Latest news with #DeLeo
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Judge weighing detention of Boston mobster accused of plotting to kill federal officials
Federal prosecutors on Thursday unveiled new details about what they described as a plot by a former mafia street boss to kill federal officials — including a judge and a prosecutor — as retaliation for his most recent criminal conviction. But a lawyer for the man, Ralph DeLeo, now in his 80s, challenged the source of the government's information, painting the unnamed informant as 'desperate' to get out of prison and having a motive to lie. The revelations came at a hearing for DeLeo in federal court in Boston that served a dual purpose: to determine whether there was probable cause to support the accusation that DeLeo violated the terms of his supervised release and whether he should be detained on the grounds that he is a danger and a flight risk. The district judge overseeing his case, Stacy Neumann, did not immediately rule on either issue and court records don't indicate any other hearings have been scheduled. During the hearing, Neumann heard testimony from Massachusetts State Police trooper Elvis Nguyen, a task force officer with the FBI. Nguyen works in the organized crime division at the state police and became involved in the investigation into DeLeo in May. DeLeo's criminal history includes a federal conviction for racketeering, as well as convictions for aggravated murder, bank robbery and masked armed robbery. As a street boss in the Boston mafia, DeLeo served as the acting leader of the organization while its boss was incarcerated, Nguyen explained. The street boss 'acts with authority,' he said. On direct examination from Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch, who works in the public corruption division, Nguyen read out several Google searches DeLeo made that prosecutors say are evidence of his intention to kill the officials: a prosecutor, a judge and a retired federal agent. None of the officials were named during the hearing, and they are not named in court papers. In November 2024, DeLeo searched for the name of the prosecutor, followed by Little Rock, Arkansas. (DeLeo was convicted of several drug charges in federal court in Arkansas). He also searched for the name of a federal judge, followed by a town in Massachusetts. An extraction of DeLeo's phone also included searches for a person with the same last name as the judge, but a different first name. DeLeo looked up the judge on websites such as and ostensibly trying to find contact information for them. He also made searches for locksmith tools, 'real hair silicone masks,' and where to buy nitric acid in Massachusetts. Nguyen testified that many of the searches were deleted. Prosecutors contend DeLeo committed three violations of his supervised release: he is accused of possessing drugs, contacting other felons and lying to federal agents. Nguyen's testimony laid out the evidence supporting all three contentions. He described what investigators found during a search of DeLeo's Watertown apartment, including hard paper copies of identifying information for federal officials, such as their home addresses and names of their family members. Investigators also found two marijuana joints and what they believed to be steroids. During an interview with police, including Nguyen, DeLeo said no one helped him look up the information about the federal officials, a statement prosecutors contend is a lie. Nguyen testified that investigators found evidence showing DeLeo enlisted the help of a third party to compile the personal identifying information. DeLeo is also accused of speaking to two convicted felons: John Willis, who Nguyen said ran the Asian organized crime operations in Boston's Chinatown, and Frank Goldman, who was a fellow member of the Colombo crime family. While in custody at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island, DeLeo claimed to have found a note containing incriminating information on the person who tipped agents off about his purported plan to kill the officials. But in reality, prosecutors say DeLeo wrote the note himself and had another inmate copy it before handing it to a corrections officer. On cross-examination, Kevin Barron, a lawyer representing DeLeo, sought to undermine the credibility of the informant, getting Nguyen to confirm it was only that person who claimed DeLeo was planning to kill the officials. The informant, Barron established, is 'charged with an offense tantamount with attempted murder with a firearm' in Florida after he shot someone through a door. 'He's in a lot of trouble, right?' Barron asked. 'He approached the FBI because he wants to get out of jail?' Barron sought to downplay the importance of the Google searches, claiming DeLeo, who had previously challenged the legality of his plea agreement, was simply doing 'research' to see if there were grounds for him to challenge his sentence. If the prosecutor, judge or agent had been implicated in misconduct, it would strengthen DeLeo's claim, Barron contended. He also suggested to Nguyen that it is a 'rule' in the Boston mafia that a person who kills a prosecutor, a judge or an agent would be killed themselves. Nguyen admitted he did not know the last time an Italian mafioso in America tried to kill an agent in Boston. With Nguyen off the stand, Neumann heard argument from Barron and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard. Barron again challenged the credibility of the informant, saying 'we have somebody here we know is inherently wrong. The mafia doesn't kill agents.' Still, he conceded that the credibility of the source was irrelevant to the issue of whether DeLeo violated the terms of his release. But he noted that DeLeo's hearing issues, on full display during the court hearing, raised issues about whether he was able to accurately understand the questioning from police on the day he was taken into custody. 'Why would he lie if he thought the agent was asking about what was in the papers?' Barron said, arguing DeLeo thought the question was about the searches, not the packets of information he gathered about the officials. He suggested the drug offense was not one that would require the revocation of DeLeo's bail, and again noted that it was not clear what DeLeo talked to the other convicts about. 'What makes this an allegedly serious case is the idea Mr. DeLeo is planning to kill judges and prosecutors and agents. The only source they seem to have that this is [his] purpose is this terrible witness,' Barron said. 'This is a person whose business is lying and cheating.' In her argument, Maynard countered that the accusations about the informant were a 'complete sideshow.' The information from that person is not needed to prove any of the accused violations of DeLeo's release, she said. Maynard noted it was DeLeo's burden to prove he was not a flight risk or a danger and should thus avoid detention, but she argued he could not support either prong. She noted that DeLeo had twice attempted to escape from custody, including as recently as 2011, when he was detained for a 2009 conviction. The 'fact he's now in his 80s really provides no comfort that he's not going to try to pull the same tricks he's always pulled,' Maynard said. 'Every stage of this defendant's life has been devoted to crime,' she continued. 'That is simply his way of life.' As a street boss, DeLeo was one of the highest-ranking members of one of the most powerful families in organized crime in the U.S., she argued. That connection is 'for life,' Maynard said. The 'danger here is very serious,' she added. Holyoke police website down, but it's not hacked ... just an expired credit card Woman dies after found not breathing in Westford's Long Sought-for Pond Country singer who rejected usual treatment says he's 'whipping cancer's ass' Holyoke schools, union at odds over 'exit assurances' during transition to local control 'I rode the wave as long as I could' — Mass. photo center closing after 33 years Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Judge orders Boston mobster accused of plotting to kill federal officials detained
A federal court judge on Tuesday ordered 82-year-old mobster Ralph DeLeo detained pending a hearing to revoke his supervised release, after federal prosecutors said they found evidence that DeLeo was planning to kill federal officials. The decision by District Judge Stacy Neumann came after a hearing in federal court on Thursday to determine whether there was probable cause DeLeo violated the terms of his supervised release and whether he should be detained while he waits for a revocation hearing. Neumann found there was probable cause and ordered DeLeo detained. Probation filed a motion to revoke DeLeo's supervised release on three grounds: that he lied to federal agents, that he communicated with other convicted felons and that he possessed drugs. Investigators began looking into DeLeo in May after receiving a tip that he was plotting to kill several officials involved in his most recent criminal conviction, including a federal prosecutor, a judge and a retired agent. During a search of his home, they found several burglary kits, a handwritten note about silicone masks and what investigators believed to be marijuana. Most critically, investigators found hard copies of information DeLeo compiled about the officials, including names of possible family members and addresses. During an interview, DeLeo was asked if he had help compiling the information. He said he didn't, which prosecutors contend was a lie. His cell phone records showed he communicated with at least two convicted felons: John Willis, who ran the Asian organized crime operations in Boston's Chinatown, and Frank Goldman, a fellow member of the Colombo crime family. DeLeo was the former street boss of the Boston mafia, serving as the acting leader when the person at the top of the organization was detained. He spent 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to racketeering and other charges, and was released in 2024. At the hearing, Kevin Barron, a lawyer for DeLeo, challenged the credibility of the person who tipped off investigators about the purported assassination plot. But Neumann said the accusations were 'particularly concerning.' 'Mr. DeLeo contends that the evidence against him is weak because the source of information is unreliable, and that the violations are minor,' she wrote. 'To the contrary, the false statements concern Mr. DeLeo's request for and possession of documents containing federal officials' home addresses and their family members' names.' Neumann notes in the order that DeLeo has previously said he wanted to 'chop the heads off' the officials involved in his case. As to the issue of detention, Neumann said DeLeo posed a 'substantial risk to the specific federal officials he has already investigated and others.' She dismissed the argument from his lawyer that his health issues rendered him relatively harmless. 'There is no evidence that these health issues thwarted Mr. DeLeo's capabilities,' she wrote. Neumann also pointed to what she described as DeLeo's 'determination to engage in deceitful acts even while in custody' as further evidence of his 'risk of flight and danger to the community.' At the hearing, a Massachusetts State Police trooper revealed that DeLeo wrote a note documenting the confidential source's criminal history, had another inmate copy it to another piece of paper, then turned it over to a corrections officer, suggesting he had simply stumbled upon the note, which was left on his bed. On the issue of detention, it is DeLeo's burden to prove he is neither a danger nor a flight risk. Neumann said he met neither prong. Map shows where Boston's 21 new liquor licenses for restaurants will go Mass. police watchdog decertifies officers from State Police, 3 WMass departments Bookstore Crawl supports Western Massachusetts' independent shops Multiple proposals would ban new billboards in Worcester Boston woman accused of sex trafficking minors undergoes competency evaluation Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Boston mafia street boss accused of plotting to kill federal officials
A federal judge in Boston delayed a hearing on federal prosecutors' push to detain 82-year-old Ralph DeLeo, a former leader of the Boston mafia, who is now accused of plotting to kill federal officials while in custody. Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson delayed the detention hearing several days 'in the interest of justice and proper representation,' as DeLeo secures a private lawyer to represent him in the case. In 2012, DeLeo pleaded guilty to charges of RICO conspiracy and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, for which he was sentenced to 199 months (16½ years) in prison and three years of supervised release. DeLeo has been out of prison on supervised release since May 2024. Prosecutors are now moving to put DeLeo behind bars again, writing that a confidential source tipped off law enforcement about plans by DeLeo to kill at least three federal officials involved in his criminal case. The new case against DeLeo was first reported by The Boston Globe. During a search of DeLeo's residence on May 9, prosecutors say, law enforcement found hard copy packets of personal information about multiple people, including one current and two former federal officials. They also found a 'burglary kit,' marijuana, steroids and a handwritten note discussing silicone masks. DeLeo's phone was also seized, and records showed he was communicating with known felons, including co-defendants in his RICO case, prosecutors wrote. 'DeLeo's dangerousness cannot be overstated,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard wrote in a memorandum this month petitioning for his detention. During an interview with law enforcement, the same day as the search, DeLeo said he compiled the information on the federal officials by himself without help from anyone else. But prosecutors say text messages and information from the confidential source prove that isn't true. On May 15, DeLeo was arrested for what officials say is a violation of the terms of his release: committing a federal crime when he made a false statement to federal law enforcement during an interview, communicating with co-defendants and possessing marijuana and steroids. In the filing, Maynard acknowledged the apparent violations 'may not suggest dangerousness on their face,' but said the specific accusations, namely that DeLeo was plotting to kill several people, proved the threat he posed. 'DeLeo's criminal history, which includes a conviction for murder, proves that he is more than capable of acting on his threats,' Maynard adds. The filing also points to accusations over DeLeo's prior statements — while incarcerated in 2014, he told a witness he was going to chop off a retired federal official's head. In another conversation, he asked the witness how to find information about the official online. In yet another instance, DeLeo said if he were ever going to take action against a retired official, he would do it himself because it was 'personal.' 'DeLeo has been fixated on seeking revenge for years,' the filing reads. 'DeLeo's threats to harm federal officials must be taken seriously. His sordid history shows that he is capable of scheming, planning and executing extreme violence.' That 'sordid history' includes criminal convictions dating back to when DeLeo was 16. In 1976, at 32, he was convicted of armed robbery and attempted kidnapping and sentenced to decades in prison. DeLeo escaped custody and fled to Ohio, where he again committed armed robbery. In Ohio, DeLeo kidnapped a physician and killed him when he resisted. He was in prison until 1997, when he was released at 55. Prosecutors say it was then that DeLeo became a member and former acting Boston Street Boss for the Colombo Family of La Cosa Nostra in New York, and founded the 'DeLeo Crew.' 'DeLeo's entire life has been devoted to crime,' the filing reads, adding his 'current advanced age has no bearing on his willingness or ability to continue engaging in criminal activity.' Prosecutors described DeLeo as a flight risk in addition to a danger, noting his escape from custody in the 1970s and another attempted escape decades later, in 2011. In both instances, DeLeo complained of a health issue and was taken to a hospital, where he asked to use a restroom, then stole a gun. An attorney representing DeLeo filed a motion asking that he be detained at the Federal Medical Center, Devens, due to health issues, including forthcoming dental surgery. Prosecutors said it was 'no surprise' that DeLeo 'raised the issue [of] receiving off-site treatment for medical conditions.' 'DeLeo is a career criminal with the knowledge, experience and resources he needs to hatch a flight plan,' the motion reads. Federal prosecutors noted the strength of the evidence supporting the apparent violations of DeLeo's supervised release, including the drugs found at his residence and the statements made to law enforcement that officials say are contradicted by his phone records. 'At 82 years old, facing the prospect of returning to prison after recently concluding the latest in a string of lengthy sentences, DeLeo is poised to flee,' they wrote. Man faces assault charge in Northbridge fatal shooting Leader of Somerville MS-13 'clique' pleads guilty to 2010 murder Brick thrown at Lawrence City Hall prompts increased police presence Nahant fire lieutenant charged with rape Man indicted in connection with deaths of men found near Salem Walmart Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mobster Ralph DeLeo arrested in Massachusetts
BOSTON (WPRI) — A convicted murderer and reputed former street boss of the the Colombo crime family has been arrested in Massachusetts, Target 12 has learned. Ralph F. DeLeo, 82, was arrested on Thursday, according to new court documents filed in Massachusetts U.S. District Court. DeLeo, who'd been in federal prison for about a decade, was released on parole in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website. Details of his arrest haven't yet been announced, but DeLeo appeared Thursday afternoon for a revocation hearing before Massachusetts U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Levenson. He was advised of his rights and the charges against him before being sent back into the custody of federal officials, according to minutes of the hearing. DeLeo has been scheduled for a detention hearing at 2:30 p.m. Friday. FBI Boston spokesperson Kristen Setera said DeLeo was taken into custody 'without incident.' She referred all further questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A spokesperson for Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley declined to comment on the arrest, pending the outcome of the hearing. DeLeo, who grew up and launched his criminal career in the Boston area, rose to the highest levels of the New York-based Colombo crime family, becoming reputed 'street boss' for about a year around 2008, according to the FBI. He pleaded guilty in 2012 to sweeping racketeering charges, along with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. As part of the racketeering charge, federal agents accused him of trafficking illegal narcotics, extortion and loan sharking among other things. The so-called 'DeLeo Crew' operated primarily in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Florida and Arkansas, according to the FBI. The Colombo family is considered one of five most powerful crime families in New York under the umbrella of La Cosa Nostra. DeLeo was convicted of murder in Ohio for the 1977 slaying of Dr. Walter Bond, according to The Columbus Dispatch. DeLeo's sentence was commuted by Ohio Gov. Richard Celeste after serving 12 years. Celeste told The Dispatch at the time he agreed to commute DeLeo's sentence because he was assured DeLeo 'wasn't going to be out on the street,' according to the newspaper. Eli Sherman (esherman@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Tim White (twhite@ is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
