James Chester’s Public Records Request #23-0828

August 28, 2023

VIA EMAIL TO SCDAOPRR@STATE.MA.US

Marc Phinney, Public Records Officer

Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office

One Bullfinch Place

Boston, MA 02114

Re: Massachusetts Public Records Request

Dear Mr. Phinney:

Under the Massachusetts Public Records Act § 66-10 et seq., I am requesting an opportunity to inspect or obtain copies of the following public records from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (“the Office”).

Requested Records

1. Server access logs of any individual who viewed the file or attempted to view the file containing records within the Office that bear any pertinence to James Chester at any time, in any year;
2. all public documents (including notes), emails (including attachments and chained emails), phone records, text messages, and encrypted messages of all below‑specified individuals whose public records contain the below‑listed keywords and phrases after October 30, 2020 and before December 30, 2021;
3. a scheduled opportunity to view in‑person, as the named victim, all records kept by the Office that have any pertinence to James Chester;
4. the names and contact information for all individuals outside the office who did a Records Request for the investigative file on James Chester or the Charlestown Boys Club or were otherwise given access to the file, legally or illegally.

Please note that I am the victim named in the investigation and the individual who made the allegations in the letter of October 29, 2020 to Rachael Rollins.

Please limit your search to the following specified officials, keywords, and key phrases.

Specified Officials

1. Rachael Rollins, District Attorney;
2. Alissa Goldhaber, Assistant District Attorney: (617) 862-5400;
3. Pamela Harris, Det. Sgt. Supervisor, CACU;
4. Brittany Doherty, Victim Witness Advocate: (617) 872-7259;
5. Jeff Firnstein, Detective, CACU: [redacted];
6. Jackie Lamont, Forensic Interviewer: [redacted];
7. Abby Lalone, Family Advocate: [redacted];
8. Catherine Tootell, Forensic Interviewer (observer);
9. Vanessa Vicente, Forensic Interviewer (observer);
10. The eighth, unnamed person who attended the forensic interview and represented the Massachusetts State Police.

Keywords and Key Phrases 

1. “Charlestown Boys Club”
2. “Foley Hoag”
3. “Foley and Hoag”
4. “James Chester”
5. “Edward A. Darragh Jr”
6. “Ed Darragh”
7. https://jameschester.org*
8. “Jim Chester”
9. “John Connors”
10. “Jack Connors”
11. “[redacted]”
12. “Ann Bain”
13. “William W. Bain Jr.”
14. “Bill Bain”
15. “Michael Bronner”
16. “James Power”
17. “Owen Power”
18. “Michael Power”
19. “Mike Power”
20. “Edmund Moussally”
21. “Frank Movitz”
22. “John Juliano”
23. “Matt Monkiewicz”
24. “Jordan Gym”
25. “Neal”
26. “gym”
27. “the Club”
28. “Charlestown”
29. “clubhouse”
30. “day camp”
31. “Stay‑At‑Home”
32. “board member”
33. “board of directors”

The Massachusetts Public Records Act requires a response to this request within 10 days.  If access to the records I am requesting will take longer than this amount of time, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.

Fee Waiver Request

On May 15, 2023, US District Attorney Rachel Rollins, who was previously Suffolk County District Attorney, resigned her position under charges from the Department of Justice itself that she leaked non‑public DOJ information for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election for her successor here in Boston.

Previously, on October 29, 2020, I submitted a complaint to DA Rollins alleging that, in 1963, James and Michael Power kidnapped and raped a small group of preteen boys inside the equipment room of the Jordan Gym at the Charlestown Boys Club. My forensic interview was conducted on January 8, at which time all eight above‑referenced officials in attendance voted to open an investigation.

Three weeks later, as documented by an email between myself and ADA Alissa Goldhaber on March 1, 2021, news of the investigation was leaked to the four most senior members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston. That leak, I allege, severely and deliberately affected the outcome of the investigation, which was subsequently shut down without a conclusion, inasmuch as investigator Det. Jeffrey Firnstein was unable to question the alleged perpetrator, who I have proof was forewarned of the investigation.

Therefore, I am requesting a waiver of fees because the public has the right to know about wrongdoing and conflicts of interest occurring within government, especially those conflicts that are brought about by the actions of government officials. I ask that any fees incurred by this request be waived. If the fees are not waived and they exceed $50, I ask that you notify me before any additional work is done, even on a rolling basis.

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me at [redacted], which is an unattended line that only receives voicemail and text mail. I am always notified immediately about a message, and I respond promptly.

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely, 

James Chester