Orange man accused of lying about shooting has new lawyer
Published: 04-20-2022 4:21 PM |
GREENFIELD — The man who allegedly lied to police about his girlfriend being shot during an Orange home invasion has a new lawyer.
Conan J. Gentile, 50, will now be represented by Jonah Goldsmith, who was covered in Franklin County Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon by Lucy DeLaCour. Attorney David Simanski filed a motion to be withdrawn as Gentile’s lawyer, and it was allowed by Judge John Agostini.
Gentile is scheduled to be back in court for a status hearing at 2 p.m. on June 15. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Erin Aiello.
Gentile has pleaded not guilty to two counts of misleading a police officer and single counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, possession of ammunition without an FID card, possession of a firearm without an FID card, misleading a witness, and withholding evidence in a criminal investigation. He is being held at the Franklin County Jail and House of Correction in Greenfield.
Aiello previously explained the Orange Police Department received a 911 call from Gentile at roughly 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2021, indicating two people had kicked in the door to enter his Lois Street residence and shot his girlfriend. Officers arrived and met with Gentile outside the home. Inside, they found a woman in bed with what appeared to be a gunshot wound through both legs. The woman was transported to Athol Hospital.
Aiello said Gentile then told officers one armed person had entered the residence. Authorities learned Michael J. Coleman had left the house and drove to Westminster shortly before the 911 call was made.
Coleman, who faces two counts of misleading a police officer and single counts of accessory to a crime after the fact and withholding evidence from a criminal proceeding as a result of this incident, reportedly told investigators he was provided a backpack with a firearm and brought it to an individual, later identified as Michael T. Rahaim, in Westminster. Rahaim faces charges of accessory to a crime after the fact, misleading a police officer, and withholding evidence from a criminal proceeding. Coleman later told authorities there had been no home invasion and the residence’s only inhabitants were himself, Gentile and Gentile’s girlfriend.
State troopers responded around midday on Jan. 15 to assist Westminster Police with a barricaded suspect, later identified as Gentile, at a hotel on East Main Street in Westminster. Gentile was taken into custody by troopers assigned to the Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations (STOP) Team.
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Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.