Around Town

Boston Marathon Bomber Appeal Coming Up; Court Docs Show Brother Suspected in Waltham Murders

By |

The case of convicted Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be in court soon to appeal the conviction, and recently unsealed documents related to the case show that the FBI believes his older brother Tamerlan was a prime suspect in the killing of three men in Waltham in 2011. Dzhokhar’s appeal of the death sentence for his role in the Boston Marathon Bombings is scheduled to go before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on Dec. 12. The Boston Globe reported that court documents unsealed before the appeal implicate Tamerlan Tsarnaev with the the killings of three men in Waltham — Brendan Mess, 25, Erik H. Weissman, 31, and Raphael M. Teken, 37. Tamerlan died after the shootout with Watertown Police at the intersection of Dexter Avenue and Laurel Street.

Police/Fire

More Details on Massage Parlor Sting in Watertown

By |

Last week, the Watertown Police conducted an investigation into illegal activities at massage parlors in town, and made four prostitution arrests at four locations. The sting was broader than the four massage parlors and involved undercover police officers. The investigation was a joint one between the WPD and the FBI’s Boston Division Child Exploitation-Human Trafficking Task Force. Police sent undercover officers into the six massage parlors in a coordinated sting on Friday, Nov. 8, said Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor.

FBI

Four Arrested on Prostitution Charges After Joint WPD/FBI Human Trafficking Sting

By |

Law enforcement made four arrests on prostitution charges at Watertown massage parlors after a sting by the Watertown Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Watertown Police sent out the following press release:

On Friday, November 8, 2019, the Watertown Police Detective Division assisted by the FBI Boston Division Child Exploitation-Human Trafficking Task Force and members of the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure Investigations conducted an undercover operation of massage parlors in Watertown. The goal of the operation was to identify establishments that do not comply with local, state and federal regulations, as well as to identify potential minor and adult victims of human trafficking. These inspections resulted in the arrest of the following individuals, all on charges related to sexual conduct for a fee:

Worarat Soontronwatee (age 30) of Malden arrested at Season Therapy, 12 Belmont St. Sandy Ferchiou (age 51) of Boston, arrested at Sukhothai, 8 Riverside St.

Around Town

Letter from Nobel Winner Malala Helps Watertown Man Avoid Jail Time

By |

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

By |

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

By |

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

By |

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

By |

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.