Court Briefs: Contractor Guilty of Tax Fraud, Windsor Man Sentenced for Threats

Print Story | Email Story
Windsor Man Sentenced in Threat Case
 
A Windsor man was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Springfield for making online threats and extortionate demands.
 
Michael Andrew Rodgers, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In November 2025, Rodgers pleaded guilty to one count of threatening interstate communications and one count of extortionate interstate communications. Rodgers was arrested and charged in September 2024.
 
On April 5, 2023, Rodgers posted a threat on the Google review page of a Springfield medical practice that stated: "They gonna get what's coming soon. […] Will be there in the morning to get them myself one way or another. Locked and loaded." Beneath this text, Rodgers included an image of a hand holding a gun.
 
On April 6, 2024, Rodgers submitted a threat through a fraud reporting website for the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General with the intent to extort Social Security disability benefits. 
 
Specifically, Rodgers stated: "I m gonna start taking what I need. By any means nessacary. […] GIVE ME MY MONEY OR IM GONNA START DROPPING PEOPLE.  YOULL NEVER FIND MY WEAPONS SO STOP LOOKING AND GIVE ME MY CHECK.  […]  NEXT TIME I SLICE SOMETHING OPEN. IT WONT BE ME. ITLL BE ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN ILL MERC A WHOLE SCHOOL AND NOT GIVE A F***. […] SO YOULL BE MY FIRST TARGET IF YOU KEEP REFUSING TO HELP ME."
 
Windsor, State and Springfield Police assisted federal authorities in the investigation. 
 
Cheshire Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud
 
The owner of a construction company doing business in Berkshire County pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Springfield to a multi-year income tax fraud scheme.
 
Dennis Condron, 76, of Cheshire, pleaded guilty to four counts of tax fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2026.
 
According to the charging document, over a three-year period, in addition to depositing customer payments to his company, D Condron Construction, Condron hid over half a million dollars in customer checks by cashing them and diverting them to his personal accounts.
 
When Condron had his taxes prepared, he did not tell his preparer about the checks he was cashing and diverting customer checks — resulting in his tax returns underreporting the gross receipts of the business by hundreds of thousands of dollars. As a result, Condron kept hundreds of thousands of dollars that he should have paid in federal and state income taxes.
 
Information provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for Massachusetts. 

Tags: US Court,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

North Adams Housing Authority Director Steps Down

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Jennifer Hohn, the longtime executive director of the North Adams Housing Authority (NAHA), has stepped down after 24 years with the agency.

The Berkshire Eagle reported that Hohn resigned from her position on Thursday. The NAHA Board of Commissioners is currently developing a transition plan.

Her resignation follows rising tension between Hohn and the tenants association. Residents—particularly at the Spring and Ashland Park apartments—have raised specific concerns regarding building security, drug activity, and trespassers.

This summer, Tenants Association President Corey Fortin posted a video on social media demonstrating that door alarms in some of the buildings were not functioning.

Shortly after the video was posted, the tenants association's office was locked. Members alleged Hohn locked the space in retaliation, while Hohn maintained it was a matter of tenant safety. Hohn also stated that NAHA does not officially recognize the association because it has yet to go through official channels for certification—a claim the tenants association disputes.

The dispute culminated in plans for a formal grievance hearing between Hohn and the association. Both sides agreed to hold a meeting on Oct. 3, but the hearing had not yet been scheduled at the time of her resignation.
During her tenure as director, Hohn oversaw significant changes at NAHA, including expansion and the dissolution of Housing Opportunities Incorporated, a program founded over 30 years ago to assist first-time homebuyers. Most recently, she led efforts to transition NAHA properties from traditional public housing models to the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. She also directed the rebuilding of a Greylock Valley Apartments building after it was severely damaged by a fire.

The NAHA Board of Commissioners meets monthly, typically on Mondays.

 

View Full Story

More North Adams Stories