Gloucester District Court: Woman gets jail time in check theft case

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March 9, 2013

Gloucester District Court: Woman gets jail time in check theft case

Gloucester District Court

By Marjorie Nesin Staff Writer The Gloucester Daily Times Sat Mar 09, 2013, 12:00 AM EST

A 22-year-old Gloucester woman pleaded guilty to a total of 12 counts of various charges, most related to larceny, check forgery and drugs, Monday in Gloucester District Court.

Ashley M. Williamson of Sylvan Court was ordered to serve 6 months in jail, with 31 days already deemed served. Plus, she could be ordered to serve an additional six months of jail time if she breaks the terms of her probation, which carries through August 2015.

Williamson was ordered to pay a total of $610 in assessments and restitution. She was also ordered to remain sober and can be subjected to random drug and alcohol screens.

Wiliamson was first charged and wanted in these cases in October, when she stole checks from her boyfriend’s coworker, wrote the checks out to herself, and cashed the checks in her own name.

In November, police arrested Williamson again on a warrant charge of illegal possession of prescription drugs and of heroin.

A man who was charged with disorderly conduct, after attempting to gain entry into a home that police said he mistook as his own while “intoxicated,” was found guilty on the charge and ordered to pay a $100 fine.

Manuel P. Silva, 24, of Fenley Road, arrested in December on the charge and an additional charge of an attempt to commit a crime, had the charge dismissed in court on failure to prosecute.

“It was clear that Mr. Silva had mistaken (another family’s) home for his own due to his intoxication,” police wrote in the report.

Silva was also ordered to stay away from the residence that he attempted to enter.

Two assault and battery charges against 30-year-old James Brown of Exchange Street were dismissed on failure to prosecute in court Monday.

Brown had been arrested in August when he was charged with pinning a woman against a wall by pressing his forearm to her throat, then punching another man in the face, according to a police report.

A charge of parking an uninsured vehicle on a public roadway leveled against Walter R. Franklin, 29, of Lewis Court will be dismissed if the man pays court costs of $300, Judge Joseph Jennings decided at a pre-trial hearing.

Franklin, who was arrested after police saw his car uninsured and parked on a Gloucester roadway, was also found responsible for the vehicle not having an active registration during the December traffic stop.

Justin Bresnahan, 27, of Bond Street saw charges including drunken and reckless driving continued without a finding to next year, though the judge found that he admitted to sufficient facts in the case. Bresnahan was found guilty of failure to stop for police in the same case.

Bresnahan was ordered to attend alcohol education programs, pay $600 in fines and assessments on the drunken driving charge and pay a $100 fine on the charge of not stopping for police. Bresnahan’s license will be seized for 45 days.

Bresnahan had been arrested in December after leading police on a chase that begun with him allegedly driving into Kent Circle and looping around the Christmas tree set up there. Bresnahan was found not responsible for a marked lanes violation but responsible for speeding.

Grove Street resident Jason Fennessey, 34, pleaded guilty on a charge of selling alcohol to a minor that resulted from an August arrest, when he bought a 6-pack of Bud Light beer for a minor who was working with police.

Fennessey was ordered to pay a $50 assessment fee, required to complete 40 hours of community service, and placed on probation until July 2015.

Marjorie Nesin can be reached at 978-283-7000, x3451, or at mnesin@gloucestertimes.com.