← City Council · 2022-06-06 · City Council Regular Meeting
Public Comment
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
Transcript
▶ 46:05 Christopher Cinella: And if there is no objection, I would like to open up for public comment. So no objection public comment is now open if there's anybody wishing to speak on a matter. Yeah, go ahead and like take the
▶ 46:22 Christopher Cinella: Can you please stay your name and address please Connors?
▶ 46:26 Speaker 8: Okay, just want to start to say that I also I have social media posts text message emails affidavit statements to back up everything. I'm about to tell you.
▶ 46:39 Speaker 8: We're addressed to I didn't get 49 Court Street, Wakefield, Mass.
▶ 46:47 Speaker 8: Okay, and I apologize if I get emotional but what Katie Murphy did to my family is horrific.
▶ 46:55 Speaker 8: Okay. I met Katie Murphy on September 8th to 2019 where she hosted an unsolicited fundraiser and honor of my husband which 100% of the proceeds were to benefit my family. My husband Luther Hawaii and was fighting a battle against Als at the time. He knew Katie because he did repairs on merchandise Katie sold on consignment. We learned of this event when we saw Katie's Facebook post for the love for Lou fundraiser. My husband was so grateful Katie organizes event in his honor. Katie started collecting donations via venmo before the event even happened I attended the love for Loop fundraiser along with many of my friends and family, which was held on Melrose Victorian Parade day.
▶ 47:43 Speaker 8: The event appeared to have an overwhelming response people were coming in off the crowded streets. paying a cover at the door to to come inside to buy raffle tickets for items donated by
▶ 47:54 Speaker 9: various businesses.
▶ 47:57 Speaker 8: A close friend of my husband Jim Dobbs had traveled several hours to attend the event. He brought with him multiple pairs of shoes to be raffled off Katie took the shoes and said these will do much better on consignment and place the items downstairs. Jim is a modest man and it was a very generous donation for him to give we never heard anything else about his donation whether they were sold or not in gym never received his items back. They were valued at 1,040. On November 6 2019 my sister-in-law Rita chokijian reached out to Katie via text about receiving the money that was raised in these messages Katie states that she hasn't been able to
▶ 48:38 Speaker 9: pay us for tax reasons due to the alleged robberies at her store. She goes on to say that over $8,000
▶ 48:44 Speaker 8: went into venmo in one day alone. Then she says $3,000 in cash was raised that we could have immediately. We never saw any cash. I have statements from my friends and family of the cash. They spent that day and it equaled 5,735.
▶ 49:09 Speaker 9: They were also many people. I didn't know that there
▶ 49:11 Speaker 8: that I saw paying at the door and buying Raffles in cash. Katie also stated there were five to six checks one being from Susan to Villa for the amount of $5,000. There was another check I was able to recover for the amount of $30 still leaving three to four checks that never were accounted for. Katie claims the event raised 15,284 dollars, but this number does not match what Katie previously stated? The amount that I can prove is 18,765. This is with missing checks missing venmo transactions and missing cash.
▶ 49:50 Speaker 9: I then reached out to many of the donors to find out if their prizes were ever redeemed.
▶ 49:54 Speaker 8: The Only Winners I could find were her best friend Danielle. Mazzoni and her boyfriend's sister Gia Guarino. Do you geogrino redeemed a gift card that Dominique de Stefano donated I have here a statement from Mr. Stefano that Gia was bragging about how many items of the raffle that she won also that she was going to win the Louis Vuitton bag only to sell it back to Katie to make
▶ 50:17 Speaker 9: money off of it.
▶ 50:20 Speaker 8: I then reached out to Danielle. Mazzoni. At the beginning of the event Danielle told me Katie was
▶ 50:26 Speaker 9: her best friend.
▶ 50:28 Speaker 8: Miss mazzoni I have 17 pages from Miss Missouri stated that my brother-in-law Beacon halaji and had won multiple prizes and that they had pulled all the winners and their names and they were entered into
▶ 50:43 Speaker 8: Katie's computer Janelle said all of the winners were supposed to be contacted the next day.
▶ 50:49 Speaker 8: I asked one of the donors to reach out to Katie about
▶ 50:51 Speaker 9: who won her gift card Katie messaged her back a partial picture of the winner sheet.
▶ 50:57 Speaker 8: That included the names of vegan hawajian Sosa. Yapujian, Lindsey Berry Rocky Roxy postal postagalian. I don't know and Susan tevilla. Till this day, none of these people have been contacted for
▶ 51:09 Speaker 9: their prizes.
▶ 51:12 Speaker 8: Katie also told Beacon hawaji and that his father-in-law Steve. Russo was a prize winner. Steve has never been contacted either.
▶ 51:21 Speaker 8: On December 30th 2019. I walked into Melrose police station to file a complaint against Katie Murphy. I met with officer Alex. Bear cone. I explained to him that Katie Murphy had a fundraiser for my husband on September 8th, and we never received the money. He told me my detective is going to love this. We have multiple complaints against her. Days later. I met with Detective McNamara. I brought him approximately 60 pages of affidavits text messages social media post all proving that
▶ 51:52 Speaker 9: the event was fraudulent.
▶ 51:55 Speaker 8: after meeting with Detective McNamara this prompted me
▶ 52:05 Speaker 8: To reach out to a woman named Trish Tremblay an attorney with an office in Melrose Katie and Trish claimed to be related which is not true. But they were together often Trish was one of the people collecting cash at the door that day. On January 10 2020. I called Trish to tell her about the unimaginable crime. Katie had committed against my family.
▶ 52:26 Speaker 8: In response, she started complaining to me that she was a winner of a raffle another friend of Katie's. I have a basket of makeup that she claimed to be used. I tried explaining to Trish that I had nothing to do with the items raffled and that I believe that Katie had stolen upwards of thirty thousand dollars from my family and she was comparing this to a
▶ 52:45 Speaker 9: used eyeliner.
▶ 52:46 Speaker 8: She then said to me. Will you drop the whole thing if I make this fright, I had made this phone call on speaker phone. I have a statement from a miss Catherine O'Shea who heard every word
▶ 52:57 Speaker 9: Trish said
▶ 52:59 Speaker 8: the following Monday Trish accompanied Katie to Melrose police station with a cashier's check dated, January 13th 2020 for 15,284 dollars.
▶ 53:18 Speaker 9: Which I believe to be about half of the money
▶ 53:19 Speaker 8: raised my husband Luther hallaji lost his
▶ 53:22 Speaker 9: courageous battle with ALS on November 16th, 2019. I am grateful that he was not around to see Katie's true colors.
▶ 53:36 Speaker 9: Katie Murphy used your city's Victorian fair day and her business Madison Ave as a platform to use my husband's illness for her own personal financial gain. To resolve this matter. I'm asking for a minimum donation of 3,481 dollars to Compassionate Care ALS as well as a check for 1,040 to Jim job for his missing raffle items. The crime Katie committed against my family was unimaginable and in unforgivable. I'm pleading with you all today to never let her do business in your town again. Thank you. Anyone wants to see here's the proof.
▶ 54:17 Christopher Cinella: Does anybody online looking to speak there is so we're gonna just flip to someone online and then someone else.
▶ 54:33 Speaker 7: Good. Sorry.
▶ 54:38 Speaker 10: Karen can you hear us?
▶ 54:50 Speaker 11: back
▶ 54:52 Christopher Cinella: Please okay. Has anybody you used to speak?
▶ 54:56 Speaker 9: My name is Lindsey Barry. My address is 49 Vine Street in Saugus.
▶ 55:01 Speaker 9: Wrote some notes here. Sorry.
▶ 55:07 Speaker 9: I came here today to speak today in honor of the memory of my late friend Luther and in support of his family because I do believe that they were not given the total funds that were raised for the for Luther who was battling as Als at the time of the event held at the store Madison Ave on Melrose. The funds were meant to be raised specifically for his wife and his and his family A little background his family has been a long time friends of my family. My mother who was a retired Massachusetts state appeals court judge started going to their accomplish shop David shoe repair in late 70s, and we're actually devastated by the news that our friend had been diagnosed with ALS and wanted to help in any way that we could the opportunity to help came. So about when I heard that Katie Murphy was holding a fundraiser at her store. And immediately my family motivated to get as many donations as we could and my mom had reached out to many people in we tried to just get as many donations as we could to raise this money for Luther's family. I also reached out to Katie and offered to volunteer at to work the event and assist in any way that I could on the day of event my whole family attended and personally donated well over $500 by purchasing raffle tickets and making a donation at the front door. The reason I'm here today specifically is because at the event I was responsible for entry at the front door and I was working with another gentleman who I believe at the time was Katie's boyfriend and we were handling all of the cash that was being given to gain entry to this fundraiser. I was not aware when I arrived that people would need to pay to enter the fundraiser, but it was a suggested donation of $1. And I was at that front door from the first moment of the events beginning until the last guest left. I would say. That the majority of the people gave between 20 and $100 just to gain entry to the store. I don't think I handled a single dollar donation for this entry. Um, this was before even entering the event and purchasing the raffle ticket or raffle tickets or making any other kind of contribution. The turnout of the event was overwhelming. I have to say that I think every Armenian in Massachusetts may have been there and they were Beyond generous. I would just like to mention to you all that Luther. was a very active in a few different communities including the recovery Community the Harley Davidson Community and the Armenian Community as well as a superstar cobbler with a huge following on social media and many many cobbler friends slash fans who showed up in droves to support this cause although I cannot say exactly how much money was raised. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind at the time that it was at least 25,000. I saw extreme generosity people were venmoing for raffle tickets. They were just outright donating donating money. They are putting their name into a raffle to win. I Louis Vuitton bag, which was $100 per ticket for entry to this raffle. And just the front door. I'm alone. The amount of money that we were able to collect was such a testament to the person that Luther was and I have to say that I have never seen such an incredible outpouring of love and support for someone but mainly for his wife and son.
▶ 58:29 Speaker 9: I was one of the last people to leave the event that day along with Katie and a few of her other friends and I was told that they would not be pulling any Raffles at that time. I understood completely as many of us had been drinking and I was very thrilled with the Result of the fundraiser it was honestly just we were all jubilant. It was great and surely thereafter. It was in the next few days. I had started to have some concerns about things that I had seen at the event including that merchandise was being stored downstairs and not presented for people to purchase or when in raffle prizes. Additionally there was Concerns about the cash handling at the front door how that money was being accounted for who was responsible for it and where it went towards the end of the night. At the time my mother again is retires. Peels Court Judge. I spoke to her about what could possibly be done and she gave me the advice to relate to Jessica that she could potentially pursue some. Legal matters in regards to this within a week. I received a message from Luther's brother asking me if I was friendly with the store owner and if I could Please reach out to her to see if that she could give the money to the family. That was the money that was raised at that time. I had no idea that the money had not already been given to them. There was a gentleman who brought in a large amount of shoes and I specifically remember thinking that my sister would definitely want to buy a pair and I was surprised I never saw them presented to people to purchase. and
▶ 1:00:07 Speaker 9: Sorry.
▶ 1:00:10 Speaker 9: So I can really only speak today of my experience because I've heard plenty of things in general about. Katie Murphy and her operation. I will just speak to what exactly I saw and witnessed and that was that extreme amount of money was brought in that day at the raffle. I personally handled an extra a large amount of cash that was donated at the door and I do not believe that Luther's family has been given the full extent of the amount of money that was raised at this event. I actually think that they were given approximately half of what I considered to be. What was raised after our friend Luther passed away. I thought that maybe this is situation could be rectified and it actually breaks my heart to think that of all people on this Earth someone who was so generous and selfless in there for other people in so many ways, we'll have been taking advantage of it actually sickens me that
▶ 1:01:04 Speaker 9: This would be done to his wife and his son. Luther was an extremely successful cobbler. and the amount of money that was raised at the fundraiser would never be enough to compensate what he would have been able to bring into his family if he had Been able to overcome ALS. I just think it's unforgivable that. Even that amount of money that was raised was not given to his family. They would have been able to do great things with that money before he passed away to support his recovery to give him, you know able ability to get into his home and and modifications and there was so many things that could have done before he lost his battle with ALS that would have helped it tremendously in his last weeks and months.
▶ 1:01:51 Speaker 9: I appreciate this opportunity to be here today to talk about my experience and to support this family. Who did not deserve? The way they were treated. I don't think that any amount of money could make it right at this point because I just think that even if you gave them every dollar that was raised the fact that we have to be here tonight and and be talking about this is is unacceptable. It's unacceptable.
▶ 1:02:19 Speaker 9: Thank you for listening and I appreciate your your consideration for what I've had to say, and I hope that you will take it very seriously in terms of your decision regarding her business license. Thank you.
▶ 1:02:29 Christopher Cinella: Okay, so procedurally, we have two public hearings this evening as well. I'm not really sure who's here to speak on any of those items. So we just have to pause public comment at this time. We'll get back to it. But we do have to open up for our hearing anyone