Around Town

Letter from Nobel Winner Malala Helps Watertown Man Avoid Jail Time

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The Nobel Prize Medal

A Watertown man convicted of tax fraud avoided jail time in part due to a letter on his behalf from Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Burnham Ud Din, 50, of Watertown, was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and to pay a $140,372 fine for his involvement with a scheme to not pay taxes for two fried chicken restaurants — Kennedy Fried Chicken in Roxbury and Crown Fried Chicken in Chelsea. Federal prosecutors had sought a year in jail and a $212,224.01 fine to repay the withheld taxes. The sentence was handed down on Nov. 7 by Boston Federal District Court Judge Judge George A. O’Toole, who took into account letters in support of Din, including one from Yousafzai, according to a post on Universal Hub.

Arrests

Police Log: Man Takes Off in Tow Truck, Road Rage Turns Physical

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

Oct. 28, 2:06 a.m.: A man went to Perfection Auto Body, got into a tow truck and drove away down Pleasant Street. Employees called Police, who stopped the flatbed truck on Pleasant and Bridge streets. They opened the door and asked the man to put the truck in park.

Federal Court

Watertown Man, Restaurant Owner Sentenced by Federal Judge

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The following announcement was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Massachusetts:

A former owner of restaurants in Boston and Chelsea was sentenced Thursday, Nov. 7 in federal court in Boston for tax fraud convictions. Burhan Ud Din, 50, of Watertown, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to three years of probation, 500 hours of community service and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $140,372 in back taxes. In August 2019, Din was convicted by a federal jury of six counts of willful failure to collect and pay over tax. From 2009 to 2013, Din defrauded the government and avoided paying payroll taxes owed by fried chicken restaurants located in Chelsea, downtown Boston and Jamaica Plain.

Police/Fire

Watertown Hair Salon Damaged by 2-Alarm Fire

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Watertown Fire officials are trying to determine the cause of a fire that damaged a hair salon in East Watertown. The fire at Hair Pluss, located at 1 Grove St., was reported at 7:36 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2. WCVB Channel 5 reported that one of the hairdressers arrived to find smoke coming from the building. A second alarm was called, and Firefighters brought the blaze under control.

Arrests

Police Log: UPS & Police Stop Scam, 3 Drunk Driving Arrests

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

Oct. 21, 12:27 p.m.: An officer in Watertown Square spotted a vehicle pulled-over under a no parking sign. The motor was running and the driver’s appeared to be in a reclined position. The officer went to check on the man’s wellbeing, and it took a couple minutes to awaken him.

Arrests

Police Log: Potential Home Break-in Reported, Several Vehicles Broken Into

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

Oct. 15, 4:05 p.m.: An officer patrolling on Main Street spotted a white Ford van make an abrupt turn and almost collide with another vehicle. Police pulled the vehicle over and when speaking with the driver officers found he did not have a license. Also, he was driving a vehicle that did not belong to him.

Police/Fire

Watertown Man Arrested for Allegedly Dealing Crack Cocaine

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A Watertown man faces charges relating to dealing crack cocaine after police served a search warrant on his home, and a second man also faces drug charges. Peter F. Pierre, 72, of Watertown had been under investigation by the Middlesex Drug Task Force and the Watertown Police, said Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. Authorities obtained a search warrant as a result of the investigation, and it was served on Oct. 17 at 6:05 p.m.

“The search warrant was executed and as a result, several items consistent with narcotic packaging and distribution were found, and an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency,” O’Connor said. Pierre was arrested on a charge of possession to distribute a Class B substance — crack cocaine, O’Connor said.

Arrests

Police Log: Driver Spits at Woman, Man Confronts Bank Worker on Street

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

Oct. 8, 5:04 p.m.: A man headed into the power tool section at Home Depot, took several power tools and placed them into a cart. The man then pushed the cart out the door without paying. He was stopped by security, who found eight power tools worth a total of $2,012.