Accosted

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An unidentified man has been accosting walkers and joggers in in the city's southeast side since last Tuesday. 
 
None of the victims were injured in any of the reported incidents, police say, but there have been several complaints reported over the past week. It is unknown if the same man is responsible for all of the violations.
 
The suspect, in all instances, is described being in his 20s, of Caucasian or Hispanic decent, with dark hair, facial hair, and a thin to medium build.
 
Pittsfield residents are being asked to report any suspicious activity relating to persons matching the above physical description by immediately calling 911.
 
Additionally, the following safety tips are being published by Pittsfield Police as a reminder to all residents who are enjoying the outdoors by walking, jogging, or running:
 
• Plan your outing. Tell a family member or friend where you are going and the time you expect to be back.
 
• Know where telephones are located along the course or carry a cell phone.
 
• Wear an identification tag or carry a driver's license. If you don't have a place to carry your ID, write your name, phone number, and blood type on the inside of your athletic shoe. Include any medical information.
 
• Don't wear jewelry or carry cash.
 
• Wear reflective material.
 
• Stay alert at all times. The more aware you are, the less vulnerable you are.
 
• Run or walk with a partner or a dog.
 
• Don't wear headsets. If you wear them you won't hear an approaching car or attacker. Listen to your surroundings.
 
• Exercise in familiar areas. Know which businesses or stores are open.
 
• Vary your route.
 
• Avoid unpopulated areas, deserted streets, and overgrown trails. Especially avoid poorly lighted areas at night.
 
• Run clear of parked cars or bushes.
 
• Ignore verbal harassment. Use discretion in acknowledging strangers. Look directly at others and be observant, but keep your distance and keep moving.
 
• Run against traffic so you can observe approaching automobiles.
 
• Trust your intuition about a person or an area. React based on that intuition and avoid areas you feel unsure about.
 
• Be careful if anyone in a car asks you for directions — if you answer, keep at least a full arm's length from the car.
 
• If you think you are being followed, change direction and head for open stores, theaters, or a lighted house.
 
• Have your door key ready before you reach your home.
 
• Call police immediately if something happens to you or someone else, or you notice anyone out of the ordinary.
     

Husband's Ex-Girlfriend Charged in Case of Missing Clarksburg Woman

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The husband of missing Clarksburg woman Joanne Ringer is the "sole suspect" in her disappearance, say authorities. 
 
Ringer went missing on March 2; her husband, Charles "Chad" Reidy, was found dead on April 7 in the couple's garage. 
 
"From the beginning, we have suspected foul play and have approached this as a homicide investigation and we have considered Joanne's husband, Chad Reidy, as the sole suspect," Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless said a press conference in Northern Berkshire District Court on Thursday. "Reidy's apparent suicide on April 7 has not changed that view."
 
Laura J. Reilly, 42, of Berkeley Street, Easthampton, described as Reidy's former girlfriend, was arraigned in the court shortly before the briefing on three counts of misleading investigators, an obstruction of justice, in providing erroneous information during the investigation of Ringer's disappearance.  
 
Capeless said she had been arrested Wednesday evening and arraigned on the three charges. He declined to speculate whether further charges would be forthcoming. 
 
Instead, he asked for the public's assistance in ascertaining the whereabouts of Ringer, Reidy and Reilly between Thursday, March 2, when Ringer failed to arrive at her new job in Easthampton, and Friday, March 3. 
 
Ringer, 39, was last seen at her home on Hall's Ground in Clarksburg on March 2, but never showed up at her new job driving a taxi in Easthampton. Her green 1999 Volkswagen Jetta was discovered on Exeter Street in Easthampton, less than a half-mile from Reilly's address, on Monday, March 6.
 
"We had kept hope that Joanne Ringer would be found alive. But seven weeks have passed since her disappearance and she has made no contact with family or friends, particularly with her 19-year-old daughter, Savanah, and animals that she loved were left without care at home," Capeless said. 
 
He would not go into specifics other than to say information authorities had received pointed to Reidy. 
 
"Obviously we don't rule out any possibility, but he has been the suspect from the start," Capeless said.
 
A number of Ringer's friends and relatives have said Reidy was abusive but Capeless declined to confirm that or whether Reidy had left a note. Reidy's death is so far considered a suicide although autopsy results are pending; the manner of his death has not been revealed.
 
Investigators have been searching around the couple's Clarksburg home, a rural wooded area on a dead-end road, and other areas of interest with the help of Berkshire Mountain Search and Rescue. Capeless noted turkey hunting season begins on Monday is asking hunters to be observant.
 
"We are not asking the public to conduct searches," he said. "But to be aware during normal activities and report anything suspicious and leave the investigating to professionals."
 
Reilly had not-guilty pleas entered on her behalf and her case was continued to a pre-trial conference on May 22. She was released on $1,500 bail. 
 
The investigation has also been assisted by the Berkshire County Law Enforcement Task Force, the Berkshire County sheriff's office, Clarksburg Police Chief Michael Williams, North Adams Police Director Michael Cozzaglio, Easthampton Police Chief Robert J. Alberti, Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper, and their officers.
 
"Returning Joanne Ringer to her family is the most important thing we can do," Capeless said. "We have been focused on that from day one."
     
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