Massachusetts Cop Block

Here are the stories I tracked this past week:

• Carlos Miller reports that a warrant has been issued for Hector Nunez, the Haverhill resident who posted two videos of police visiting his home during the past few weeks. The warrant is for maintaining a noisy and disorderly house. As Carlos Miller points out, the warrant was probably issued in retaliation for Nunez posting videos of his police encounters online.
• The Patriot Ledger reports that the trial of Weymouth Police Officer Steven Gomez has been postponed for a second time. Gomez was charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 after allegedly groping a female State Police employee at a Thanksgiving party in 2010. The trial was postponed due to scheduling conflicts with witnesses.
• WBZ-TV reports that three guns have gone missing from the Chelsea District Court and are believed to be stolen. Kevin Murphy, the clerk magistrate, has been reassigned to the Salem District Court while the State Police investigate to determine what happened to the guns.
• The Chelsea Record reports that a man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Chelsea police alleging that he was arrested for taking photographs at his son’s soccer game. After a boy was injured by a falling goalpost, Rodrigo Blanco, a professional photographer, a few pictures to document the incident. Police allegedly ordered him to delete the photos and arrested him when he refused.
• Finally, earlier this week, I posted the report of the internal investigation of a UMass Lowell police officer who threatened to assault a student for video recording him. Make sure you check it out here.

Things don’t look good for Gardner Police Officer Larry Landry. When I last wrote about Officer Landry, he had been put on paid leave from his department and was locked up in the Worcester County Jail after being accused of molested a young boy over the course of several years.

The Telegram & Gazette reports that Officer Landry now faces a second sexual crime allegation. Both Landry and Tyler Hartley, Landry’s former roommate, have been accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female roommate several times.

The first incident is alleged to have happened in July, just a week after the woman moved in with Landry and Hartley. The second incident is alleged to have occurred a week later and the third incident is alleged to have happened at the end of July. The woman confronted the two men the day after the third assault and moved out two or three days later.

The woman said she was initially hesitant to turn Landry and Hartley in to the police because she worked for Landry’s father and was afraid of retaliation.

In addition to the statutory rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14, and assault to rape a child charges that Landry faced form the first allegation, Landry has been charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over age 14.

The Telegram & Gazette also reports that Officer Landry resigned from the Gardner Police Department earlier today.

Landry’s next court hearing is scheduled for October 18.

Though Landry faces multiple allegations from different people and has resigned from his department, he is, of course, innocent until proven guilty. Since none of the evidence against him has been publicized, I will refrain from passing any judgment. I’ll try to post an update on this case when more information becomes available.

Yesterday, Larry J. Landry, a Gardner police officer of 14 years, was arraigned at the Winchendon District Court on charges of statutory rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14, and assault to rape a child, according to the Telegram & Gazette.

Assistant District Attorney Brian D’Andrea said that the alleged victim told Gardner Police that Landry had molested him in Winchendon from the time he was in kindergarten until he was in sixth grade.

Landry turned himself in to the police on Monday after learning about the accusation. He was arrested and put on paid leave from his job by the department.

According to Landry’s attorney, Martin Kallio, the officer “vociferously” denies the charges against him, however, no plea was made during yesterday’s arraignment.

Landry’s next pretrial court hearing is scheduled for October 5.

Landry is currently being held on a $50,000 cash or $500,000 with surety bail in the Worcester County Jail.

I’ll post an update to this story when more details become available.

Yesterday a jury convicted retired Massachusetts State Trooper Joseph Silva of gross sexual assault and two counts of aggravated assault.

On November 22, 2009, Silva reportedly met with a woman he was introduced to via a social networking site in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After the two had lunch together at a restaurant, Silva said he wanted her to meet some friends at a bar to watch a Patriots football game. Instead of taking her to a bar, he drove her to his hotel room in Kittery, Maine, forced her inside, and raped her.

After the incident, the woman sought medical attention and reported the rape to the Kittery Police. Silva was arrested by Newburyport, Massachusetts police on December 9, extradited to Maine, and indicted in April, 2010.

Silva is currently being held without bail at the York County Jail. He will be sentenced on October 14. He faces up to 50 years in prison.

If you have any more details about this case or any other stories you’d like to share with Massachusetts Cop Block, send us a message using our contact page.

Update (11/02/11): News 8 WMTW reported on October 27 that Silva has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for gross assault, seven years each for two aggravated assault charges, and 10 years probation. The sentences are to be served concurrently which means that Silva will spend 10 years in prison.