Two police officers accused of running an illegal nightclub

A Boston police officer and a campus police officer with the Boston Public Health Commission face charges alleging they ran an illegal nightclub in a Jamaica Plain basement that offered bottle service, hookahs and a DJ, according to officials. and court records.

Prosecutors allege that Boston Police Officer Richard McDermott and BPHC Campus Officer Luigi D’Addieco ran the operation from a unit at 360B Center St. that they initially rented to run the heating and air conditioning. . company, according to the list of facts presented in the case.

Authorities say the men transformed the basement into a late-night nightclub during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The club had bouncers with magnetometers to detect weapons on customers, a cover charge, bottle service where customers paid more than $100 for full bottles of liquor, Hookah service, a DJ to provide music, and promoters who advertised the club. on social media,” prosecutors said. wrote. Authorities said McDermott and D’Addieco did not have a license to serve alcohol.

McDermott was charged with witness intimidation, maintaining a nuisance at the game and using criminal history information under false pretenses. D’Addieco was charged with concealing evidence of a criminal proceeding and maintaining a nuisance at the game, according to the district attorney’s office.

Both men were arraigned Thursday in Suffolk Superior Court., where they pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released on parole. They were formally charged on Oct. 3, according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office.

The charges and details of the alleged nightclub operation were first reported by live dough.

Authorities said the nightclub was in operation for “several months,” but came to police attention on July 10, 2021, when an altercation outside caused a person to fire several shots at the front door, hitting a bouncer. that was behind the door. The goalie was treated at Boston Medical Center, prosecutors said.

Boston police responded to the shooting with their tactical unit, which forced entry into the club. Prosecutors said McDermott was one of the last people to leave and was recognized by other police officers.

McDermott, who was armed with a gun, allegedly told officers he was visiting his brother-in-law’s party and didn’t know what was going on, according to court records. Authorities said McDermott’s statement was misleading, as security video allegedly showed McDermott peering through the club’s front door and stepping over blood and broken glass before police arrived.

The video also allegedly showed D’Addieco’s car appearing on Center Street after the shooting and parking in front of the club’s main entrance. Alleged phone records showed that the two had multiple phone calls with each other that night after the shooting, according to prosecutors.

Authorities allege both men made false statements to detectives during the investigation.

Boston police spokesman Detective Sergeant John Boyle said McDermott was suspended without pay after being indicted earlier this month.

The Boston Public Health Commission did not respond to a message seeking comment about D’Addieco on Saturday. A instagram post by the commission in May said it was looking to recruit a campus police officer and that no police training was required.

McDermott’s attorney, John Seed, and D’Addieco’s attorney, Francis Sacco, said they were awaiting discovery materials from prosecutors.

“He’s looking forward to his day in court,” Sacco said of his client. Seed declined to comment.

Both men are due back in court on January 7.

You can contact Nick Stoico at [email protected].