Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Monday, Sept. 14.

 

Guillermo Sanchez, 41, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of cocaine and a single count of conspiracy to violate drug laws to wit: distribution of cocaine.

 

He was ordered to serve concurrent two and a half years at the Berkshire County House of Correction.

 

The charges stem from the sale of cocaine in Pittsfield between September 17, 2013 and October 7, 2014.

 

Charles Daniels Sr., 31, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, armed career felon, resisting arrest, possession of heroin, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended licenses, disorderly conduct, and failing to stop for a police officer.

 

The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on January 1, 2015. He was ordered to serve six to eight years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction on the armed career felon charge. He was given concurrent time on the other charges except failing to stop for a police officer, in which he was ordered to pay a $100 fine. The judge remitted the fine.

 

Lemarr Talley, 32, of Springfield pleaded guilty to single counts of trafficking in cocaine and possession of heroin with intent to distribute in connection with the execution of a search warrant in Pittsfield on July 29, 2014.

 

He was ordered to serve concurrent two and a half to three years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction. He will begin serving the sentence on January 4, 2016.

 

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

 

Nakiba Browne was sentenced to concurrent five to eight years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction on single counts of manufacturing cocaine and manufacturing heroin.

 

The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at his Linden Street home on September 19, 2014. He was found guilty to the charges on September 10, 2015.

 

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Thursday, Sept. 17.

 

Paul Dugal Jr., 53, of North Adams pleaded guilty to single counts of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol - his third offense - and operating to endanger. 

 

The charges are in connection with a motor vehicle stop in North Adams on August 5, 2014. He was ordered to serve 18 months at the Berkshire County House of Correction on the operating under the influence charge and placed on one-year probation on the other.

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A utility pole caught fire Thursday and cut power to the Berkshire Mall.

 

Fire Chief Charlie Durfee said at about 4:30 on Thursday firefighters were called to the Berkshire Mall and found two phases of  the three-phase power system  had popped on the pole. Firefighters extinguished the fire and Eversource was called. 

 

The fire left most of the mall without power forcing the stores to close.

 

"The mall manager was calling the home office to close the mall due to no power," Durfee wrote in an email Thursday evening. "Eversource wasn't sure what happened or how long it would take to fix."

 

The anchor stores were able to open sometime later but the rest of the mall was closed for the evening.

The hazmat team found no dangerous materials in the package.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A hazardous materials team found no threat in a suspicious package sent to the police station.

 

The District 5 Hazmat Team responded to headquarters Wednesday morning shortly before 11 to investigate a FedEx-delivered package that contained a medical journal hinting of virus dissemination.

 

By noon, the team found the package was not a danger.

 

"Monday afternoon a package was delivered to the Pittsfield Police Department headquarters. It didn't cause any undue alarm but once the package had been opened, the staff realized there was some inconsistencies with the addresses — both the delivery address and the alleged address of the sender," Police Chief Michael Wynn said.

 

The package originated from what appears to be a fake address out of Colorado, according to police, and was addressed to a nonexistent receptionist with the Pittsfield Police Department.

 

The address for the Police Department was also wrong. Inside, responders found newspapers, periodicals and the medical journal. The concern was that it may contain a powered substance or virus, the chief said.

 

"Shoved in the bottom of the box was an excerpt from a medical journal on virus dissemination and transmission and given the climate and culture we are working in, we thought it merited the extra precaution," Wynn said.

 

The package sat in a vacant office in the station for two days before being examined. Wynn said because of that, the station was not evacuated. 

 

"They found nothing so we never suspended operations," Wynn said.

 

The Fire Department hosts the hazmat team, which is staffed by firefighters from both North Adams and Pittsfield. The Pittsfield Fire Department also sent an engine company to the scene. 

 

"The team is originally designed for hazmat response and, through the years, our role has evolved into handling these bio, nuclear and chemical possibilities," Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski said. "The team is well versed in these kinds of operations."

 

The team quickly examined the package on scene and found no reason for alarm. The team has a dedicated vehicle with a number of assets to investigate such a situation. The response was a Tier 1, which means limited resources were used for the examination.

 

"They were confident that nothing was in the package," Czerwinski said. 

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

 

Lavar Burney, 35, of Pittsfield had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf on a single count of distribution of heroin. 

 

He was released on $1,00 bail. The charge stems from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on July 3, 2015.

 

Ronald Palazoo, 76, of Sandisfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on three counts of rape of a child with force, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14, and intimidation of a witness.

 

He was released on $10,000 cash or $100,000 surety. Palazoo is accused of sexually assaulting a boy, now aged 5, in Sandisfield on September 3, 2012 and July 11, 2015.

 

Brooklynne Schneider, 21, of Stephentown, N.Y. had not guilty pleas entered on her behalf on single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to violate drug laws, to wit: distribution of heroin.

 

She was ordered to be held at the Hampden County House of Correction-Chicopee Woman's Facility on $10,000 bail. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in North Adams on July 23, 2015.

 

Cases heard before Judge John Agostini on Thursday, Sept. 10.

 

Jarritt White, 34, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on 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 a firearm during the commission of a felony, illegal ownership of a firearm, rifle, or shotgun, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, and improper storage of a firearm, rifle or shotgun.

 

He was released on personal recognizance. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at 715 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield on July 3, 2015.

 

Vincent Stracuzzi, 44, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, conspiracy to violate drug laws to wit: possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and possession of cocaine.

 

He was released on $1,000 bail. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant on his home on July 3, 2015.

 

Nakiba Browne, 31, of Pittsfield was found guilty of manufacturing cocaine - his second offense - and manufacturing heroin - his second offense.

 

He was ordered to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction pending sentencing on Sept. 15. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at his Linden Street home on September 19, 2014.

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A hiker was rescued from Mount Greylock Monday after being cut with an ax.

 

Fire Chief Charles Durfee said the call came in at 12:37 in the afternoon about the hiker being located in the woods off from the Old Adams Road Trail. Three all-terrain vehicles were used but responders had to hike more than a mile in 90-degree heat.

 

"We could only get the ATVs in about a mile on the trail. We had to hike the last 1.5 miles. Due to the heat and the terrain of the trails, we called for the Western Mass Tech Rescue Team to come assist us in getting the hiker out of the woods," Durfee wrote in an e-mail.

 

Durfee said a total of 11 firefighters and 16 Western Massachusetts Tech Rescue members responded. The hiker had a laceration on his leg from an ax and was transported to Berkshire Medical Center.

 

"As the chief, I can't say enough about the tech guys," Durfee wrote.