John Rogaris was released on personal recognizance today at his arraignment on charges of witness tampering and interfering with a police investigation into how a man wound up lying behind his Roggie's Bar and Grille on Chestnut Hill Avenue early on May 23.
Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney David Bradley said Rogaris's four-count indictment stems from an incident at closing that day, when a worker going downstairs to use the restroom found an underage man unconscious on the stairs - and from Rogaris's alleged efforts that night and in the two weeks following to keep police from finding out what happened:
On or about June 12, 2014, the defendant visited a witness and promised him that he would take care of him financially if he "took the fall for him."
Bradley said that after the man's slumped body was found on the stairs, Rogaris told workers to carry him out back and call 911. They took him outside but didn't call 911, and police only learned the man was lying on the ground, suffering life-threatening head injuries, from a passerby a half hour later.
Once homicide detectives - called because of the severity of the man's injuries - arrived, Bradley said, Rogaris told them his video surveillance system was either not working or had been removed altogether.
In fact, Bradley said, detectives discovered on June 3, after obtaining a search warrant, that a DVR video showed two workers carrying the unconscious man outside. However, it showed no other video of the events that night - although it did show Rogaris "at the back of the DVR machines manipulating wires."
In court, Rogaris said nothing except to plead not guilty. Outside court, one of his lawyers, Alan Rose, said Rogaris has "a spotless record" and that the indictments "are proof of nothing."
According to the DA's office, the victim in the case was 20 at the time and an Irish national in Boston for a work program as part of his studies at University College Cork.
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
Today on UHub 'Epic Fail'...
By dmcboston
Wed, 07/09/2014 - 11:22am
..hahaha. No, really. "I filmed myself disconnecting the film".
If the guy died, that might be manslaughter? If you agree to carry him outside, aren't you supposed to carry him to St. E's? Or maybe find someone with a 'cell phone' and call 911?
If he dies, burn the body before nightfall.
This is like the third act of
By gotdatwmd
Wed, 07/09/2014 - 11:31am
This is like the third act of a Law & Order episode right here.
Hmmmm
By MattyC
Wed, 07/09/2014 - 12:02pm
DUN DUN
Cause was ABCC?
By Markk02474
Wed, 07/09/2014 - 2:21pm
If the fall victim was moved outside the bar by employees under orders from the owner, what is the motivation? Avoid an ABCC hearing where owners get reamed by the mostly useless commission? Perhaps its also be to avoid a slip and fall lawsuit.
Either institution ends up working against public health here.
Where
By cornbread
Wed, 07/09/2014 - 2:49pm
does it say that he fell?
I'll go out on a limb and guess that Roggie was trying to keep himself out of court, but not for a slip and fall lawsuit.
You've Outdone Yourself
By anon
Wed, 07/09/2014 - 4:44pm
The work against public health here is MOVING AN UNCONSCIOUS INJURED PERSON AND DUMPING HIM OUTSIDE. Sorry for yelling but the potential licensing board hearing or potential lawsuit are not what could have killed this kid and are no excuse for committing a whole bunch of felonies.
Roggie's side
By brighton resident
Wed, 07/09/2014 - 11:09pm
Roggie is one of the nicest and most experienced owner operators in the area. I refuse to believe he would "dump and almost dead guy " out back to avoid an underage hearing w/ ABCC. Every operator knows safety first, call 911. Preposterous accusations
Uh
By bosguy22
Thu, 07/10/2014 - 10:05am
but they have video of employees doing just that. how did he get out there?
Thanks
By Kaz
Thu, 07/10/2014 - 10:07am
We'll be sure to take that into consideration, Mrs. Rogaris.
roggie's
By bostnkid
Thu, 07/10/2014 - 3:30pm
HA
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