SPRINGFIELD, MA – America’s court and prison reform system has failed the general public. Judges now let prisoners out of jail while awaiting trial, and those criminals are going out and committing more crime nationwide. It’s happening in liberal states nationwide. Criminals now have more rights, in many cases, than their victims and many, while out on pre-trial release, a bi-product of the failed bail and justice reform effort, they are hurting others.
According to the Springfield Police Department, Narcotics Detectives arrested a suspect with a gun, on a GPS bracelet for gun charges. This is the 10th individual arrested this year on gun charges while wearing a pre-trial GPS ankle monitor, the department said.
On Wednesday December 30th at approximately 7:30pm, Springfield Police Narcotics Detectives under the direction of Captain Brian Keenan and Springfield Police Officers under the direction of Sgt. Edward Kalish working a Shannon Grant Detail seized an illegal firearm and arrested Michael Bedinelli at his home on Dorset Street.
On September 4th, Springfield Police Narcotics Detectives arrested Mr. Bedinelli along with Nathan Mercado and Gregory Chrichlow with three firearms. Mr. Chrichlow has since been charged with murder in Connecticut from an August incident.
After the September arrest, a panel of Superior Court judges decided to release Mr. Bedinelli pending trial with the condition that he wears a GPS ankle bracelet. This is the 10th time an individual has been arrested with an illegally possessed firearm after a judge released them pre-trial on the condition they wear a GPS ankle bracelet. Three of these individuals, including Mr. Bedinelli, were arrested on firearms charges, released with the condition of wearing a GPS bracelet and caught with an illegal firearm again.
“Clearly GPS bracelets are not a deterrent to violent repeat offenders. Any time an individual is arrested with a firearm and released into our city it impacts our innocent law-abiding citizens who live on their street or in their neighborhoods. It’s time some of our judges realize the danger they are putting our officers and our citizens in every day,” said Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno stated, “First of all, I commend our brave and dedicated ‘men and women in blue’ for their unrelenting efforts in continuing to take these weapons of mayhem off our streets and out of our neighborhoods – over 200 of these illegal guns have been seized by our SPD. What will it take to hold these repeat violent criminal offenders locked up and off our streets? These individuals obviously do not take our states court system and their release conditions seriously, as they continue to be rearrested on additional illegal gun charges while under court order of wearing a GPS ankle bracelet. I again, urge our state Legislature to pass my bail bill and/or Governor Charlie Baker’s Dangerousness Bill ASAP.”
On Wednesday night Narcotics Detectives executed a search warrant at Mr. Bedinelli’s home on Dorset Street after a firearms investigation. Inside the home, Detectives located a loaded high capacity firearm with a laser attachment in Mr. Bedinelli’s bedroom, along with marijuana and $1427.
21 year old Michael Bedinelli of Dorset Street is charged with:
• Possession of a Firearm without a FID Card
• Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm
• Possession of Ammunition without a FID Card
• Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class D Drug