Four New Yorkers Charged
In Windsor Card Skimming
Windsor — Four New York men who allegedly used stolen credit card information to make fraudulent purchases at local businesses pleaded not guilty earlier this week to identity theft and possessing a credit card skimmer or encoder with an intent to defraud.
Officers on Tuesday arrested the four men from Jamaica, N.Y., after they allegedly attempted a purchase using fake cards at the Dollar General store in Windsor, according to affidavits from law enforcement.
Jacob Houedjissi, 23; Shaquille Francis, 21; Kyle Philip, 21; and Carl White, 26, all face two felony charges apiece.
The offenses together could carry sentences of up to 13 years and fines of up to $15,000 for each man.
Windsor police on Tuesday were tipped off by Claremont police and by an employee at the Dollar General store, who met them in the parking lot and told them to follow a tan BMW with New York plates, according to the affidavit.
After pulling over the car and obtaining consent for a search, officers found several credit cards, a card skimmer and numerous items that appeared to have been purchased from local stores in Windsor and Ascutney, the affidavit said.
It is unclear whether the suspects are alleged to have skimmed credit card information locally, rather than simply using fraudulent cards in local businesses. A request for comment to Windsor police was not returned Thursday afternoon.
One suspect told an investigating officer, Detective Jennifer Frank, that he had obtained credit card information online and that the skimmer was used to encode cards with that data, Frank’s report said.
The suspects were arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Windsor Superior Court and their bails were set at $25,000 each. At least one of the men was housed at Southern State Correctional Facility after failing to post bond.
A joint court appearance is set for Oct. 11, when the court will hold a status conference at 2 p.m.
Touring Vessel Runs Aground
On Lake Sunapee
Newbury, n.h. — Authorities were forced to evacuate 58 passengers from the tour boat M.V. Mt. Sunapee on Thursday after the vessel became grounded on water pipes in Lake Sunapee.
No one was injured when the boat became stuck on the pipes, which connect to Mount Sunapee Resort’s snow-making equipment, according to a New Hampshire State Police news release.
As of Thursday night, the boat was still stuck on the pipes in an area near Sunapee State Park’s beach. Efforts to remove the boat will resume this morning, the release states.
The vessel, driven by Alan Peterson, of Sunapee, doesn’t appear to have been damaged in the 3 p.m. incident that happened about 300 feet from shore in about 4 feet of water.
Sunapee and Newbury fire departments, Sunapee police and the state police Marine Patrol assisted with the removal of the ship’s passengers.
The 58 passengers and two crew members were evacuated to the Mt. Sunapee’s sister ship, the M.V. Kearsarge.
The pipes also appear to be OK.
New Open-Road Tolling System
To Launch Oct. 28 on Mass. Turnpike
Boston — The Massachusetts Turnpike’s new open-road tolling system is expected to go live Oct. 28 and could increase costs for some drivers under a proposed new rate system, state transportation officials said on Monday.
Under the new system, 24 toll plazas along the 138-mile highway from Boston to the New York border will be torn down and replaced by 16 gantries that arch over the highway and electronically charge vehicles with E-ZPass transponders without requiring them to stop or slow down.
For those without transponders, the system will take pictures of their license plates and send bills to their vehicles’ registered owners.
The amount of money drivers pay would depend upon where they enter and exit the stretch of Interstate 90 under a toll proposal under consideration. Some trips would cost more, some less.
State officials say it’s not a toll increase because overall toll collections would not significantly change.
“This is a rate-setting process designed to address how we are collecting the same amount of tolls in a different set of locations,” state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said. “We were not favoring any region of the state.”
A series of public meetings is scheduled before the new tolling system is voted on.
The proposal also calls for Massachusetts drivers with transponders to pay less than out-of-state drivers with transponders.
The goal of the new tolling system is to reduce congestion, pollution, toll plaza accidents and commute times.
“It’s about public safety, it’s about air quality and it’s about congestion,” state Highway Administrator Tom Tinlin said.
Once the system goes live, the state will start dismantling the toll plazas, which could cause travel delays until 2017, officials said.
Road work connected to the project is expected to last until the end of 2017.
The change is expected to net the state Department of Transportation about $33 million less in personnel costs.
Some privacy advocates have criticized the system’s hot list feature, which would instantly notify police when certain license plates pass under gantries. But officials say the system will only be used in specific circumstances, including missing-children alerts, and could end up saving lives.
The state already has open-road tolling on the southbound side of the Tobin Bridge.
Vermont Pharmacies Can Now Sell Overdose Drug Without Requiring A Prescription
A drug that can counteract the effects of an opiate overdose can now be sold by any Vermont pharmacy without a prescription, state health officials announced Thursday.
Naloxone, often sold under the brand name Narcan, is already saving lives in Vermont.
Health Commissioner Harry Chen said Thursday that his department is distributing more and more naloxone all the time.
“The health department now gives out about 700 doses per month through our 12 distribution sites,” Chen said.
The new policy allowing over-the-counter sales without a prescription is an effort to get the drug to even more Vermonters. Pharmacies are going to have to sell naloxone – they won’t be giving it away – and that means people addicted to opiates will have to spend around $75 on a two-dose pack.
Gov. Peter Shumlin said he recognizes that the people suffering from addiction may spend their money on opiates instead, so he’s calling on friends and family to purchase Naloxone.
“Because you can’t expect the addicts – we hope they will – but you can’t expect addicts to be fiscally responsible when they’re addicted to opiates,” he said. “They will do anything to buy more opiates.”
Still, Shumlin and Chen both spoke in strong support of the state’s programs to distribute naloxone.
Chen dismissed the idea that the drug is counterproductive because it makes drug users less cautious about drug use.
“Naloxone does not encourage use,” he said. “It simply saves lives.”
Chen also offered advice to drug users with the hopes of reducing the need for naloxone by preventing overdoses.
“I know this may sound strange to some,” he said, “but my message really to street drug users is really: Don’t use alone. Have someone with you who can give naloxone or call 911. Use only one drug at a time, don’t mix them with heroin or benzos. Test the strength of the drug before using the whole amount. Cut the amount you use at one time, and inject less if it feels too strong.”
Gov. Shumlin also said he supports the City of Seattle’s experiment with safe-injection zones where drug users can inject themselves with clean needles and have medical help nearby in case of an overdose.
Shumlin isn’t planning a similar program in Vermont, he said, “but I think that we’re doing this so wrong in America that any innovation should be given a chance to see how it goes.”
For now, officials in Vermont hope that wherever drug users are, there’s some naloxone nearby.
— Staff and wire reports