Selina M. Hine
WESTFIELD – Three people arrested on drug trafficking charges on September 11 will likely face charges in Hampden County Superior Court.
Jacob A. Lisheness, 32, Angelina G. Pagano, 22, and Lisheness’ girlfriend, Selina M. Hine, 21 – each facing charges of cocaine trafficking in 36-100 grams and conspiracy to violate drug law – appeared in Westfield District Court on Wednesday.
When Pagano’s case came up, her attorney, Kathleen Cavanaugh, had notified the court of her inability to appear and asked for a continuance to December 10, which Judge Philip A. Contant granted.
At this time, Assistant District Attorney Magali Montes told Contant that she expected all three of the defendants to be indicted in Superior Court.
Angelina G. Pagano
“Most crimes begin in district court . . . (but) the district court is generally limited to deciding cases for which the maximum authorized penalty for a crime is not more than five years’ imprisonment,” according to mass.gov.
Hine, whose attorney, Lawrence Madden, was also unable to attend Wednesday’s hearing, sent an associate to request a continuance to December 10.
Recently, Hine changed her name on Facebook to Selina Lisheness and appeared to also get the name Lisheness tattooed across her upper chest.
When asked outside the courtroom whether the couple had married, Jacob Lisheness said they had not.
When Lisheness’ case was heard, Montes said that there is a firm date of November 10 for an indictment in Superior Court.
Donald Stolgitis, Lisheness’ attorney, said an indictment means the case will go before a grand jury.
“Massachusetts uses the grand jury to determine if a case should go to superior court and you are to be indicted,” according to research.lawyers.com/massachusetts/criminal-process-in-massachusetts.html, “If the grand jury bills an indictment, you will be charged with the offense.”
In light of the November 10 date, Montes asked Contant for a continuance to December 10 for the bind-over hearing that was scheduled for Wednesday.
Montes explained that it took time to get search warrants for the defendants’ cell phones and then gather the information from the phones.
The Commonwealth “has had ample time to present information to a grand jury,” Stolgitis argued. “This is their second request for a continuance, and I ask that you deny the continuance and proceed today with the bind-over hearing or dismiss.”
Contant allowed the Commonwealth’s continuance telling Stolgitis he is “noting the defense’s objection.”
At 10:30 p.m. September 11, police stopped a vehicle, in which Lisheness and Hine were passengers with Pagano as driver, after Westfield police had followed the defendants to Hartford and allegedly witnessed them purchasing 57 grams of cocaine and concealing it in the hood of Pagano’s 2008 Volkswagen.
Hine and Pagano were released in lieu of $2,500 personal surety each at their September 14 arraignments.
Initially, Lisheness was held without right to bail at his September 14 arraignment because the trafficking charges violated pre-trial probation from a July arrest on charges of two counts of threat to commit a crime.
Those charges were dismissed on October 2, but the defendant’s mother had taken back $2,500 of the $3,000 cash bail Contant had set for the trafficking charges at the September 14 arraignment, leaving Lisheness behind bars.
Lisheness was then released on October 23 after his mother posted $3,000 for his bail.
Lisheness has a long criminal record that consists of twenty guilty convictions in the Commonwealth dating back to 2001, including assault with a dangerous weapon and numerous default warrants, according to Montes.
Additionally, Lisheness was arrested in Hartford for possession of cocaine a few months ago, according to Stolgitis.
Staff Writer Christine Charnosky can be reached at [email protected]
