Bonilla snubs plea deal By Jill Harmacinski jharmacinski@eagletribune | Posted: Wednesday, September 24, 2014 12:15 am LAWRENCE – Suspended police officer Melix Bonilla rejected a last-minute plea offer from prosecutors - opting to go to trial in the felony corruption case and have a jury empaneled yesterday. A jury of 9 women and 5 men will now hear testimony and view evidence against Bonilla, who is accused of swapping 12 city-owned vehicles for four Chevrolet Impalas while he was Deputy Lawrence Police Chief under former Mayor William Lantigua. Bonilla is a political ally and former campaign manager for Lantigua, who to date has not faced any charges despite ongoing allegations of corruption against him and his administration. The terms of the plea Bonilla was offered were not made public and prosecutors would not comment on the details Tuesday. But Alex Cain, Bonillas defense attorney, confirmed Bonilla declined what terms were offered. My client is adamant in pursuing a trial, said Cain of North Andover. Opening statements in the case are expected today. The trial, held in Salem Superior Court, is expected to stretch into next week. This the second corruption trial this year involving a member of Lantiguas administration. Lantigua served as city mayor from 2010 to 2014 before being defeated by now-Mayor Daniel Rivera. A key witness in Bonillas case is Jay Jackson, a former civilian police department worker and auxiliary police chief, who has said Bonilla pressured him into helping him with the illegal car swap. Jackson is charged with criminal fraud, extortion and conspiracy. A series of motions pertaining to Jacksons testimony are scheduled to be heard Wednesday morning before Judge Timothy Feeley prior to opening arguments. Added to the prospective witness list yesterday were Acting Police Chief James Fitzpatrick, Frank Bonet, personnel director for the city of Lawrence, and Robert Sheehan, owner of Sheehans Towing Co. An updated witness list was also read in court yesterday. Lantiguas name was on an earlier list filed in the case. His name is not on the updated list. Its also unclear if Bonilla plans to take the stand in his own defense. Among questions, potential jurors yesterday were asked by Feeley if they had prior knowledge of the allegations facing Bonilla and if they were a financial or political supporter of Lantigua. They were also asked if they knew of any allegations of corruption or misuse of power by former Mayor Lantigua. After a round of group questioning, Feeley quietly questioned potential jurors at sidebar Monday. Sheehan, Dawley and Cain were also at sidebar. Bonilla is specifically accused of the unlawful transfer of the dozen city-owned cars for the four Impalas with Bernardo Pena, owner of Santo Domingo Motors and a friend of Lantiguas. Pena made a profit of $25,000 and the city lost an estimated $60,000 in the deal, according to the allegations. After Lantigua took office in 2010, he promoted Bonilla from the rank of sergeant to deputy police chief - a boost that came with a $45,000 pay raise. Hes accused of conspiring with the then-mayor to arrange and facilitate this unlawful transaction to benefit Bernardo Pena. Bonilla was indicted on Sept. 11, 2012 and stripped of his gun and badge and barred from working at the police station. However, he continued to receive his $138,000 salary until early January 2014, when Rivera took office as mayor. Rivera suspended Bonilla, demoted him to the rank of sergeant and halted his pay. Earlier this year, Leonard Degnan was sentenced to 18 months in county jail and fined $10,000 after his conviction for bribery and other crimes committed while he was Lantiguas chief of staff. He was also barred from running for public office in the future. Degnan was found guilty of pressuring a city trash vendor to donate a trash truck to the Dominican Republic, Lantiguas native country. Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter @EagleTribJill. Bonilla trial updated witness list. Can be called by the prosecution or defense: - Peter King and Larry Travaglia, FBI agents - Jay Jackson, former civilian police department worker and chief of the auxiliary Lawrence police force - Retired Lawrence Police Chief John Romero - Acting Lawrence Police Chief James Fitzpatrick - Bernardo Pena, owner of Santo Domingo Motors - Horace Privatera, retired Lawrence police detective - Wayne Demers of Motta Auto Body - Walter Callahan, Rita Brousseau, Frank Bonet, Lawrence City Hall workers - Robert Sheehan, Sheehan Towing - Sgt. Emil DeFusco, Lt. Shawn Conway and Capt. Michael Driscoll, Lawrence Police Department - Anthony Lorenzo, Josie Polanco, Tomas Santiago, Jose Montas, former and current members of the Lawrence Auxiliary Police Force
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 11:20:55 +0000
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