Current Court Report - January 7, 2025
David Creed •
This week’s Current Court Report includes arraignments and dispositions from Monday’s Nantucket District Court session. It is led by the arrest of an island resident alleged to have stolen and crashed a vehicle while intoxicated and the island resident who had his bail revoked following an arraignment last month on charges stemming from a police chase agreeing to a plea deal.
Vincent Benoit, 20, of Nantucket, was arraigned on January 4th charges of leaving the scene of property damage, motor vehicle lights violation, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and larceny of a motor vehicle. Benoit posted $1,000 bail upon being arrested and was ordered to return to court March 3rd for a pretrial hearing.
According to the police report, an NPD officer was traveling down Sparks Avenue when he observed a Gray Ford Explorer traveling the opposite direction with significant damage to the front and back of it. Police stopped the vehicle and identified the operator to be Benoit, who told police he did not have a license. Police later learned his license was suspended and Benoit said the vehicle did not belong to him. When asked if it was stolen, he allegedly told police “technically yes.”
Benoit was placed under arrest and police were able to observe signs he was intoxicated. He failed all five field sobriety tests in the opinion of the police officer on scene and consented to a breath test. He allegedly blew a .191% on both.
The owner of the vehicle, who was not identified in the report, told police he did not consent to Benoit using the Ford Explorer. Police were able to locate one of the crash sites that damaged the vehicle, which was 115 Orange Street. They said video surveillance footage showed Benoit backing up at a high rate of speed into the storage building at Cumberland Farms – causing heavy damage to the building and car.
Juan H. Vasquez-Villalta, 26, of Nantucket, pleaded guilty to a May 24th, 2024 charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. He was ordered to complete one year of probation and a driver alcohol education program. Charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, failure to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to produce a license and registration, and speeding stemming from the same incident were dismissed.
Vasquez-Villalta had Nov. 26th, 2024 charges of negligent operation of a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle with a license suspended because of an OUI continued without a finding for one year. Charges of speeding, failure to stop for police, and leaving the scene of property damage stemming from the same incident were dismissed.
Vasquez-Villalta had a Dec. 15th, 2024 charge of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license continued without a finding for six months. Charges of not being in possession of his license and operating a motor vehicle without an inspection sticker stemming from the same incident were dismissed.
Vasquez-Villalta was found in violation of his probation he was serving on an April 13th, 2023 charge of assault & battery. His probation was extended for six months, and he will not be required to serve any additional jail time on any of the charges he faced after having his bail revoked on Dec. 16th by Judge James Sullivan. He served 22 days in jail.
Vasquez-Villalta was the island resident who had his bail revoked on an open drunk driving case after he was pulled over in a separate incident by island police in late November for driving 80 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour speed zone, crashed his vehicle into a fence, and fled the scene by foot into the woods where he admitted to hiding all night to avoid the police surveying the area. You can read more about this incident here.
In other Nantucket District Court news, Luka Beladidze, 25, of Nantucket, was arraigned on Dec. 31st, 2024 charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, failure to stop for police, possessing an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and speeding. He had not-guilty pleas entered on his behalf and was ordered to return to court March 3rd for a pretrial hearing.
Fitzroy Burrell, 34, of Nantucket, had Sept. 2nd, 2024 charges of assault & battery on a family/household member (three counts) and strangulation or suffocation (two counts) dismissed after the alleged victim in the case declined to cooperate with prosecutors.
After completing one year of probation following a pair of guilty pleas, Yoaris Manuel Eustate Alvarado, 32, of Nantucket, had the probations he was serving on April 20th, 2023 charges of breaking & entering a building in the nighttime for a felony and possessing an FID card without ammunition terminated. Alvarado pleaded guilty to these charges on January 8th, 2024.
Andrew L. Falkenstein, 57, of Nantucket, had Jan. 11th, 2024 charges of vandalizing property (seven counts) and trespassing dismissed after the alleged victim in the case declined to cooperate with prosecutors.
Richard A. Lawrence, 56, of Nantucket, was arraigned on a Jan. 1st, 2025 charge of assault & battery on a family/household member. He had a not-guilty plea entered on his behalf and was ordered to return to court Feb. 3rdfor a pretrial hearing.
*All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty under a court of law*