Howie Winter - undated booking photo.

Two men were arraigned today in connection with their involvement in an extortion scheme, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today.

Howard Winter, aka “Howie”, 83, of Millbury and James Melvin, 70, of Braintree, were arraigned this morning in Somerville District Court on charges of attempted extortion and conspiracy.  Somerville District Court Judge Neil Walker released the defendants on $25,000 cash bail each, with conditions to have no contact and stay away from the victims, wear a GPS monitoring device, surrender their passport and remain in the Commonwealth.

Winter and Melvin are accused of engaging in an extortion scheme against two victims. The defendants were arrested last evening.

The defendants will be back in court on July 26 for a probable cause hearing.

“We allege that Howie Winter and James Melvin agreed to, and did engage in, crimes of extortion, putting two victims in fear of their lives,” District Attorney Leone said. “This type of illegal activity is at the root of many crimes that corrupt the integrity of our communities and undermine public safety by placing citizens in tremendous fear and perpetuating an underworld of crime.  Today’s actions are the result of an extensive investigation by the members of the Massachusetts State Police and ADAs assigned to the office’s PACT Unit, and I want to thank all of them for their outstanding work.”

The investigation, conducted by Massachusetts State Police and attorneys from the Middlesex District Attorney’s PACT Unit, uncovered activities in which individual and collective attempts were made to extort $35,000 each from two victims.

According to authorities, in November of 2011, a man who needed money to fund his business venture contacted one of the victims to inquire about securing a loan for himself.  The victim agreed and contacted the second victim, who agreed to loan the man $100,000.  In January 2012, the man allegedly ceased repaying the loan to the victims and, beginning in February of 2012, the victims began receiving phone calls from an unknown male requesting a meeting to discuss the money owed to them by the man.  The unknown male told one of the victims that he needed to meet him at the Sons of Italy in Medford to discuss the third party man’s outstanding debt.

In early February, it is alleged that one of the victims met with two individuals whom he did not recognize, later identified as Howie Winter and an associate, at the Sons of Italy to discuss the third party’s outstanding debt.  It was at this meeting that Winter, whom the victims had never met, informed the victim that he and the second victim were expected to pay tens of thousands of dollars each to Winter for loaning the third party the money without consent or permission.  It is alleged that, following this meeting and for several weeks after, both victims received several threatening phone calls from James Melvin, acting in concert with Winter.  The victims, fearful, contacted law enforcement at this time.

In furtherance of Winter and Melvin’s scheme, the victims were again requested by Melvin to meet him and Winter at the Sons of Italy for an additional meeting.  Afraid and feeling that they had no other choice, in late March, the victims again met with Winter and Melvin at the Sons of Italy.  It is alleged that at this meeting, Winter and Melvin again repeated their demand that the two victims each pay Winter $35,000.  When one of the victims asks who Winter is and why he’s involved in their loan agreement and transaction, it is alleged that Winter responded “There’s no one in the (expletive) country that don’t know who I am…when you tell me you don’t know who I um, you’re full of (expletive).  There’s nobody that don’t (expletive) know me; I wish they didn’t know me, OK?”

When one of the victims asked if he should be worried for his safety, it is alleged Melvin responded, “Yeah, yeah…really you should.”

When the victims ask what will happen if they don’t pay the extortion amounts, it is alleged that Winter responded: “You don’t pay me…then you’re gonna have problems.”

It is alleged that the victims justifiably felt that their lives and the lives of family members were in danger if they didn’t comply with the defendants’ demands.  At one point, after not being able to contact one of the victims via telephone, Melvin and an unidentified subject whom Melvin indentified to the victim as his “friend”, went to the victim’s home and left a letter in the victim’s mailbox indicating that they were there.  According to authorities, it is alleged that this act was intended to intimidate and threaten the victim and to confirm to the victim that the defendants knew where the victim lived in order to motivate the victim to make further payments to Winter and Melvin.

Over the next several weeks, State Police troopers supervised several cash payments to Winter and Melvin by one of the victims in furtherance of the investigation.  Winter and Melvin, continuing to act in concert, further demanded that the victim pay $5,000 per month to them.

These charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police and attorneys assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s PACT Unit.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Stephen Gilpatric and Chris Tarrant of the PACT Unit.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s PACT Unit, established when District Attorney Leone took office, is dedicated to the investigation and prosecution of cases of public protection (including white collar, high level narcotics and organized crime), anti-terrorism, corruption, and cyber/technology. The Unit has investigated and prosecuted multiple cases in all of these areas, including public corruption and organized crime, including,    Commonwealth vs. John Buonomo, in which the defendant, the former Register of Probate, pled guilty to the theft of thousands of dollars of public monies.