Peabody Man Indicted in Organized Crime Case

A Peabody man involved with loan sharking, gaming and organized crime was indicted by a statewide grand jury this afternoon along with three other men, according to the Essex County District Attorney's office.

Michael Petrillo, 56, is charged with conspiracy, receiving stolen property, and being an accessory after the fact of a felony (larceny). The other three men are Joseph Giallanella, 62, of North Andover, Charles Davis, 44, of Salem, N.H., and Charles Toomajian, 53, of Malden. All of the defendants had been indicted on other charges last October in this ongoing investigation, and are currently free on bail, according to the Essex County District Attorney's office.

Giallanella faces charges of conspiracy and being an accessory after the fact of a felony (larceny); Davis is charged with conspiracy, larceny, and making false entries into corporate books; and Toomajian is charged with conspiracy, larceny, receiving stolen property and being an accessory after the fact of a felony (larceny), according to the district attorney's office.

Petrillo is expected to be arraigned on April 11 in Salem Superior Court, according to Essex First Assistant District Attorney John T. Dawley, who will prosecute the case. The other three defendants will be arraigned on the same date in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn, according to Dawley.

Dawley said that Davis was an account manager for Randstad Professionals in Wakefield, which is a temp agency. In order to pay off his gaming and loan sharking debts Davis allegedly embezzled $1,864,353 from the company. 

The money would then be laundered through Toomajian, who is an attorney.  Toomajian is also accused of stealing $659,525 from Randstad Professionals, which was diverted through Davis, according to the Essex County prosecutor.

Dawley said Davis allegedly paid off loan sharking and gaming debts to Petrillo and Giallanella.  In addition, as a way of making payments owed, both Davis and Toomajian allegedly paid money toward the mortgages of Giannella and Petrillo was paid $308,000, according to the Essex County prosecutor. 

Dawley also praised the investigative work by the Office of Attorney General Martha Coakley and Massachusetts State Police Special Services.