Boston Accident Injury Lawyer Blog

September 29, 2009 - Yesterday, a federal court judge in Los Angeles, California entered a default judgment against Clelia A. Flores and her business Maximum Return Investments, Inc ("MRI") in a lawsuit brought by the SEC. According to the SEC's complaint filed in April, Flores and MRI operated a $23 million Ponzi scheme targeting the Hispanic-American community. The judgment entered ordered a permanent injunction against Flores and MRI from committing future violations of various SEC regulations as well as ordering Flores and MRI to pay over $11 million in fines and disgorgement fees.

Flores and MRI allegedly solicited investors by offering rates of return as high as 25% in just 30 to 45 days. The funds were supposedly invested in real estate, commodities, and bank trading instruments. However, the complaint alleged that neither Flores nor MRI invested in the promised securities.

Instead, the SEC claims that Flores and MRI paid out approximately $13 million to older investors, in a typical Ponzi scheme pattern, and used $5.6 million for high-risk investments and start-up companies that never paid MRI any returns. Apparently, Flores used $3.5 million for personal expenses including a $443,000 house and $1.5 million for MRI's operating expenses and an extravagant party for investors.

September 29, 2009 - Francis Pare, 65 years old from Malden, Massachusetts, has died due to serious personal injuries sustained when he lost control of his motorcycle while traveling north on Route 1 in Saugus at around 12:45 p.m. on Saturday. Joanne Vasel, 49 from Revere, was a passenger on the bike and was seriously injured.

According to police, Pare was driving 2000 Harley Davidson and when he lost control the bike left the roadway and eventually collided with a utility pole. Pare was transported by ambulance to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Vasel was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.

The accident remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police.

Source: Boston.com

September 29, 2009 - Venkat Reddy Enukonda, 43, and Bhagya Lakshimi Beram,51, both from India, died Wednesday night and Ramkishor Sadu, 29 of West Haven, Connecticut, was pronounced dead on Sunday after all three men suffered severe personal injuries in a single vehicle accident on Route 495 South in Bolton, Massachusetts. Enukonda and Beram were passengers in a 2009 Hyundai Accent driven by Sadu. The accident occurred at around 11:28 p.m. on Wednesday, just prior to the Route 62 exit on 495.

Apparently Sadu lost control of the car and it veered off of the highway and rolled over before being stopped by a tree in the median.

According to the Massachusetts State Police, Enukonda was trapped in the backseat and was pronounced dead at the scene. Beram was apparently ejected from the vehicle and was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

According to police, Sadu was trapped in the car and was medflighted to Massachusetts General Hospital. Srinal Enukonda, 28 also from West Haven, was ejected from the backseat and was transported by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center. The front seat passenger, Sankarsh Reddy, 28 from Rushton, Louisiana, was also ejected and taken to UMass Memorial.

According to the state police, no one was wearing seat belts.

The accident remains under investigation by the state police and Bolton Police and Fire Departments.

Source: Metro West Daily News

September 29, 2009 - Rebecca Andronaco, 17 years old from Methuen, Massachusetts and a Methuen High School senior, and her 15 year old twin brothers sustained personal injuries in an auto accident on their way to school. Andronaco lost control of her 2003 Ford Mustang at around 7:00 a.m. yesterday morning at the intersection of Charles Street and Broadway in Methuen.

Andronaco was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Hampshire Street and Broadway. According to police, when the light turned green, Andronaco accelerated at a high rate of speed onto Charles Street. She subsequently lost control of her vehicle and careened into a parked 2003 Lincoln Aviator causing the Mustang to spin and hit a concrete light post. The vehicle continued to spin and finally came to a stop by hitting a building located at 270 Lawrence Street.

Andronaco was taken by a medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was listed as being in fair condition last night. Her two brothers were taken to Lawrence General Hospital and were released yesterday after being treated for minor injuries.

Police have confirmed that speed was definitely a factor in the crash and the wet road conditions may have played a role. The accident remains under investigation by the Methuen Police Department.

Source: The Eagle Tribune

September 28, 2009 - Eugene Blanchette, 73, and Robert Wilson, 66 both from Belchertown, Massachusetts, suffered serious personal injuries when their cars collided in Hadley just after 10 a.m. on Monday. According to police, the two cars were traveling towards each other Bay Road near East Hadley Road when one of the cars drifted into the on-coming lane. It is unclear which car caused the accident.

Blanchette was taken by a medical helicopter to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and was listed as being in critical condition. Wilson was transported by ambulance to Baystate and was listed in serious condition.

The Massachusetts State Police are continuing to investigate this accident.

Source: Masslive.com

September 22, 2009 - Elizabeth Oldrid, 47 years old from Pembroke, Massachusetts, has died as a result of serious personal injuries sustained in a head-on collision on Saturday. Timothy George, 32 from Brockton, was driving the car that collided with Oldrid's vehicle. Oldrid's 17 year old daughter, Alexandria Oldrid, and her daughter's 15 year old friend, Savannah Alexander, were injured in the crash. The accident occurred at around 8:30 p.m. on Route 14 near Red Barn Road heading towards Pembroke center.

According to the Pembroke Police Department, George was driving at around 70 mph in a 45 mph zone and was passing other automobiles. George's car crossed the center line and crashed head-on into Oldrid's car. The part of Route 14 where the accident occurred was a no-passing zone.

Sadly, Elizabeth Oldrid was pronounced dead at the scene after receiving medical treatment. Alexandria Oldrid was treated and released from South Shore Hospital and Savannah Alexander was listed as being in fair condition on Tuesday at Brigham and Women's Hospital. George was taken to South Shore Hospital, where he was treated and released into police custody.

Apparently, George had alcohol on his breath and exhibited slurred speech and glassy eyes. Police also discovered cocaine and a device to snort cocaine in George's possession.

George was arraigned in Plymouth District Court on Monday and several charges were brought against him including two counts of negligent motor vehicle homicide. The judge set bail at $20,000 and set a pre-trial hearing for October 19th.

Source: WickedLocal.com

September 15, 2009 - A husband and wife suffered serious personal injuries when their motorcycle collided with a car in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts on Sunday. The accident occurred just before 3:00 p.m. at 256 Old Main Street near a gas station in South Yarmouth.

According to the Yarmouth Fire Department, the husband was driving the motorcycle and the wife was his passenger. The man was transported by a medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital and the woman was taken to Cape Cod Hospital. The couple's injuries were considered non-life threatening.

This accident remains under investigation.

Source: Cape Cod Times

September 15, 2009 - Blake Goodman, 21 years old from Wakefield, Massachusetts, has died as a result of serious personal injuries sustained when he was riding a bicycle in Amherst. Goodman was accompanied by John Deary, 24 from Amherst. The two men were hit by a dark-colored automobile while riding their bikes on Montague Road in Amherst at 10:26 p.m. on Saturday.

The driver of the car fled the scene after hitting the young men. The vehicle is believed to be a Ford and to have damage to the passenger-side front end and the passenger side-view mirror. The driver has yet to be identified.

Both Goodman and Deary were transported by ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital, where Goodman unfortunately died. Dreary was treated and released with a leg injury.

Goodman was a recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and according to his father, was an aspiring filmmaker.

No arrests have been made and neither the driver nor the vehicle have been located. This accident remains under investigation by the Amherst Police Department and anyone with further information is asked to contact them at 413-259-3000.

Source: The Boston Herald

September 9, 2009 - Philip G. Barry and his business entities Leverage Group, Leverage Option Management Co., Inc., and North American Financial Services were sued yesterday by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC has charged Barry with securities fraud alleging that he operated a Ponzi scheme, which commenced in 1978, involved approximately 800 investors with over $40 million in losses.

The fraudulent investment scam operated out of Barry's Brooklyn, New York offices. The alleged victims include many residents and friends from his own Bay Ridge neighborhood, where he grew up and still resides.

According to the SEC's complaint, Barry lured investors with promises of returns as high as 21% on investments in options and other securities. However, Barry apparently used investor funds for other investments including real estate, a mail order pornography business, and other personal uses. Allegedly, Barry ceased making investments in options and other securities as early as 1999.