Massachusetts
A man put a juvenile in a CT hotel to perform sex acts for money. He could face life in prison.
A man pleaded guilty to allegations he transported a teenager to New York and Connecticut to engage in commercial sex.
Leon Blount III, 31, of Boston, pleaded guilty to three counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
He is expected to face sentencing on April 24, officials said.
“Blount admitted today that he sought out and took advantage of a vulnerable young woman and limited her freedom,” Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England, said in a statement Wednesday. “This is a pattern we see again and again with human traffickers. Today’s plea brings us another step closer to justice for those he victimized.”
According to federal officials, Blount met the victim while she was living at a Massachusetts group home for transitional-age adolescents. He gave her alcohol and marijuana and recruited her to travel out-of-state to engage in commercial sex, officials said.
Between July and August 2022, Blount transported the 17-year-old girl from Massachusetts to New York and Connecticut to engage in commercial sex “for his financial benefit,” according to federal officials. While in New York, Blount directed her to solicit sex buyers in an area of Brooklyn that is known for commercial sex.
Throughout this period, Blount stayed in close contact with the victim using text messages to ensure that she continued to perform sex acts when he was not physically present, federal officials said. To attract more sex buyers, Blount made sure the victim’s photo was posted on websites that advertise commercial sex, according to officials. He then put the girl in hotel rooms in Woburn, Massachusetts and Hartford where he directed her to perform sex acts with buyers to earn more money.
The charge of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity includes a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, according to officials. The charge also carries at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Blount has been in custody since September 2022. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023.
“Human trafficking is not just a crime; it is a profound violation of human dignity,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement Wednesday. “The unimaginable harm inflicted upon victims is happening too frequently in our communities. Our dedicated Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit remains committed to bringing traffickers to justice, providing unwavering support to survivors, and relentlessly pursuing those who exploit the most vulnerable.”
It’s cold and gray and the idea of heading outside is literally chilling. You need beauty, history, intrigue and warmth.
Fortunately the Bay State is blessed with fantastic museums, both major institutions and small, unique versions.
Consider adding these museums to your cold winter venture list.
The One With the Heist
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (https://www.gardnermuseum.org) is worth a winter visit for its beautiful indoor courtyard, lovely café and intimate art display rooms.
But there’s so much more. First, the story behind how the museum was founded is told via photos and written word along one wall of the museum. It’s a great story with a female lead: Isabella herself commissioned it all after the art collector inherited just under $2 million back in the late 1800s.
But then there’s The Heist: the largest and still-unsolved art theft that went down in the wee hours of March 18, 1990 is the stuff of legend – and documentaries. Read up – or watch up – on it before a visit.
The One With the Murder Mystery
Did Lizzie Borden take an ax? Head down to Fall River and spend some time in the home where the infamous murders took place on Aug. 4, 1892. The Lizzie Borden House (https://lizzie-borden.com) offers property tours, ghost tours, cemetery tours and even a 10 p.m. -midnight ghost hunt.
The day tours are the only time you get access to every room, including the one that Abby Borden, Lizzie’s stepmother, was murdered in.
You can stay overnight should you wish, sleeping (or staying awake listening for ghostly creaks) where it all happened.
Hosts share facts and encourage opinion and speculation about the murders, the existence of ghosts and more.
“The Trial of Lizzie Borden” by Cara Robinson is a perfect fireside read, and will get you up to speed on all the nuances of the case before you visit.
The One with the Cat in the Hat
You never grow out of Dr. Seuss, and a winter visit to The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield (https://seussinspringfield.org) is a great place to celebrate Theodor Geisel – his childhood in Springfield, creativity, success and more.
There are family friendly games, amazing displays and a setting that warms your heart. You’re treated to kid-friendly biographical information, and a Seuss trivia quiz.
The One With the Heroes
The Hull Lifesaving Museum isn’t big, but it packs a huge and amazing story.
Located in the former Point Allerton US Lifesaving Station on Nantasket Avenue (https://www.hulllifesavingmuseum.org) which opened in 1889 under the leadership of Joshua James who is considered a “father” of the US Coast Guard, the museum celebrates not just the founding of the Coast Guard, but “skills, courage and caring,” the hallmarks of sea lifesaving programs,
You’ll learn about the history of these lifesaving skills, the people who helped innovate those programs and more about the sea, ships and more.
The Museum has a standing collection as well as special exhibits and is open year-round. Before your visit, read up on the deadly Great Blizzard of 1888 in which more than 200 ships were either grounded or wrecked on the East Coast.
Massachusetts
Search underway for missing woman Owen Kasozi in Beverly, last seen walking dog on Christmas Eve
BEVERLY – A search is underway in Massachusetts for missing woman Owen Kasozi, who police say is “possibly endangered.” Police said she was last seen on Tuesday at about 3 p.m. near the JC Phillips Nature Preserve in Beverly.
Her family tells WBZ-TV she was walking her dog at the time.
I-Team sources say police are looking into reports that Kasozi was walking or running after her dog when she went missing. A dog believed to be Kasozi’s was found wet in Topsfield, and her car was found nearby.
A Massachusetts State Police helicopter was helping to search the area around 801 Cabot St. in Beverly on Wednesday. Anyone who has seen Kasozi or has information is asked to call Beverly police at 978-922-1212.
It’s Christmas Day! Time to open presents, be with loved ones and celebrate the beauty of giving. Even on Christmas, there are still a few places you can go for last-minute provisions. But can you go to the bank or post office or catch a bus?
Here’s what is open and closed on Dec. 25, 2024.
Government
City and town offices: Closed
State offices: Closed
Registry of Motor Vehicles: Closed
State and local courts: Closed
Federal courts: Closed
Finance
Banks: Closed. Most ATMs will remain open.
Stock market: Both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are closed.
Alcohol and recreational drugs
Liquor stores: Open
Cannabis dispensaries: Massachusetts regulators don’t identify specific holidays when cannabis dispensaries must close, according to the Cannabis Control Commission. It’s up to the respective cannabis store as to whether they choose to be open or closed on Christmas Day.
Convenience stores and gas stations
Gas stations are allowed to be open on holidays, according to Massachusetts labor laws.
The following gas stations and adjoining convenience stores should be open on Christmas:
- BP
- Citgo
- Circle K
- Cumberland Farms
- Exxon Mobil
- Gulf
- Irving Oil
- Neon Marketplace
- Season’s Corner Market
- Sunoco
- Shell
- Speedway
- 7-Eleven
Shopping
Auburn Mall: Closed
Holyoke Mall: Closed
Hampshire Mall: Closed
Eastfield Mall: Closed
Natick Mall: Closed
Big Y: Closed
Stop & Shop: Closed
Market Basket: Closed
Price Rite: Closed
Star Market: Closed
Walmart: Closed
Target: Closed
Wegmans: Closed
Safeway: Open
Costco: Closed
CVS: Open
Walgreens: Closed
Aldi: Closed
Whole Foods: Closed
Trader Joe’s: Closed
Parcel services
Post offices: Closed
FedEx: Closed
UPS: Closed
Transportation
Lowell RTA: Lowell RTA will be closed
MBTA: Subway, bus and The RIDE will run on a Sunday schedule. Meanwhile, the Commuter Rail will run on a weekend schedule.
Merrimack Valley RTA: Buses won’t be running
MetroWest RTA: Buses won’t be running
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority: Buses won’t be running
Worcester RTA: Buses won’t be running
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