Latest news with #LawrenceDistrictCourt
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Mass. felon sentenced for causing explosion at home, owning over 30 firearms
A North Andover man was sentenced to 63 months, or five years, in prison for possessing over 30 firearms and explosives as a convicted felon, United States Attorney Leah Foley's office said. The sentence of Daniel Medina, 65, will be followed by three years of supervised release, Foley's office said in a statement. Medina pleaded guilty in December 2024 to unlawful possession of a machine gun, unlawful possession of explosive materials and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. On July 1, 2024, law enforcement learned of a reported explosion in the area of Medina's North Andover home, Foley's office said. Two vehicles were found damaged, along with a piece of mail addressed to Medina. All the debris 'were consistent with common items used in manufacturing homemade explosive devices,' including ball bearings and shrapnel, the statement read. Witnesses saw Medina running from the damaged cars after the explosion, the statement read. Investigators searched Medina's home and found more than 32 firearms, including 12 firfles, 15 pistols, three shotguns and two antique firearms, Foley's office said. Law enforcement also found 9,000 rounds of different types of ammunition manufactured outside Massachusetts, 75 magazines, various gun parts, a Glock switch device, books on how to build guns and explosives, shrapnel accessories, firework containers and containers of powders. Some of these powders included potassium chlorate and aluminum powder, both of which were found in the explosion outside Medina's home, Foley's office said. Because Medina was convicted of assault and battery in Lawrence District Court and sentenced to two and a half years in jail in 2002, he was prohibited from owning firearms, ammunition and explosive materials. Bullet found in Haverhill High School bathroom, prompting stay-in-place order Charges dismissed due to ex-New Bedford detective's relationship with informant Man arrested in Georgia brought back to Mass. to face domestic violence charges 1 man arrested in connection with stabbing near Boston school that left 1 hurt Multiple human remains found across New England. Is there a serial killer?
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
Undocumented Ecuadoran charged with over 20 child sex crimes in Mass.
LAWRENCE, Mass. (WWLP) – An illegally present Ecuadoran man was arrested in Lawrence at the beginning of April by members of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for over 20 charges of child sexual assault and rape. ICE Boston said that they worked alongside federal partners from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to arrest 64-year-old Gilberto Avila-Jara. Charging documents stated that Avila illegally entered the U.S. on February 10, 1996, near San Ysidro, California. He was caught by Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) officials on March 2, 1996, at the Los Angeles International Airport. On March 11 during the same year, an immigration judge ordered that Avila be sent back to Ecuador. Mass. man charged with DUI in Vermont after crashing into brick wall On July 2, 1996, the INS returned Avila from the U.S. to Ecuador. He illegally reentered the U.S. on an unknown date and from an unknown location. Avila was arraigned in Lawrence District Court on December 18, 2020, for over 20 offenses, including indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, rape of a child with force, and aggravated statutory rape of a child. Later that day, ICE Boston lodged an immigration detainer with the Lawrence Police Department against Avila, but the Lawrence District Court refused to honor the detainer. Avila was released from custody on bail on March 17, 2021. On April 22, 2021, Avila was arraigned in Essex County Superior Court for six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, eight counts of rape of a child with force, and eight counts of aggravated statutory rape of a child. On April 1, 2025, ICE Boston, DEA New England agents, and ATF Boston arrested Avila in Lawrence. 'There are no appropriate words to describe the amount of damage Gilberto Avila-Jara has allegedly done to our Massachusetts community,' said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. 'Children are the most precious and most vulnerable members of our communities, and we will do everything in our power to protect them from illegal sex offenders. ICE Boston remains committed to prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing alien sexual predators from New England.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
