Pittsfield Man Sentenced On Multiple Rape, Indecent Assault Charges

03:58PM / Thursday, May 16, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Wednesday, May 15 Douglas Agyeh, age 44 ofPittsfield, pleaded guilty to 23 charges.

Agyeh pleaded guilty to:

5 counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Person Over 14
9 counts of Rape of a Child with Force
9 counts of Rape of a Child, Aggravated by Age

The Defendant was sentenced to 10 to 12 years for the charges of rape and 3 to 5 years concurrent for the charges of indecent assault and battery. The Defendant will serve his sentence in state prison.

According to a report, in 2021 Agyeh was employed at a residential school for youth. Over a period of several weeks Agyeh was responsible for monitoring a student's safety as they (singular) slept. During this time, he raped the student. In a separate incident, Agyeh was also found guilty of sexually assaulting a student under the guise of helping the student fold their (singular) laundry.

The Defendant was originally set to stand trial on January 30, 2023 but fled to Canada in attempt to avoid justice. The Defendant was arrested as he entered Canda. The Berkshire District Attorney's Office worked closely with the United States Department of Justice and Canadian authorities to successfully extradite the Defendant back to Massachusetts. Authorities allege the Defendant was traveling to Canda in an attempt to return to Ghana, Agyeh's native country.

The Great Barrington Police Department served as the lead law enforcement agency in the case. The Department of Justice and Canadian law enforcement agencies assisted the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, including the State Police Detective Unit, in the extradition of the Defendant.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Giarolo represented the Commonwealth. Kristen Rapkowicz served as a victim witness advocate on behalf of the Berkshire District Attorney's Office. Berkshire County Kids' Place and Violence Prevention Center played a central role in the investigation. Emily Zoltan was the Multidisciplinary Team Leader in coordinating the law enforcement response.

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Dalton Capital Planning Committee Takes First Steps

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
10:59AM / Friday, February 06, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The Capital Planning Committee held its first meeting last week; the first step in a yearlong process of developing a five-year capital plan.

The meeting kicked off with Thomas Irwin, a Finance Committee member, elected chairman, and Dennis Croughwell, a Planning Board member, elected vice chair.

The committee was established during the annual town meeting in May 2025. Irwin was instrumental in developing the Capital Planning Committee, which was modeled on the town of Lee's committee.

The goal is to produce a practical, prioritized five-year capital improvement plan that helps the Select Board and Finance Committee make informed budget and capital decisions.

According to Town Manager Eric Anderson, the committee is responsible for collecting and reviewing all capital plans that impact the town.

This includes plans from departments and agencies outside its direct authority, such as the water department, fire department, schools, and relevant Pittsfield agencies — especially those concerning sewer and wastewater treatment.

The committee's goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of capital needs and their budgetary impact across all sectors, and then prioritize these needs based on urgency.

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