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Former State Senator Pleads Guilty to Federal Obstruction Charge

FITCHBURG – A local man and former state senator convicted in September 2024 for fraudulent collection of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and tax charges pleaded guilty to additional charges on Friday, Dec. 19.

Dean Tran, 50, of Fitchburg, pleaded guilty to single charges of Obstruction of Justice and Making False Statements in September 2024. He is serving an 18-month sentence in federal prison.

A federal grand jury indicted both Tran and his sister, Tiyet Martin, in June 2024, for the most recent charges.

According to federal prosecutors, while investigating the prior charges, federal agents questioned Tran at his home while executing of a search warrant. During questioning, agents asked him about a letter he submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) to get benefits reinstated that were suspended.

Prosecutors say that during that interview, Tran made false statements to federal agents, including that Martin authored the letter. Tran revised the letter before sending it to DUA. He also said that Martin signed the letter when he signed her name to it.

The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Old Grumbly Fan’s Week 16 Patriots Preview vs. the Ravens

After a bye week, the Patriots came out firing on all cylinders versus the Bills in the first half, only to see a resurgent Josh Allen lead the Bills on 5 straight touchdown drives to seal the 35-31 comeback win for the Bills. The Patriots are 11-3 and the Bills 10-4 with three games to go.

Coach Vrabel’s team had a strong start to the game, scoring touchdowns on 3 of four drives, going up 21-0, while holding the Bills to three straight punts to open the game. A 15-yard penalty on a 38-yard Ray Davis kickoff return gave the Bills great field position on their second possession of the second quarter. The Bills scored to cut the lead to 21-7, and the Patriots answered with a field goal before the half to go into the locker room up 24-7. It was all Bills in the second half.

Drake Maye had a good first half, with two rushing touchdowns, and a 9 for 11 start to the game. In the second half, Maye was 5-12 with a pick, and three key sacks. He had a spectacular block for TreVeyon Henderson’s 65-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter, but that was the last gasp of the Patriots offense for the day. The Bills came up big on defense, and despite some tough calls, the Pats QB just was not on target in the second half.

Josh McDaniels had a game plan that exploited the Bills’ terrible run defense. The Pats ran for 246 yards, and all four touchdowns came on the ground, with two from Maye and two from Henderson. Henderson continues to show elite speed with a 52-yard run to go along with the late 65-yarder. His Rookie of the Year campaign is heating up.

The defense got Josh Allen’d for five straight drives. Allen’s ability to extend plays, and make spectacular finishes out of nothing was on full display in the second half. For the first time all year, a quarterback truly picked the Patriots apart despite not having huge yardage numbers. The Bills got amazing field position from Ray Davis, who had 161 yards on kick returns and made the Patriots pay for it time and again.

The Pats pass rush continues to be the constant flaw in this year’s team. While they got to Allen twice, he consistently kept the rush that got near him at bay in the second half with timely throws and key runs to pick up first downs.

Stefon Diggs had another quiet game with 3 catches for 26 yards on only four targets after his huge game earlier this year against the Bills in Buffalo. I think that the Patriots offense will go as far as it can with Diggs in a primary position. Let’s hope the coaches agree and get him the ball more.

Old Grumbly Fan Predictions

The Patriots are 11-3 with their destiny in their hands. If they beat the struggling Ravens on Sunday Night Football, they clinch their first playoff game since Mac Jones’ rookie season. If they win out, they are the division champs as well. With the Dolphins and the Jets to end the year, this Ravens game is a must-win.

Lamar Jackson has struggled with injuries all year, and Baltimore has never quite found its stride. They beat the Bengals badly last week, 24-0, and are just behind the Steelers in the AFC North. The Ravens need this game just as much as the Patriots, and maybe more with their playoff lives on the line. The NFL flexed this game into prime-time, which shows you just how far the Patriots have come from their back to back 4-13 seasons.

Maye has not had many bad games to come back from this year, but here we are. All the elements are there for a big time game, with big time implications. The Ravens are favored at home and the Patriots defense is still riddled with key injuries. I see a shootout down in the Charm City. I think Maye bounces back and has a big game under those SNF lights.

Pats 38 – Ravens 35

Support these Verified Fundraisers for Brown Univ. Students

PROVIDENCE – Investigators discovered the body of the man officials say carried out the shooting at Brown University on Saturday, Dec. 13, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, in a storage unit in New Hampshire.  While speculation on a motive will continue, the hooting , will start moving out of the news cycle.

The pain of the families of the two killed in the shooting, Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, will continue. Of the nine other students injured in the shooting, three were released from a hospital and six are in stable condition, according to the Providence Journal. They face recovery from physical and psychological wounds.

The online crowdsourcing website GoFundMe verified five fundraising efforts on its platform as authentic efforts to support the families of the deceased, survivors, and other Brown University students.

Samira Umurzokova launched a fundraiser in memory of her brother MukhammadAziz, who died in the shooting. She writes that the funds raised will support funeral expenses, with any funds remaining donated to charity. At the time of publication, that effort had received over $500,000 in contributions.

Another donation page supports the recover of Jacob Spears, an 18-year-old computer science major at Brown. According to the donation page, Spears sustained a gunshot wound to the stomach while taking his final exam for an economics class. Despite his injuries, the page says he ran outside despite his injuries where he received aid. At the time of publication, that effort had received over $93,000.

According to the donation page supporting the recovery of Matthew Wang, the freshman sustained two gunshot wounds, including one to his lung. While he is in stable condition, the page says he will require ongoing treatment. At the time of publication, that effort had received over $28,000.

A fourth fundraiser seeks to support the medical and funeral expenses of those affected by the shooting. At the time of publication, that effort had received over $86,000, and donations to it were paused.

The final verified fundraiser, started by recent Brown graduate Autumn Wong, is raising funds to help Brown students get home as they face challenges and costs related to changes to flights and bookings.

Find all of these fundraisers, which the company verifies as authentic with all donations protected, on the GoFundMe Brown University shooting relief page.

 

 

Sobriety Checkpoint in Worcester County Dec. 11 to Dec. 12

WORCESTER – The Massachusetts State Police announced there will be a sobriety checkpoint in Worcester County from Saturday, Dec. 20, to Sunday, Dec. 21.

Police are required to announce the dates and county which sobriety checkpoints will appear. The checkpoint will appear on a public way within Worcester County.

According to the state police, the purpose of sobriety checkpoints is “to further educate the motoring public and strengthen the public’s awareness to the need of detecting and removing motorists who operate under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs from our roadways.”

A grant from the Office of Grants and Research, a division of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety, funded the operation.

 

State Law Opens Records of Worcester State Hospital, Other Asylums

BOSTON – Gov. Maura Healey highlighted changes to state laws on records related to the former institutional system in Massachusetts on Wednesday, Dec. 18, that were included in the state supplemental budget passed by the legislature and signed in on Nov. 25.

Included in the supplemental budget were changes to state law that make state institutional records public after 75 years, or 50 years after the death of the patient. The changes were modeled after a series of reports from the Special Commission on State Institutions released earlier this year. The reports include a 366 research report that outlines the history of state institutions in Massachusetts.

The Center for Developmental Disabilities Evaluation and Research, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, and UMass Chan Medical School collaborated to create the research report.

The law covers records of over 25 institutions, most of which are now closed, including four in Worcester County:

  • Worcester State Hospital (1833 – 1991)
    • Alternative names: Worcester Insane Asylum, Worcester Lunatic Asylum
  • Westborough State Hospital (1884-2010)
    • Alternative name: Westborough Insane Hospital
  • Grafton State Hospital (1901-1973)
    • Alternative name: Grafton Farm Colony
  • Gardner State Hospital (1902 – 1975)
    • Alternative names: State Colony for the Insane, Gardner State Colony
  • State Reform School for Boys in Westborough (1848-1884)

“It’s crucial that family members have access to the records of their loved ones from their time in state institutions,” said Governor Healey. “Not only will it help inform them of their own family history, but this provision will allow our researchers and scholars to tell the full story of the many people who were impacted by these institutions. While we can’t change what occurred in the past, we’re doing what we can today to provide family members with the dignity that they deserve.

The special committee report covers the public laws that led to the establishment of these institutions by category, including:

  • Methods of Public Assistance for the Able-Bodied and Sick Poor – Town Almshouses, Workhouses, and Poor Farms (1600s and 1700s)
  • Poor and Vagrancy Laws for the Able-Bodied and Sick –House of Corrections (1700s)
  • Laws for the Relief of Idiots and Distracted Persons, Including Lunatics: Guardianship Laws (1726 – 177918)
  • Use of Town Pauper Auctions to Privatize Support of Paupers Unable to Care for Themselves (late 1700s – 1830s)
  • House of Corrections Commitment and Discharge Laws Void of Legal Protections for “Idiots” and “Lunatics” (1797 – 1835)
  • Introduction of Age-related Classifications for the Poor – State Pauper Idiots and Lunatics (1800s)
  • Financial Support of the Poor, Including Reimbursements for Pauper Idiots and Lunatics (1800s)
  • A Shift to State Care Models – Reports and Subsequent Laws Supporting the Treatment of “Idiots” and “Lunatics” in Hospitals (1820s)
  • Mid-19th Century Reform Movement
  • The Emergence of Institutional Care for “Mentally Ill” Convicts in Massachusetts (1840s– 1880s)
  • The Evolution of Massachusetts’ Almshouse System (1850s)
  • Placement of Idiots and Lunatics not Furiously Mad in Town and State Almshouses (1850s – 1860s)
  • Commitments of Children to State Institutions: Primary and Reform Schools (1850s – 1860s)

The report also has a section on the opening of the State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester in the 1830s.

The full report and summary reports are available on the state’s website.

 

Image credit: Bree Bailey from USA, Worcester state hospital (2817790263), CC BY-SA 2.0

 

Worcester Councilors Seek Legal Opinion: Can City Auditor Audit?

During the Worcester City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16, an order by Councilor Etel Haxhiaj requested the City Auditor conduct an audit of the Worcester Police Department (WPD) Bureau of Professional Standards (BOPS) records to ensure the accuracy of: 1) all officer information cards; and 2) annual data compilations of investigations.”

As Haxhiaj said during the meeting, this order originated with me.

Earlier this year, Mayor Joe Petty went full Belichickian and claimed he had previously misinterpreted the rules. The new interpretation of his unilateral declaration, in practice, prohibits residents from petitioning on any issue that may not be in the political interests of elected officials to vote on. Parking spots, speed bumps, and such are fine. Any resident who seeks the council to address any other issue must turn into a lobbyist and beg one of the elected elites to put the item on the agenda.

I asked Haxhiaj to put this item on the agenda as I recently discovered two issues with records related to internal misconduct investigations at the WPD.

The department maintains a document for every officer called an officer information card. This document lists all the internal investigations of an officer and the findings of each investigation.

The officer information card for the current president of the NEPBA Local 911, the union that represents patrol officers, Thomas Duffy II, lists 28 investigations that include 57 allegations, with 17 of those allegations of unreasonable force. I received this document through a public records request to the city. At the bottom, it says the city produced the document in May 2025.

As should be expected, when his coworkers investigated him, they found him not responsible for all 57 allegations. As implausible as that is, some self-proclaimed moderates (as I recently wrote, they aren’t moderate at all) are demanding this same system riddled with conflicts of interest stay in place.

Recently, I received a copy of an internal investigation report from a resident completed and signed in 2023, which included new allegations against Duffy. Surprising no one, his coworkers also cleared him of these three allegations against him, bringing the total to 60 consecutive allegations cleared.

This investigation did not appear on the officer information card for investigations into Duffy’s alleged misconduct.

Earlier this year I requested a data compilation of internal investigations from 2000 to 2024. I hoped to analyze the results of internal investigations over a long-term period.

I received documents from 2017 to 2023. The public records office said the department didn’t have this data compiled prior to 2017.

Both a lack of accurate documentation and the lack of documentation shouldn’t be acceptable. In normal cities, it wouldn’t be. In the punchline of a city government in Worcester, these records being correct is even more pressing with a city council that refuses to police its own law enforcement employees.

When this item came up for the council, I expected a race among the majority to kneel at the altar of loyalty to the union to enter a motion to file (throw it away). Instead, Councilor Kate Toomey used a more nuanced approach and asked for a legal opinion from the city solicitor if the city auditor could perform this work.

Yes, the city council needs a legal opinion to determine if the auditor can audit.

That may seem like a delay, but it’s likely lost forever in the abyss of information requests from the council. That’s exactly as intended.

In the antiquated and useless system of government in Worcester, councilors conduct no oversight of the executive branch. Rather than demand answers under their responsibility to conduct legislative inquiry, they request information from the city manager. Nearly all information that councilors acquire is filtered through the administration. The volume of requests enables the administration to select which requests it fulfills. Naturally, they respond to the requests that are in its interest.

Despite the unanimous support of the council, the administration has no responsibility to respond.

That’s why Toomey made the motion she did. Staying true to form, any analysis of anything at the police department is unacceptable. It is another example of most of the council screaming to police officers in this city that they can do anything they want. A majority of the council has “got their backs.”

Thankfully, most officers have ethics. A minority are thrilled to take that message from the council majority and run with it. The cover provided from the council majority encourages more officers to join the free-for-all minority.

That a legal interpretation of the city auditor’s ability to audit requires a legal opinion is peak Worcester. I recall no other time the domain of the auditor came into question.

Here are some other orders that appeared on the city council agenda this year that didn’t require a legal interpretation:

  • Sept. 9 – COMMUNICATION of the City Auditor transmitting an informational communication auditing construction progress reports completed or not completed, information related to street selections, as well as
  • Aug. 19 – Request City Auditor provide City Council with a report detailing all data from the past eighteen (18) months between Dispatch and the Worcester Police Department (WPD) concerning the Main South area.
  • Jan. 28 – Request City Auditor conduct an audit of city’s sign creation processes that includes: 1) completion timelines; 2) installation timelines; and 3) compliance/noncompliance issues related to said process
  • Jan. 14 – Request City Auditor organize and conduct a performance audit relative to the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Investigation of the Worcester Police Department (WPD) and the City of Worcester, Massachusetts that includes a review of WPD body camera footage and reconciles any disparities provided in the DOJ report. Further, request City Auditor include in said performance audit whether oversight occurred and whether any subsequent disciplinary action took place.

Like the order requesting the police department provide a written report of the aspects of the DOJ report which it confirmed as accurate, don’t hold your breath for any attempt from the city council to set an expectation of accurate information from the police department.

Don’t expect the Public Safety Committee to bring anything related to this topic up. As Toomey once said in response to a resident petition for hearings on systemic racism in that committee, which she chairs, they have crime stats to look at.

A majority of elected officials will not only do absolutely nothing on oversight of police misconduct, a de facto encouragement of it, but residents who seek information to inform themselves can’t count on that data to be accurate.

The message is loud and clear: Worcester residents are on their own.

MassDOT Awards Funding for 5 Local Road Paving Projects

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced $50 million in funding for 34 municipalities for the paving of 217 roads across the state.

The funding from the Municipal Pavement Program supports municipally owned state-numbered routes. The program prioritizes National Highway Systems roadways.

This investment in municipal paving is about delivering significant improvements that make a difference in the lives of people across Massachusetts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “By helping cities and towns repair and maintain local roads, we’re making every day travel safer, supporting local economies, and easing the burden on municipal budgets – so residents can see and feel the impact of their government at work.”

MassDOT selects the projects the program supports based on pavement condition data the proportion of state numbered routes in poor condition in a municipality, and geographic equity.

The announcement included funding for projects in fiscal year 2027 and 2028. MassDOT did not announce the funding amounts for each project.

The Worcester County municipalities receiving funding in fiscal year 2027 include:

  • Worcester – Route 122
  • Leominster – Route 117
  • Uxbridge – Route 98

In 2028, the local projects supported are:

  • Brookfield – Route 148
  • Paxton – Route 31

The other projects across the state receiving state support in fiscal year 2027:

  • Cummington – Route 112
  • North Adams – Route 8A
  • West Stockbridge – Route 41
  • Williamstown – Route 43
  • Worthington – Route 112
  • Agawam – Route 75
  • Agawam – Route 57
  • Westfield – Route 10 and Route 202
  • Westhampton – Route 66
  • Bedford – Route 4
  • Carlisle – Route 225
  • Salem – Route 114
  • Harwich – Route 124
  • Harwich – Route 39
  • Kingston – Route 106
  • Norfolk – Route 115
  • Plympton – Route 58

In fiscal year 2028:

  • Adams – Route 8
  • Cheshire – Route 116
  • Savoy – Route 116
  • Hadley – Route 47
  • Northampton – Route 66
  • Springfield – Route 141
  • Sudbury – Route 27
  • Billerica – Route 129
  • Georgetown – Route 133
  • Rowley – Route 133
  • Brewster – Route 137
  • Bridgewater – Route 104
  • Truro – Route 6A
  • Newton – Route 30

Worcester Public Library’s Top Items Borrowed in 2025

WORCESTER – The Worcester Public Library (WPL) announced on Monday, Dec. 16, that its total volume of items loaned exceeded 600,000 in 2025.

WPL also released its top ten borrowed items for kids, teens, and adults tin 2025.

“We remain focused on connecting our patrons with the books that matter to them, whether it’s a blockbuster bestseller, a cherished children’s series, or the latest installment in a popular graphic novel,” said Tressa Santillo, Director for Library Innovation and Public Services. “With more than 600,000 items borrowed in 2025, this year’s top checkouts offer a clear snapshot
of the titles that engaged readers of all ages across our community.”

Here are the three top-ten lists:

Top 10 loaned items for kids

  1. “Dog Man: Big Jim Begins” by Dav Pilkey
  2. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer” by Jeff Kinney
  3. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess” by Jeff Kinney
  4. “Dog Man: Grime and Punishment” by Dav Pilkey
  5. “Dog Man: Mothering Heights” by Dav Pilkey
  6. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde” by Jeff Kinney
  7. “Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers” by Dav Pilkey
  8. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal” by Jeff Kinney
  9. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End” by Jeff Kinney
  10. “Dog Man” by Dav Pilkey

Top 10 teens:

  1. “Everything, Everything” by Nicola Yoon
  2. “Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1” by Gege Akutami
  3. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy, Vol. 1” by Natsuki Hokami
  4. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins
  5. “Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 2” by Gege Akutami
  6. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 1” by Koyoharu Gotouge
  7. “Blue Lock, Vol. 1” by Muneyuki Kaneshiro
  8. “Spy x Family, Vol. 1” by Tatsuya Endō
  9. “Solo” by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess
  10. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy, Vol. 2” by Natsuki Hokami

Top 10 adults:

  1. “The Women” by Kristin Hannah
  2. “Great Big Beautiful Life” by Emily Henry
  3. “We All Live Here: A Novel” by Jojo Moyes
  4. “Strangers in Time” by David Baldacci
  5. “The Waiting” by Michael Connelly
  6. “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore
  7. “Nightshade: A Novel” by Michael Connelly
  8. “Lies He Told Me” by James Patterson and David Ellis
  9. “The Writer” by James Patterson and JD Barker
  10. “Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Novel” by Shelby Van Pelt

 

Image Courtesy of Worcester Public Libary