Woman charged with harassing Georgetown police chief gets probation | News

GEORGETOWN — Michele Velleman, an Elm Street resident accused of harassing Georgetown Police Chief Donald Cudmore, pleaded responsible to a number of prices Friday in Newburyport District Court and was sentenced to 5 years probation. 

During her years on probation, Velleman, 50, should abide by a lifetime harassment prevention order filed by Cudmore and keep away and don’t have any contact with Cudmore and all witnesses.

She additionally should keep away and don’t have any contact with attorneys and bear a psychological well being analysis and obtain all remedy deemed obligatory. She can’t publish any social media or web messages associated to Cudmore or the Georgetown Police Department, and should stay drug and alcohol free with random screens.

Reached by cellphone Tuesday, Cudmore stated he was happy that the “very lengthy and sophisticated case” that spanned almost 5 years had reached an finish.

“Hopefully, Ms. Velleman can search and discover the assistance she wants,” Cudmore stated. 

Velleman was arraigned in Haverhill District Court in June 2020 on 4 counts of threatening, witness intimidation, stalking, and making annoying cellphone calls. The case was transferred to Newburyport District Court to keep away from a battle of curiosity.

While additionally dealing with prison prices, Velleman was served with a restraining order by Cudmore that ordered her to not have contact with him.

Before Judge William Martin pronounced sentence, Cudmore delivered an impression witness assertion, in line with two individuals contained in the courtroom. 

The plea deal ends an intense and prolonged courtroom saga that noticed Velleman jailed a number of occasions for violating circumstances of her launch earlier than she was let go. She additionally drew the ire of no less than one Essex County prosecutor who filed a grievance towards Velleman for calling her workplace repeatedly. 

That prompted Velleman to be arraigned on a brand new harassment order violation for contacting attorneys linked to Cudmore.

In April 2020, Cudmore alerted state police that Velleman had been allegedly harassing him and making threatening statements to him, his spouse and household for greater than 2½ years.

The alleged harassment started in response to Cudmore’s investigation of Velleman’s claims that her ex-boyfriend, a Georgetown police detective on the time, was harassing and abusing her.

Cudmore said that Velleman, utilizing a number of totally different names, posted “hundreds” of social media hyperlinks on Facebook and three YouTube movies containing what he known as “inaccurate data, lies and fabricated materials regarding her disdain for me, my household and the Georgetown Police Department.”

Among the social media posts have been claims that Cudmore “killed three squirrels” and posted them on the door of a selectman’s home and that your complete Police Department was protecting up what she known as the “chief’s prison acts as they’re criminals as nicely,” in line with Cudmore’s report back to state police.

To cowl her tracks, Velleman used 9 electronic mail domains and despatched so many emails to the division, a tactic Cudmore known as “electronic mail bombing,” that this clogged the division’s electronic mail server. On April 3, 2020, alone, she despatched 30 emails, in line with Cudmore’s report.

“As a results of the above, my household has endured Velleman’s stalking, intimidating conduct, harassment and slander for nearly three years now. She has used social media and despatched electronic mail messages to many different police officers and public companies to unfold lies, misinformation and false allegations towards me, my household and the police division I command,” Cudmore wrote.