BROCKTON — A third attempt to arraign former roofer Matthew Will, 37, of Pembroke, who formerly owned Five Star Discount Roofing in Halifax, on 18 fraud and larceny related charges failed Monday, June 25, 2019, because he was not medically cleared for transport to Plymouth Superior Court, Brockton, by state prison officials, according to a source close to the investigation.

Will, who was in the custody of the Plymouth County Sherriff’s department, was quickly transported to a state facility, the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, that has a state Department of Corrections-run prison ward, following police and Sherriff’s Department serving a search warrant on Will’s Furnace Colony Drive, Pembroke, rental home.

During the course of the execution of the search warrant, Will was found to be hiding in his attic and dogs were used to extricate him from the attic. According to a source close to the investigation, he is recuperating from injuries sustained from the dogs, which the source says he wrestled with and eventually fell through a ceiling from his attic into his living room.

Will had been on a lengthy run from the law, following skipping a Falmouth District Court date, two separate high speed chases in central Massachusetts, one leading into Rhode Island, then being released on personal recognizance by a district court judge who had not been made aware of Will’s history by prosecutors — and fleeing again.

He has been in the hospital almost continuously since his arrest Thursday, May 9, except for one hearing where his court appointed attorney, Charlotte Tilden argued unsuccessfully for his release in Wareham District Court. He was returned to Shattuck Hospital, and remains there as of press time.

Will has been indicted on the charges.

A Plymouth County grand jury returned the indictments against Will charging him with one count each of larceny of property over $1,200 by single scheme, state building code violations, employer failing to have workers’ compensation, money laundering and being a common and notorious thief. Will was also indicted on seven counts of home improvement contracting violations and three counts each of forgery and uttering.

Prosecutors say Will targeted some more than 50 mostly elderly homeowners, beginning in July 2018 at Oak Point, a 55-plus community in Middleboro, when at least 15 individuals began reporting that Will had defrauded them out of funds ranging from $800 to $12,000 by starting contracting work and not completing it, or simply taking the funds and absconding.

Will has multiple cases in courts in Falmouth, Plymouth and Wareham District Courts and he has 50 or more victims across the state.

The alleged victims have lost at least an estimated $250,000 in total and have been found so far in Kingston, Duxbury, Brockton, Plympton, Wareham, North Easton, Hanson, Falmouth and Pembroke in addition to Middleboro.

HALIFAX — The Halifax Board of Selectmen met Tuesday, June 11, and held a highly unusual dog hearing, participated in a promotion ceremony for the Halifax Fire Department, and heard a proposal from a young man working to earn his Eagle Scout badge. The meeting was long, and the board was running behind schedule throughout the night, as new member Gordon Andrews learned the ropes at this, his second meeting, and Chairman Troy Garron, who is generally soft-spoken, began to assert himself as the board’s leader.

Dog will be euthanized if she returns to Halifax

Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday night to order Gia, a German Shepherd, euthanized should she ever return to within the borders of Halifax.  Gia’s owner, Richard LeBlanc, is staying with his parents at the Twin Lakes Drive condominium complex.

The board heard from a number of witnesses including Animal Control Officer Noreen Callahan and Animal Inspector Brian King, before hearing an emotional, dramatic, long and uncomfortable plea from LeBlanc, who begged the board not to order his dog euthanized should it return to town.   LeBlanc told the board the dog is now with its original breeder in New Hampshire.

LeBlanc cited many personal problems including a sick parent and child as well as a divorce as explanations for the, at least three, dog bite incidents with his Gia. A Twin Lakes Drive neighbor says there are other, unreported incidents, as well.

Selectman Chairman Troy Garron, who let LeBlanc continue on despite warnings to stick to the point, appeared annoyed with him as did the rest of the board. LeBlanc’s attempts to convince the board not to order his dog euthanized should it return to Halifax did not apparently win him sympathy from the board.

The most recent incident with Gia occurred May 18, when Halifax Police and Fire responded to 360 Twin Lakes Drive for a report of a dog bite. The alleged victims were Beth Jenness and her dog, Clarence, a 7-year-old Austrian Kelpie.

“Jenness had a cut on her top lip, and her dog, Clarence, had visible marks on its right thigh,” according to a police report by Officer Michael Boncariewski.

A previous alleged attack by LeBlanc’s dog occurred Dec. 25, 2018. Barbara Sheehan, of Twin Lakes Drive, described walking her dog Bella on a cold and windy Christmas Day.

LeBlanc’s German Shepherd came from her left, she says, and attacked her and her dog while she was screaming for help.

Sheehan alleges that LeBlanc grabbed her arm, begging her not to report the dog, which has been banned from Twin Lakes.

She says she spent about $500 in veterinarian bills, for which LeBlanc reimbursed her.

“I was a little disappointed in how the Selectmen ran the hearing,” Sheehan said. LeBlanc spoke at length, she added, while she did not have much time to address the board.

“I am ultimately satisfied with the result,” she said.

LeBlanc, who was in tears on the way out of the hearing, vowed to appeal the decision to the courts, which is his right.

Fire promotions

Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros was proud to announce the appointments, promotions and one 40-years-of-service award and pin to members of his department in front of Selectmen and family, friends and former firefighters. The Great Hall of Town Hall was filled as Viveiros spoke and Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor swore the first-responders into their new positions.

Thanking the audience, Viverios said, “Being a firefighter requires hard work, dedication and countless hours spent away from your family, training and responding to incidents. Our work requires us to leave at a moment’s notice and almost always at the most inopportune times. No firefighter would be successful in this career without the support and encouragement of their family and friends.”

He began by announcing the newest group of call firefighters to fill the ranks of the department, Jeff Arcieri, Andrew Jerome and Joseph Varraso, who were present for the ceremony and sworn-in by Gaynor, and Anthony Hardy and Quinland Murdock who were not present.

Of the three female members of the fire department, two were promoted from call firefighter to the rank of full-time firefighter, Bridget Ricciarelli and Abby Dubrawski.

“Both of these firefighters have been tremendous assets to our organization, they have earned their spot. They have worked extremely hard over the past several years completing their paramedic program while also filling shifts and always being there when we need them,” said Viveiros.

Peter Hogan, who has served the department since he was a cadet in High School, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

“Becoming a Lieutenant is the biggest transition any firefighter will experience in their career. You are tasked with the safety of the residents in our community, but equally important, you now become responsible for the safety of the firefighters assigned to you,” said Viveiros. “While he has only been in the position a short time, Lieutenant Hogan has clearly demonstrated his ability to lead and set an excellent example for others to follow.”

Finally, Captain Donald Crowell, who is retiring, received his 40-years-of-service award and pin from the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission.

“While I can’t imagine the changes he has seen in our department over the years, I can say for certain that he was a big part of making it the great organization it is today,” said Viveiros.

“You sure that’s me?” joked Crowell to laughter from the crowd.

The Fire Department enjoyed cake as the Selectmen returned to their regularly scheduled meeting.

Eagle Scout project

Jacob Oliveira is pursuing his Eagle Scout badge and asked Selectmen for permission to put a hand-built wooden donation chest for care packages for soldiers in Town Hall. He plans to build the chest with the help of his fellow Boy Scouts and scout masters.

The chest will have three separate compartments, one for nonperishable items, one for “cultural” items like books and CDs, and one for toiletries. Oliveira and the Boy Scouts will monitor the chest for donations and will send the contents as care packages to soldiers deployed abroad, he said to the board.

Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if Oliveira would be using social media to raise awareness of his project, and he responded that he is planning to.

The major question that the board had concerned the location of the chest, with Garron questioning having enough space and appropriate visibility, but Oliveira noted the chest was on wheels and could be moved.

It is tentatively going to be placed across from the Veterans’ Agent’s office in Town Hall. The board thanked Oliveira and Selectman Tom Millias complemented him on his presentation.

• The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Halifax Board of Selectmen will be Tuesday, June 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room of Town Hall.

Plympton Selectmen held a brief meeting Monday, May 3, as well as had a tour of the basement of Town House and the second floor space once occupied by the police, who have moved to their new headquarters next door.

They discussed problems with the 1935 building, heard about mysterious problems with the new water filtration system at the Dennett Elementary School, and showed interest in a new shared service grant, if they are eligible after a waiting period from their last one.

Town House tour

Selectmen toured the basement offices of Town House along with the old Police Station, which will be renovated at some point in the near future to create more office space for town departments.

Jon Wilhelmsen, chairman of the Dennett Elementary School Committee, led the building tour.  He is a “jack-of-all-trades”,  according to Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy, and is being tapped for his expertise.

The Town House was originally built as a school in 1935. The space, especially the former police station, is odd, with various width walls that will likely be knocked out to convert many smaller rooms into an open space. Selectmen are considering one open room with a conference room for now until they decide on permanent uses.

The electrical panels in the building are old and need to be updated as well. Power disruptions occur due to the legacy equipment, which includes screw-in fuse boxes.

Selectmen also discussed the ongoing water leakage in the building’s basement, which houses the building department.

The structure may have mold and asbestos, and the extent of the problem is unknown. The drop-down ceiling tiles are brown and discolored in some places, and boxes in the offices show signs of water damage.

While many problems were identified by Wilhelmsen and selectmen, definitive solutions are still being worked out.

Filtration failure

Wilhelmsen, who is also chairman of the Plympton School Committee, reported mysterious news from the Dennett Elementary School. The Department of Environmental Protection- approved water filtration system recently installed to filter out impurities in the water, including lead, is not working, he said.

The manufacturer insists that it is working properly, but random testing of water samples is showing that it is in fact adding lead into the water, according to Wilhelmsen. No one is sure exactly why.

He said that students have never been drinking the water and that there has been no interruption to their bottled water program for students and staff. The water is not a danger to them, according to Wilhelmsen.

Selectman Chairman Christine Joy asked if there was any recourse in terms of a warranty or guaranty on the system. All options are on the table, Wilhelmsen said, and he appeared frustrated with the situation.

He also reported that the incoming kindergarten class size will increase by 10 students this fall, to 39, with the potential to go up. There will still be two teachers and two aides for the students. The school, which is small compared to surrounding schools, is preparing for a “growth spurt.”

Shared service grant

Plympton and Halifax continue to flirt with the idea of a shared service, and even though they received a grant recently to explore a shared fire department, that did not come to pass, Plympton may be eligible for a grant to explore a different avenue, after a waiting period from the last grant, said Dennehy.

Selectmen in both Halifax and Plympton have stated they are open to the idea of shared services, and a few have made it no secret that they would like to explore the idea of improving their senior service through a regionalized approach.

In Halifax, newly-elected Selectman Gordon Andrews has been a vocal proponent of regionalization, and Plympton Selectmen appeared open to the idea of exploring a shared service grant as well at their meeting. Dennehy said that “something” with seniors may be in the works if they were to get a grant.

Dennehy is investigating how soon the town can apply for a grant, if indeed they are eligible.

• The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Selectmen will be June 17, 2019, at 6 p.m. at Town House, unless otherwise posted.

BROCKTON — A Plymouth County grand jury has indicted roofer Matt Will, 35, a Pembroke resident who was doing business out of Halifax as Five Star Discount Roofing, on 18 fraud and larceny related charges May 24, District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced recently.

The grand jury returned the indictments against Will charging him with one count each of larceny of property over $1,200 by single scheme, state building code violations, employer failing to have workers’ compensation, money laundering and being a common and notorious thief. Will was also indicted on seven counts of home improvement contracting violations and three counts each of forgery and uttering.

Prosecutors say Will targeted some more than 50 mostly elderly homeowners, beginning in July 2018 at Oak Point, a 55-plus community in Middleboro, when at least 15 individuals began reporting that Will had defrauded them out of funds ranging from $800 to $12,000 by starting contracting work and not completing it or simply taking the funds and absconding.

But the case languished, as police and the Middleboro building inspector appeared to continue to give opportunities for Will to catch up with his work.

Eventually, Will had multiple cases in courts in Falmouth, Plymouth and Wareham District Courts as his theft allegedly spread beyond Middleboro, and the grand jury investigation revealed “a substantial criminal enterprise” involving 50 or more victims across the state.

In total, the alleged victims have lost at least an estimated $250,000 and have been found so far in Kingston, Duxbury, Brockton, Plympton, Wareham, North Easton, Hanson, Falmouth and Pembroke in addition to Middleboro.

Many of the district court charges will be dismissed against Will, as is typical when someone is indicted, and he will be arraigned in Plymouth Superior Court in Brockton at a later date.

Will was arrested Thursday, May 9, at his Furnace Colony Drive home in Pembroke, after a run from the law and a police standoff.

He first fled justice April 10 as the indictments against him loomed and after he missed a Falmouth District Court arraignment, then was arrested May 4 in Rockland following a dramatic escape from police after leading them on two multi-town high-speed chases in central Massachusetts into Rhode Island the night before, according to court records and police reports.

He was then released by a Hingham District Court judge, who was not made aware of the chase by prosecutors, according to audio of the hearing, was ordered to Wareham District Court by 4:30, but fled again and was finally re-arrested after a tense standoff with police in Pembroke.

As law enforcement personnel attempted to execute a search warrant at his Pembroke home, Will hid from police in his attic. Police used canines to extricate him from the attic, and he was injured after wrestling with the dogs and falling through the ceiling.

He was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth and released the next day – Friday, May 10 – to Plymouth County Correctional Facility. He was expected in Wareham District Court the following Monday, May 13, and when he was not transported there by the Plymouth County Sherriff’s Department, the Express learned that he was a patient Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, where a Department of Corrections ward is located.

The Express has confirmed that as of press time, Will remains at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, nearly three weeks after his arrest.

His condition is unknown.

HALIFAX — Halifax achieved a 7.8% voter turnout as 451 voters came out to choose the next member of the Halifax Board of Selectmen Saturday, May 18, the only contested race on the ballot in either Plympton or Halifax. In that contest, Gordon Andrews beat Melinda Tarsi 253 to 195.

Tarsi was disappointed with her loss, but said she was excited she did well. She plans to continue to serve the town on the Finance Committee, she said.

Andrews was sworn in to office in front of family and friends Monday, May 20.

His first official act as Selectman was to sign vendor warrants.

The board will reorganize at the next regularly scheduled meeting, May 28, and talk about their summer goals, Andrews said.

One of the policies he campaigned on, regionalization of the Council on Aging, received a warm welcome in Plympton Monday night, where Plympton Selectman Mark Russo noted that he’d be interested in exploring a similar concept.

Andrews also spoke about reopening talks for regionalization of the fire department and noted that most of Halifax’s mutual aid calls go to Plympton and Hanson, which would be logical places to start up talks or restart talks in the case of Plympton.

As for the shortage of volunteers in town, “I think we need to start walking around baseball fields and softball fields and asking around,” he said. “I’ll do it,” he added.

“If we don’t have volunteers, we have to pay for employees to do jobs,” he said.

He also said he will bring up with the board the idea of changing Town Meeting to a Saturday in an attempt to increase turnout, a change that would have to be voted on by Town Meeting. The board could place an article in the warrant, though.

Andrews plans on continuing to sit on both the Halifax Elementary School and Silver Lake Regional High School committees.

“I think I should be able to handle it,” he said. “I’ll see how it goes.”