Three Haverhill residents, arrested for fentanyl-related drug trafficking charges in 2018, pleaded guilty this week in Essex County Superior Court and were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to five years. They were among four residents arrested nearly two years ago after police seized 3.7 kilograms of the drug from their Winter Street home. Arismendy J. Santana, 29, and Wilman Diaz, 27, each received a prison term of four to five years, with two years’ probation. Milagro Santana, 28, was sentenced to state prison for two to three years, with two years’ probation. All had been charged with trafficking fentanyl, 10 grams or more; conspiracy to violate drug laws; and unlawful possession of ammunition.
When it comes to gangs, Haverhill’s year ended as it began with fear over gun violence from two rival gangs. At the end of 2018, Mayor James J. Fiorentini acknowledged the city’s gang problem—which turned into a gun war two years earlier after a Swasey Field shooting—by saying he was “hopeful” the crime rate can improve. In February, Haverhill Police Chief Alan R. DeNaro told city councilors of his department’s plan to combat gang-related violence. He said, however, one of the challenges is when shooting victims—most of whom belong to a gang—refuse to come forward to police. “When they’re shot, they don’t cooperate with us.
Haverhill learned first from WHAV of the city’s only murder of 2019—the beating death of a 76-year-old nursing home patient Saturday night, Oct. 5. Police say Robert Boucher died when his 83-year-old roommate Jose Veguilla allegedly used his walker to beat him to death. Both were residents of Oxford Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, 689 Main St. Carrie Kimball, spokeswoman for Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett told WHAV, “Police found a 76-year old male suffering from injuries a result of a physical assault. He was transported to Holy Family Hospital where he was pronounced dead.”
In court the next day, Dr. Kerry Nellington told Haverhill District Court Judge Patricia Dowling the roommate suffers from dementia and a traumatic brain injury as the result of a fall.
At least one of the two Lawrence brothers arrested in connection with Saturday’s Mount Washington shooting is a participant in UTEC’s gang violence prevention program. At their arraignment Monday in Haverhill District Court, 20-year-old Aidan Z. Rodriguez and his 18-year-old brother, Isaac R. Rodriguez were ordered held without bail until a hearing next week. Court documents reveal Aidan Rodriguez is employed by UTEC as a cook. While UTEC’s Gregg Croteau declined to talk with WHAV on the record, the nonprofit recruited to Haverhill in 2018, has always made clear its mission is to work with gang members most at risk, get them off the streets and mentor them after they return from serving time in prison. In an on-air interview with WHAV in 2018, UTEC’s Director of Streetwork Jonathan Lunde explained.
The mayors of Haverhill, Lawrence and Methuen say gangs are a regional problem and came to Haverhill City Hall with police to discuss strategies for fighting gangs, guns and drugs. Meeting in Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini’s office, they discussed how the three police departments work together to fight crime and discussed ideas for improving communication and cooperation. “Gangs are a regional problem, so we need to work together to identify gang members and make sure we are all keeping the heat on them,” Fiorentini said in a statement. “During the meeting it became very clear to me that police in Haverhill, Lawrence and Methuen are doing a great job talking and working together every day, and we all agreed we want to see that continue and even increase it whenever and wherever we can.”
Besides Fiorentini, participating in the recent meeting were Haverhill Police Chief Alan R. DeNaro; Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera and Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque; Methuen Mayor James P. Jajuga, Methuen Police Executive Captain Kris McCarthy, Methuen Police Lt. Ron Valliere and Methuen Mayor-elect Neil Perry. Fiorentini’s office said the meeting was part of “stepped-up attention being placed on gangs in Haverhill and neighboring communities,” adding, Fiorentini recently hosted neighborhood meetings in various parts of the city to discuss gangs and crime with residents.
Two Haverhill teenagers are under arrest and Groveland Police are searching for a third after the trio allegedly stole a minivan and led police on a chase Saturday morning. The two 14-year-olds, both from Haverhill, were arrested after being pulled over and fleeing from the minivan, reported stolen in Haverhill. The driver was charged with larceny of a motor vehicle. failure to stop for police, leaving the scene of property damage and two counts of unlicensed driving. Groveland Police charged the second teen with resisting arrest and being a minor in possession of marijuana.
Two brothers are expected to be arraigned today in Haverhill District Court in connection with a Saturday shooting incident—the second at the same address since September—in the Mount Washington neighborhood
No injuries were reported, but there was property damage at 65 Jackson St. Ext.—near High Street and not far from Swasey Field. Haverhill Police arrested 20-year-old Aidan Rodriguez and his 18-year-old brother, Isaac Rodriguez. They were charged with assault with intent to murder and other firearms violations. The location was roughly the same as a Sunday, Sept.
Two women—one from Plaistow, N.H., and the other from Natick—face fentanyl drug trafficking and other charges after their arrests last night in Haverhill. Thirty-six-year old Janean Polito of 73 Forest St., Plaistow, and 30-year-old Jessica Walton of Natick, were taken into custody around 8:15 p.m. at 81 Fountain St. Besides fentanyl trafficking, Polito was charged with three counts of drug possession with intent to distribute, conspiracy to violate drug laws and driving after license revocation. Walton was also charged with distribution of a class B drug, two counts of drug possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws. Both are expected to be arraigned today in Haverhill District Court.
A Methuen woman was indicted Monday on charges in connection with stealing more than $530,000 from a retirement home and nursing center in Lawrence. According to Attorney General Maura Healey, 43-year-old Sherry Verdick, was indicted by a grand jury on five counts of larceny using a single scheme over $1,200, larceny over $1,200, larceny over $250 by a single scheme, two counts of making false entries in corporate books with intent to defraud, three counts of forgery, three counts of uttering and obtaining a signature under false pretenses. She will be arraigned in Essex Superior Court Jan. 7, at 9 a.m.
Verdick was the business manager at Berkeley Retirement Home and Nursing Center in Lawrence,
Healey’s office alleges that from January 2016 through September 2018, Verdick ran “a sophisticated scheme to steal money from several accounts operated by the facility.” Prosecutors say she wrote several hundred checks to herself from various accounts affiliated with the retirement center, allegedly forged various signatures of other Berkeley employees to steal money from Berkeley accounts, improperly used a corporate credit card for personal purchases and allegedly altered the company’s payroll system to reduce her health insurance contribution to zero. The attorney general’s office also alleges that Verdick was able to steal money from the estate of a deceased resident by misleading another employee into signing a check which Verdick then deposited into a Berkeley account for which she was a signatory.
