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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015
VOL. 84 NO. 162
you cannot build a reputation on what you intend to do.”
— JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL
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City man charged with possession of child porn By CHRISTINE CHARNOSKY Correspondent WESTFIELD – A Westfield man was arrested just after midnight Friday and charged with possession of child pornography. Eric S. Jenney, 45, of North Ridge Road, was arraigned Friday on three counts of possession of child pornography, three counts of possessing a firearm without a Firearms Identification (FID) card and one count of improper storage of a firearm. Currently Jenney is being held in lockup, but he will be released on Monday since Westfield District Court Judge Philip Contant said Jenney’s case doesn’t fit the criteria required for pretrial detention. Contant told the defendant though, that he will have to adhere to strict conditions while awaiting trial. Jenney will have to pay $5,000 personal surety to be released, he is to make no abuse or threats against any of the alleged Commonwealth victims and witnesses and he will not be allowed to use a computer, access the Internet or possess any pornographic materials. Contant said there would be visits to Jenney’s home to verify his compliance. According to City Hall records, as part of an ongoing investigation, officers executed the search warrant and found images of child pornography on Jenney’s personal computer, on a camera’s scan disc card and thumb drive. According to Mass General Law, possession of child pornography carries a penalty of not more than five years in state prison or not more than two and a half years in jail/ house of correction or a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000 or a combination of these penalties. Additionally, the search recovered two firearms, a 38 5-shot revolver and a Remington 22 rifle, along with a small safe full of ammunition. The revolver was loaded and stored in an unlocked drawer without a trigger lock or safety device, according to City Hall records. Contant said Jenney was being held through the weekend until the terms for his release could be formulated. Jenney will be under suicide watch while in custody since his wife expressed concerns about his safety. “This investigation is still ongoing and more charges are to follow,” according to Westfield Police Det. Roxann M. Bradley’s statement of facts.
“Begin somewhere;
City man arraigned on drug charges Westfield Police Captain Paul Nunez, State Representative John Velis, Westfield At Large City Councilor Brent Bean, Westfield Police Officer Frank Soleimani, Westfield Police Captain Mike McCabe and Westfield At Large Councilor and City Council President Brian Sullivan. (Submitted photo)
Follow your dreams: Westfield police officer training to become EPO By JEFF HANOUILLE Staff Writer WESTFIELD – With the support of friends, family and a few high-ranking officials, Westfield police officer Frank Soleimani has decided to change careers and become a Massachusetts Environmental Police officer. Soleimani, 31, made the difficult decision to leave the Westfield PD because becoming an EPO is something he’s wanted to do since high school. A self-described animal and nature lover, Soleimani, a five-year veteran of the Westfield PD, is in the midst of an 18-week training which will culminate with him becoming a full-time EPO in September. “Making this choice was probably the toughest decision of my life, because I really love what I used to do in Westfield with the Westfield Police Department,” Soleimani said. “I really like what I do now, but I also really miss everyone at the department.” Soleimani, a Southwick resident who grew up in Westfield, has an associate’s degree in biology from Holyoke Community College and a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology and criminal justice from Westfield State University. His desire to become an EPO came about when he was a senior in high school and met a full-time EPO inside the parking lot of the Friendly’s restaurant on Southampton Road. “That day changed my life,” Soleimani
said. “I never knew what an EPO was until that day. I saw her and her truck in the parking lot, so I went up and asked her a few questions. She told me about some of the things that they do, and ever since then I knew this was something I wanted to pursue.” Soleimani did an internship with Environmental Police for four months when he was in college, and that solidified his interest in becoming an EPO. “The way I look at it, if we’re not protecting our natural resources, who’s going to?” Soleimani said. “So all this was right up my alley.” As part of his requirements to become an EPO, Soleimani had to complete police academy training, pass an exam, pass a physical test and go through an interview process. Now, he is in the process of completing his field training where he will alternate two weeks at a time doing work with his field training officer and then two weeks getting certified. “I’ve been working in the state forests, on the Connecticut River, on the lakes, and out east in Cape Cod and Boston,” Soleimani said. “It’s like being a police officer, but it’s more of a specialized type of enforcement that regular police officers don’t necessarily do.” See EPO, Page 3
Hot Rods for Heroes Customized 1968 Camaro at the Hot Rods for Heroes second annual event held at Strathmore Park on Rt. 20 June 27, 2015. See additional photos Page 8. (Photo by Wendy McCann)
SCHOOL STREET IS RE-OPENED!
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Caution: flying fruit By CHRISTINE CHARNOSKY Correspondent WESTFIELD – If there is a book with 101 Reasons to Miss Work, then add number 102: getting hit with a piece of fruit. Thursday night at 9:49 p.m., a call came in to Westfield Police from someone who said they heard a man yelling, “Owwww!” When police arrived at Quick Food Convenience Store on Southwick Road, they found a 49-year-old Westfield resident in the parking lot. He told police, “I was struck in the ‘banana’ by a banana,” according to Lt. Jerome Pitoniak. When the officers asked him to clarify, he said he was hit in the groin when someone threw a banana out a car window. “Officers found no offending banana in the area, so their search turned up ‘fruitless,’” Pitoniak said. The man said he needed to be taken to the hospital because he would need a note to miss work on Friday. He was subsequently taken by ambulance to Noble Hospital. When asked whether this was the most unique call officers have received, Pitoniak said, “It was definitely a different call” adding that he wondered whether the man just wanted a three-day weekend.
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By CHRISTINE CHARNOSKY Correspondent WESTFIELD–A Westfield man was held on six counts of distributing drugs after being arraigned in Westfield District Court on Friday. Robert Heroux, 54, was retained on $2,500 cash surety pending a July 24 hearing. The drugs Heroux allegedly distributed include 15 mg. and 60 mg. of Oxycontin, 10 mg. of methadone, 30 mg. of Adderall and 2 mg. of Klonopin, all considered Class B drugs, according to court records. Nine separate times Heroux sold prescription medication to people known to the Commonwealth, accoridng to police. The drug transactions took place every week or two weeks between April 29 and June 25 with prescription drugs purchsed with pre-recorded buy money. In total, 22 pills were allegedly purchased from Heroux during the nine transactions, according to court records. Renaudette states that he confirmed the identity of the pills after each buy using the Website drugs.com, a site whose purpose is to assist in the identification of prescription drugs. The Website’s editorial staff is comprised of pharmacists and information displayed on the site is from well known medical sources including the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR), according to Renaudette’s report. The Drugs.com website is owned and operated by the Drugsite Trust, a privately held Trust administered by two New Zealand Pharmacists, according to drugs.com. The Pill Identifier on drugs.com allows a user to search for a pill’s identity by imprint, shape, and/or color. In April, Heroux had three charges of possession of a Class B drug with intent to distribute and one charge of possession of a Class C drug with intent to distribute, brought by Westfield police, not prosecuted, according The Westfield News archives. Mass General Law states that distribution of Class B drugs shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than ten years, or in a jail/ house of correction for not more than two and one-half years, or by a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000, or a combination of fine and imprisonment.