By Gintautas Dumcius
Reporter Correspondent

'Tis the season…to keep watch of your stuff and scrutinize your credit card receipts, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley.

His comments come as two people were charged this week in a bank card fraud scheme that left an elderly woman poor, just in time for the holidays.

Dennis King, 24, of Dorchester and Arniya Smith, 22 of Lowell were charged with using a legally blind 82-year-old woman's $300 savings to buy sneakers and groceries.

The woman, who lives in Brighton, bought items at an A.J. Wright store.

Brighton District Court Judge David Donnelly set bail for King at $5,000 and $10,000 for Smith, who was a checkout clerk at the department store. They were ordered to return to court on Dec. 31 and steer clear of both the store and the victim.

Police allege that Smith took the victim's bank card and later gave it to King, who used it Shaw's Market in Cambridge and a shoe store at the CambridgeSide Galleria. King allegedly bought a pair of size 10 1/2 Air Jordan sneakers costing about $172.20.

The two were arrested later that day, after Smith got off work. Smith told police that King was supposed to use the money to buy milk for her baby. King allegedly admitted to buying the sneakers, but added that someone had stolen them from his car.

Family dispute lands Hyde Park man in 'cuffs

A family dispute got a Hyde Park man thrown in jail, after a judge revoked his bail in Dorchester District Court this week. Eric Brown, 23, was charged with one count of threatening to commit a crime. Judge Rosalind Miller revoked his bail on a pending firearms case out of Cambridge District Court. He was put in handcuffs after the order.

His next court date is Jan. 2.

Jose Vincenty, Brown's court-appointed attorney acknowledged to the court that Brown and another family member had an argument.

"Words that were stated should not have been stated," he said, noting that afterwards Brown's grandmother told police what happened was just a family argument.

"He was very surprised to find out he had a new offense," Vincenty said. "It was just a family argument. Nothing less, nothing more."

Brown was due to start a job at United Parcel Service this week, Vincenty said.

The charges stem from an October 14 incident at a Talbot Avenue address. At about 5 pm, police were called to a home, where the alleged victim, a family member of the defendent, said he had been threatened, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.

After police arrived, they resolved the dispute and went their individual ways, according to police.

High bail for Canton man charged with distributing drugs

A high bail was set this week for a Canton man accused of distributing marijuana on Auckland Street.

Dorchester District Court Judge Rosalind Miller set bail at $2,500 and ordered Brian Moore, 38, to appear in court next on Feb. 1.

A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. Attorney Nancy Hurley was appointed for him.

Moore was charged with several counts of possession and intent to distribute drugs, and two counts of a drug violations near a school or park. McConnell Park is down the street from the Auckland Street area where Moore was arrested over the weekend.

On Saturday at about 5 p.m., Boston police saw a Ford Taurus enter a parking lot at 130 Auckland St., stopping next to a man in a wheelchair, according to police.

The disabled man and driver briefly spoke and appeared to exchange drugs and money, according to police.

Police then pulled the Taurus over, finding four plastic bags of marijuana in Moore's front right coat pocket and 16 smaller plastic bags in the left coat pocket, according to the Suffolk District Attorney's Office.

Police also found $110 in cash and two cell phones.

Westview Street man accused of assaulting woman pregnant with his child

A Westview Street man was arraigned this week, accused of assaulting a woman three months pregnant with his child.

Ronald Sims, 29, was charged with aggravated assault. Judge Rosalind Miller set bail at $500, with the next court date scheduled for Jan. 3.

Officers responded on Saturday at 1:15 am to a disconnected 911 call on Woodrow Avenue. Officers spoke with the victim, who said she was three months pregnant with Sim's child and had allowed him into the apartment, according to police. She asked him to leave after he started arguing with her and accusing her of cheating on him.

Intoxicated, he then started to forcefully push and grab her, she said, according to police.

She then climbed out the window to get away from him and called 911.

Prosecutors said Sims has a lengthy record and is a registered sex offender.

Sims' court-appointed attorney said Sims went to see his probation officer in Roxbury and was told that he had a warrant for his arrest.

The attorney noted that Sims had walked into the Dorchester courthouse on his own.

Gintautas Dumcius covers court proceedings and law enforcement for the Reporter. He can be reached at gin.dumcius@gmail.com.

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