Pelham Mass Chief: ‘Improperly stored arsenal’ described in trial

[Rob Boudrie]

MA judges seem to be ignorant as to the import of 18 USC 922g, as there is this tendency to add redundant gun prohibitions to sentences for convictions that bring lifetime PP status.

He is a broken man. I predict he will not live much longer due to either suicide or natural causes.

 

[EJFudd]

Two years probation, $7,500 fine, and PP for life it looks like.

I sure hope he still goes forward with the appeal. There are questions here that I would like to see answered.

 

[JAD]

MA judges seem to be ignorant as to the import of 18 USC 922g, as there is this tendency to add redundant gun prohibitions to sentences for convictions that bring lifetime PP status.

He is a broken man. I predict he will not live much longer due to either suicide or natural causes.

Might the judicial prohibition serve to prohibit an individual from possibly possessing certain items which are not covered by the federal law (i.e. antiques)?

 

[amm5061]

Might the judicial prohibition serve to prohibit an individual from possibly possessing certain items which are not covered by the federal law (i.e. antiques)?

Good question. Even better, what about black powder? Technically not a firearm under federal law, and no prohibitions there.

 

[EJFudd]

Might the judicial prohibition serve to prohibit an individual from possibly possessing certain items which are not covered by the federal law (i.e. antiques)?

Good question. Even better, what about black powder? Technically not a firearm under federal law, and no prohibitions there.

He and his wife should leave the state as soon as he is allowed to do so... maybe head 25-30 miles north and into Southern Vermont where he and his wife will have at least some options and peace of mind that he will never again have here.

Or he can stay put and take up knitting or bird watching... about his only options left in Happy Valley, Massachusetts.

 

[amm5061]

He and his wife should leave the state as soon as he is allowed to do so... maybe head 25-30 miles north and into Southern Vermont where he and his wife will have at least some options and peace of mind that he will never again have here.

Or he can stay put and take up knitting or bird watching... about his only options left in Happy Valley, Massachusetts.

If he doesn't gtfo asap they're going to go after him again. They're probably not happy that he didn't get some jail time.

 

[EJFudd]

If he doesn't gtfo asap they're going to go after him again. They're probably not happy that he didn't get some jail time.

It's true. The haters are still hating... some of them more then ever because he only got probation, a $7,500 fine and PP status for life (the last one probably being the worst part for him). The decade-long vendetta is very likely to continue. My prediction on the next attempt at entrapment and revoking of probation: DUI. With no guns left, it's probably the best the cops can do to him.

 

[amm5061]

It's true. The haters are still hating... some of them more then ever because he only got probation, a $7,500 fine and PP status for life (the last one probably being the worst part for him). The decade-long vendetta is very likely to continue. My prediction on the next attempt at entrapment and revoking of probation: DUI. With no guns left, it's probably the best the cops can do to him.

My bet is on kiddie porn. That's pretty much the gold standard up here now days.

 

[EJFudd]

My bet is on kiddie porn. That's pretty much the gold standard up here now days.

Yeah, that would be a good one for the cops also... probably better than my idea. It has the added bonus of allowing the haters to hate even more. Worse financially too and it would destroy his appeal of the "safe storage" conviction for certain.

What have I gotten out of this case so far (pending further research and the whole appeal process)? I now have a new respect for the repulsive concept of Massprudence. I bought a bulk box of trigger locks and now have every gun I own in BOTH a locked "residential security container" (a.k.a., "gun safe") AND bearing a trigger lock. Even if the safe happens to be temporarily unlocked for some reason if/when the cops come knocking, I am now (hopefully) covered under the "safe storage" law. Bizarre that it has to be that way, but Mr. Fleury's case shows just how crazy things can get in this nutty nanny state.

 

[Matt_SERE]

He and his wife should leave the state as soon as he is allowed to do so... maybe head 25-30 miles north and into Southern Vermont where he and his wife will have at least some options and peace of mind that he will never again have here.

Or he can stay put and take up knitting or bird watching... about his only options left in Happy Valley, Massachusetts.

He may not have much to be looking forward to in the future. I hope it doesn't end up the way Rob thinks it may; it easily could. I don't know if his wife is sticking by him because she believes in him, hates the system, is a glutton for punishment or a little of each. But, damn it take that woman away from here and start over. I don't think he will ever find someone like her again. Give yourselves a fighting chance at being somewhat happy from now on out.

 

[namedpipes]

... I bought a bulk box of trigger locks and now have every gun I own in BOTH a locked "residential security container" (a.k.a., "gun safe") AND bearing a trigger lock. Even if the safe happens to be temporarily unlocked for some reason if/when the cops come knocking, I am now (hopefully) covered under the "safe storage" law. ...

I hope the keys to the trigger locks are in a locked container and the combo is only known to you. If the keys are near the trigger locks...

 

[amm5061]

I hope the keys to the trigger locks are in a locked container and the combo is only known to you. If the keys are near the trigger locks...

I locked the keys to mine in a snap safe, then locked that snap safe into a larger pistol safe, which then got locked into the gun safe. I swallowed the key to the snapsafe.

 

[EJFudd]

He may not have much to be looking forward to in the future. I hope it doesn't end up the way Rob thinks it may; it easily could. I don't know if his wife is sticking by him because she believes in him, hates the system, is a glutton for punishment or a little of each. But, damn it take that woman away from here and start over. I don't think he will ever find someone like her again. Give yourselves a fighting chance at being somewhat happy from now on out.

Yes, this is one of those very few instances when I hope Rob is wrong. I would hate like Hell to think that Mr. Fleury got an (effective) death sentence from the state for violating our nanny state's "safe storage" law. Then again, I don't believe that the evidence was adequate to show he violated the "safe storage" law at all given that his fully-licensed wife was home and alone with the exposed guns at the time of the raid. I also don't buy the "flimsy" attic door lock story (the lock was apparently "flimsy" enough that 20 state troopers managed to break through it). Beyond that, it still smells like legal entrapment to me with the timing, the cop lies & deceptions and their little trick to get him out of the house before the raid. If I were on that jury, he'd be a free man today or at least would have gotten a hung jury.

But yes, he has to head north to one of the free states. Vermont is not that far away for him and some of it is still considered part of the Happy Valley where he grew up and apparently has family and even a few non-rat friends. I would assume that up in Vermont, at least his wife would be allowed to buy and own guns even if he is now a PP (although I could be all wrong about that) unless, of course, his luck changes with the appeal.

 

[EJFudd]

I hope the keys to the trigger locks are in a locked container and the combo is only known to you. If the keys are near the trigger locks...

I locked the keys to mine in a snap safe, then locked that snap safe into a larger pistol safe, which then got locked into the gun safe. I swallowed the key to the snapsafe.

Insane, isn't it? Positively insane!!!

And yes, I hope I've got that all covered properly now. Belt and suspenders. Will it stop 20 determined house-raiding state troopers from figuring out something else they might be able to charge me with? I hope I never have to find out. But I'll bet they could find something on even our two best legal eagles here if they really wanted to. It's just a matter of sufficient creativity and putting their 20 collective minds to it.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Yes, this is one of those very few instances when I hope Rob is wrong.

I share that hope.

 

[drgrant]

Yes, this is one of those very few instances when I hope Rob is wrong. I would hate like Hell to think that Mr. Fleury got an (effective) death sentence from the state for violating our nanny state's "safe storage" law. Then again, I don't believe that the evidence was adequate to show he violated the "safe storage" law at all given that his fully-licensed wife was home and alone with the exposed guns at the time of the raid. I also don't buy the "flimsy" attic door lock story (the lock was apparently "flimsy" enough that 20 state troopers managed to break through it). Beyond that, it still smells like legal entrapment to me with the timing, the cop lies & deceptions and their little trick to get him out of the house before the raid. If I were on that jury, he'd be a free man today or at least would have gotten a hung jury.

But yes, he has to head north to one of the free states. Vermont is not that far away for him and some of it is still considered part of the Happy Valley where he grew up and apparently has family and even a few non-rat friends. I would assume that up in Vermont, at least his wife would be allowed to buy and own guns even if he is now a PP (although I could be all wrong about that) unless, of course, his luck changes with the appeal.

IMHO Fluery really ****ed up when he didn't get the **** out of MA after skating on the whole Westfield thing. (in case you weren't aware, basically they couldn't convict him of anything because it was all bullshit, and he got let off the hook. ) Basically since then he was more or less a marked man, and if he did anything else the state was going to go FR against him like they did here- because him skating was a huge point of embarrassment to the MA prosecutorial establishment. After that attempted hack job by the state there is no way any sane person would have maintained a residency here. The day after he got acquitted he should have rented a u-haul truck and gotten the **** out... I know under the
circumstances he was under, there's no way I would stick around after that.

-Mike

 

[EJFudd]

IMHO Fluery really ****ed up when he didn't get the **** out of MA after skating on the whole Westfield thing. (in case you weren't aware, basically they couldn't convict him of anything because it was all bullshit, and he got let off the hook. ) Basically since then he was more or less a marked man, and if he did anything else the state was going to go FR against him like they did here- because him skating was a huge point of embarrassment to the MA prosecutorial establishment. After that attempted hack job by the state there is no way any sane person would have maintained a residency here. The day after he got acquitted he should have rented a u-haul truck and gotten the **** out... I know under the circumstances he was under, there's no way I would stick around after that.

-Mike

It's easy to see that now after this dubious "safe storage law" conviction. But as I've said before, you've got to put this crazy raid and conviction in the context of many years post-Westfield that Fleury stayed out of the news, out of trouble and seemed to have his life back, more or less. His ties to the immediate Pelham/Amherst area must be very strong given that he wasn't willing to move 30 minutes north to the safety of a free state, albeit a very moonbatty free state.

By the way, here are a couple recent (post-conviction) news articles on Fleury:

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/10/for_former_pelham_police_chief.html

http://www.gazettenet.com/Editorial-Former-Pelham-police-chief-Edward-Fleury-must-never-again-possess-or-use-firearms-13020345

 

[amm5061]

It's easy to see that now after this dubious "safe storage law" conviction. But as I've said before, you've got to put this crazy raid and conviction in the context of many years post-Westfield that Fleury stayed out of the news, out of trouble and seemed to have his life back, more or less. His ties to the immediate Pelham/Amherst area must be very strong given that he wasn't willing to move 30 minutes north to the safety of a free state, albeit a very moonbatty free state.

By the way, here are a couple recent (post-conviction) news articles on Fleury:

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/10/for_former_pelham_police_chief.html

http://www.gazettenet.com/Editorial-Former-Pelham-police-chief-Edward-Fleury-must-never-again-possess-or-use-firearms-13020345

I ****ing hate these people with a passion. Police seize over 240 firearms and apparently out of those 240 only 12 could be questionably considered improperly secured. For this "crime" which only exists in Massachusetts, the state thinks he should do 1-3 years in prison with 5 years probation? Give me a ****in break here.

 

[EJFudd]

I ****ing hate these people with a passion. Police seize over 240 firearms and apparently out of those 240 only 12 could be questionably considered improperly secured. For this "crime" which only exists in Massachusetts, the state thinks he should do 1-3 years in prison with 5 years probation? Give me a ****in break here.

Yep. I'm still trying to figure out what was the actual situation that day with those 12 offending guns. I plan a trip out to the Northampton courthouse to do some further research. I've been told to wait a bit until all the active files are processed and become available for public review. Never done this before but I find the "safe storage" law particularly onerous and threatening to MA licensed gunowners. This whole notion that the lock on the attic door wasn't strong enough bugs me (hence a felony conviction)... but a 60¢ Chinese plastic trigger lock (times 12) would have apparently saved Fleury from financial ruin, collection confiscation and PP status. It's so amazingly bizarre that I can't let it go. There but for the grace of God go any of us.

 

[amm5061]

Yep. I'm still trying to figure out what was the actual situation that day with those 12 offending guns. I plan a trip out to the Northampton courthouse to do some further research. I've been told to wait a bit until all the active files are processed and become available for public review. Never done this before but I find the "safe storage" law particularly onerous and threatening to MA licensed gunowners. This whole notion that the lock on the attic door wasn't strong enough bugs me (hence a felony conviction)... but a 60¢ Chinese plastic trigger lock (times 12) would have apparently saved Fleury from financial ruin, collection confiscation and PP status. It's so amazingly bizarre that I can't let it go. There but for the grace of God go any of us.

Please let us know what you find out. This annoys the shit out of me, too, and I want to know what the situation was with those guns. It'd really be fun to find out they were all soft cased with a TSA lock on the zipper or something stupid like that.

 

[EJFudd]

Please let us know what you find out. This annoys the shit out of me, too, and I want to know what the situation was with those guns. It'd really be fun to find out they were all soft cased with a TSA lock on the zipper or something stupid like that.

Well, we'll see what I can manage to find out. I have already inquired about which guns were considered okay and which guns were not okay but the answers I got were inconclusive. It has to do with matching up the specific charges (one per gun) against the verdicts (also one per gun)... not easy to figure out the jury's reasoning (locks adequate or inadequate? wife watching or not close enough?, etc.) without the whole set of files in front of you. The truth is that we may never know the jury's reasoning on each gun and, of course, there is no reason for us to believe that the next "safe storage" court case would be decided the same way. In fact, probably not.

Others would say that you lose anyway the instant you are charged, whether you are found guilty or not. It's just a ridiculous situation. So like Rob says: Don't answer your door if you happen to have a gun out for any reason:

If I am in the gun room, I won't even answer the doorbell without locking the safe. Such is the paranoia MA instills in gun owners.

 

[rwl1955]

Pathetic and quite scary.

 

[drgrant]

It's easy to see that now after this dubious "safe storage law" conviction. But as I've said before, you've got to put this crazy raid and conviction in the context of many years post-Westfield that Fleury stayed out of the news, out of trouble and seemed to have his life back, more or less.

It doesn't matter if he stays out of the news- this establishment has a long memory, and in the grand scheme of things that incident is only one interval (a decade tops?) removed from the current one. The cabal in this state does not like when someone gets acquitted- particularly under the terms in which Fleury was acquitted- because its very embarrassing- his acquittal basically more or less showed that the state was completely incompetent and should have never charged anyone to begin with. We've seen time and time again though where the state will double down even though they know they're wrong. Coakley actually was a perfect example of this, WRT the amirault case. State gets embarrassed, instead of saying "mea culpa" it often doubles down on the stupid instead, if it can possibly get away with it.

Also worth noting- most of these people- Coakley, Healey, et al, are all part of the same cabal. That's why every AG we get has been a clone of the previous AG back since Harshbarger. They're all part of the same clique, and they talk. And some of the DAs talk, too. (although depending on the district they might not all play rubbey bums with the AG's office but some probably do in a form of politicking to try to get into higher offices down the road. )

This stuff happens in a lot of states but I find that this level of corruption is a lot "richer" and more obvious in states like MA, although MA is a relative newcomer to that end of the game compared to NJ, NY, and IL... (It was often said that Al Capone was the last guy that ran Chicago that wasn't corrupt, and they're probably not wrong.... he may have been a criminal, but I doubt he was corrupt and morally bankrupt as the people that run that part of IL at this point... sure, they might not "have people killed" but IMHO the cumulative damage of corrupt public officials getting away with things under the color of law over time, is often far worse than a lot of hard core criminals and drug dealers in this country, everyone just whines about those guys "because violence", but yet when the mayor manages to steal the radio while everyone is listening to it for the 1500th time, everyone just says "oh well" and shakes their head a little bit.... )

-Mike

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Coakley actually was a perfect example of this, WRT the amirault case. State gets embarrassed, instead of saying "mea culpa" it often doubles down on the stupid instead, if it can possibly get away with it.

One of the conditions of Violent Amirault's parole was that she not assert her innocence or make any attempt to clear her name.

 

[amm5061]

One of the conditions of Violent Amirault's parole was that she not assert her innocence or make any attempt to clear her name.

I don't get how that's even legal to stipulate as terms for parole.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I don't get how that's even legal to stipulate as terms for parole.

Since when have AGs, DAs worried about what is legal or not??

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I don't get how that's even legal to stipulate as terms for parole.

It's an extension of the well established concept that one does not get parole without "accepting responsibility" ... something people later exonerated have refused to do and therefore spent extra time in stir.

 

[Dadstoys]

One of the conditions of Violent Amirault's parole was that she not assert her innocence or make any attempt to clear her name.

I heard from several people that the other employees that could have cleared them, but were never allowed to testify were told to STFU or wind up in the next cell.
True or not I don't know but I did hear it from two separate people.

 

[Reptile]

Former Pelham police chief’s guns in limbo

PELHAM — More than 230 guns once stored in former Pelham police chief Edward Fleury’s home still sit in a police evidence locker three years after they were confiscated by authorities. In addition, the ownership of about 100 of those guns is in question.

It has not yet been determined what will happen to all of the guns following Fleury’s September conviction on 12 counts of improperly storing a firearm, according interviews with those involved with the case. Hampden Superior Court Judge Daniel Ford sentenced Fleury earlier this month to two years probation and a $7,500 fine.

“He has a choice to transfer them to a dealer who can sell them for him or transfer ownership to anyone else,” Pelham Chief Gary Thomann said. “He hasn’t contacted us to say if he wanted to do that or not.”

Fleury’s conditions of probation stipulate that he not possess or use any firearm, rifle or gun and he is not allowed to store any guns in his home. The storage condition was put in place because Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Matthew Thomas said he was concerned about the possibility of Fleury’s wife getting her firearms license back.

http://www.gazettenet.com/Hundreds-...-chief-s-home-sit-in-police-evidence-13194275

 

[namedpipes]

I tend to doubt she'll get her license back while living THERE.

Although there is no earthly reason they can't move elsewhere and transfer the firearms to HER. He would not be able to access them, but the assets should be stolen from them.