Latest news with #PaulToner
Belfast Telegraph
22-04-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Architecture firm behind Grand Central Station appoints associate directors
RPP Architects, a firm founded over 50 years ago which has offices in Belfast and Londonderry, has appointed five new associate directors to their team. The business has worked on some of the highest-profile new building projects in Northern Ireland in recent years. Their work includes the new transport hub in Belfast, the City Quays 3 development in Belfast Harbour and Grand Central Hotel in Belfast, along with work on the maternity unit in Antrim Area Hospital and the acute mental health inpatient centre at Belfast City Hospital. Paul Donnelly has been made an associate director in housing, having worked with RPP for over a decade as an associate architect. Paul Toner has been with RPP for more than 30 years, beginning as an architectural technician and Macintosh IT Manager, before recently serving as a building information management and modelling (BIM) and IT manager. He has become an associate director in building information management, and will manage BIM coordination and lead BIM technical development for major projects. Andrew Hair has been appointed an associate director in commercial, with a focus on 'retail clients and energy-efficient design.' He has worked for RPP for eight years, having been an associate before being promoted earlier this year. Jonathan McDonald has become an associate director after working with the firm for 11 years. He has experience leading teams on transport and infrastructure projects. Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd opens Belfast Grand Central Station Philip Murray has been appointed associate director, and is described as being a 'design leader' who has 'in-technical expertise in healthcare and technology projects'. RPP said it was 'delighted to be able to have made these appointments'. "We feel the experience and professionalism of these individuals will be essential for the ongoing development of the business.'
CBS News
25-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Cambridge city councilor accused in brothel case apologizes to community "I am ashamed"
Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner was back inside city hall Monday, facing his colleagues and neighbors for the first time since he was publicly accused of paying for sex at a high-end brothel. "First I am ashamed to have my name associated with this case. I would like to apologize to my fellow councilors, my supporters and the community," Toner said, addressing fellow councilors ahead of a regularly scheduled city council meeting. Toner, a married father, is serving his second term as a city councilor; and is the former president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. After probable cause hearings Friday, Toner joins more than two dozen alleged clients connected to a sex ring run out of upscale apartment buildings in Cambridge, Dedham, Watertown, and Virginia. Investigators say the men paid hundreds of dollars per hour for sex, or what prosecutors described as "the girlfriend experience" with young Asian women. Councilors voted to allow the rare, off-agenda reading of an open letter from Title IX Aurelia, a sexual violence advocacy group at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. "Toner's connection to this case signals those involved with sexual violence are rewarded with positions of power. Rewarding this behavior is a slap in the face for survivors. These women will never be in the position to defend themselves to the degree Toner will," the student stated. Addressing the public meeting Monday, Toner said he cannot comment on the case as it moves forward, but that he remains committed to his duty to represent the voters who elected him. "I come before you this evening deeply grateful and humbled by the love and steadfast support of my family, friends, and the voters who have voiced their strong support for me to continue my service as a Cambridge city councilor," Toner said. Another dozen or so alleged clients will be charged in court this Friday. Most have sent their attorneys to these probable cause hearings; they'll be formally arraigned on the charges in May.
CBS News
22-03-2025
- CBS News
Cambridge city councilor charged in brothel bust says "I will be forever sorry"
Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner is now facing charges for allegedly buying sex at a high-end brothel that was busted by federal authorities in 2023. Toner is a former head of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and has a wife and two children. In a statement to WBZ-TV, Toner said, "I caused pain for the people I care about most. For that, I will be forever sorry. This is an ongoing legal matter and I will not have further comment at this time." His defense attorney, Timothy Flaherty, said he is "a man of high character." "Paul Toner is a person I have known my entire life," Flaherty said. "He's a man of high character. He loves his family and his family loves him. None of us are perfect. He's a hard-working city councilor, and the City of Cambridge is lucky to have him." In a statement to WBZ-TV, four Cambridge city councilors said the charges against Toner "are deeply concerning." "Councilor Toner has the right to a fair process through the judicial system. Any violation of the law would violate the oath of office he took upon taking office. Solicitation of prostitution is illegal in Massachusetts. If convicted, his actions would not simply be a lapse in judgment of a private individual but a crime and a violation of the trust placed in him by the public," Councilors Burhan Azeem, Patricia Nolan, Sumbul Siddiqui and Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler said in a statement. "Illegal prostitution is inherently exploitative and is not a victimless crime. We stand with those hurt by exploitation. We call on Councilor Toner to consider the impact of this situation on the City Council and his role as a leader in the community." Eleven more so-called "johns" are now facing criminal charges after probable cause hearings on Friday. Cambridge police say these men paid hundreds of dollars per hour for sex or the "girlfriend experience" with young Asian women inside Cambridge apartment complexes. None of the suspects showed up for their hearings Friday, most sending just their lawyers. Their absence infuriated activists, who hung signs outside court in protest. "People are waking up and they're ordering, like they're ordering food off our menu," advocate Chanta Carter said. Another dozen or so alleged clients are expected in court again next Friday. These are probable cause hearings, after the hearings are when the alleged clients have been charged. They will be arraigned on the charges later this spring. In total, 28 alleged clients have been connected to a sex ring run out of upscale apartment buildings in Cambridge, Dedham and Watertown, as well as Virginia. Last week, the names of 12 other suspects were read aloud in court in Cambridge. Among the individuals charged were a pharmaceutical CEO, a dentist and finance executive. Authorities say the brothel network catered to "wealthy and well-connected" customers. At the time of the brothel bust in November 2023, former U.S. attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy said the customer list also included doctors, lawyers, accountants, military officers, government contractors, professors and scientists. Many of them fought to keep their names out of the public record. "They will undoubtedly lose their jobs, lose their professions and have their lives ripped apart," attorney Benjamin Urbelis, representing five of the men, argued before the Supreme Judicial Court. The high court ruled , however, that the media would have access to preliminary court hearings that determine whether the alleged clients will face charges. Han Lee, Junmyung Lee and James Lee have pleaded guilty for their roles in running the alleged brothel network. On Wednesday, a federal judge sentenced Han Lee to four years in prison and ordered her to pay more than $5.4 million. Prosecutors say the defendants convinced women to travel across state lines for the prostitution network, and required sex buyers to give their employer information and references as part of a screening process.
