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Two of those annoying energy door knockers arrested for breaking and entering in Hyde Park

Boston Police report two workers for a company called Spark Energy were arrested on Summit Street in Hyde Park yesterday after, police say, the resident arrived home and watched them try all his doors until they found an unlocked sunroom and walked in.

And when the resident got out of his car and yelled at them to get out, they asked him for his utility bill and account number, police say.

The victim stated while the suspects were speaking to him, he observed his garage door to be partially open as well. The suspects eventually left the victim’s residence and proceeded to other residences in the area before police stopped them. The suspects stated they were both employees of “Spark Energy.” Both males were taken into custody.

Andre Williams, 21, of Hyde Park and Ryan Williams, 49, of Dorchester, were both charged with breaking and entering of a dwelling during the daytime, police say.

Innocent, etc.

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Asking someone for their bill and account number is objectionable to begin with, then the sales pitch is full of lies.

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My understanding is that once they have your account number, it becomes much easier for them to pretend to be you and get your service switched behind your back if they are uninterested in things like ethics or legalities.

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Good. Someone in my building decided to buzz them in. Once in, they proceeded to bang on all doors. If nobody answered they would try twisting the doorknobs (I watched them from the landing). Told them cops were on the way and then they fled. I hope someone greets them with a shotgun one of these days and says in monotone, "Git offa my lawn!!"

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Same thing happened in our building. I heard my wife confront them so I came out with our large dog to greet them. They initially just went down a floor, after some more yelling they finally left.

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Multiple "employees" have actually threatened me when I escorted them out of the building and pointed out the No Soliciting signage.

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Isn't that cute. The family that B&E's together pleas together.

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What about US operations of the company these two supposedly worked for ?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/23/spark-energy-goes-bu...

Makes me think of another British company and their US affiliate in the energy supply business (gas)

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According to the Secretary of State Corporations Division, it is a Texas entity registered in Massachusetts (and probably other states, as well) under the following various entities over a period of time, all of which have the same two guys listed as Directors in Texas, "Gil Melman" and "Nathan Kroeker".

Spark Energy Gas, LLC
Spark Energy Gas, LP
Spark Energy Holding, LLC
Spark Energy Limited Partnership
Spark Energy, LLC

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One guy came to my house and our front door wasn't working properly so it was slightly ajar. He pushed it open walked up the stairs and knocked the door to my apartment. I told him through the door that he was trespassing and needed to leave. He said sorry, but then stayed and started his sales pitch through the closed door. I cut him off and remained calm, but got a tad more stern with him and he left. I'm not surprised he was later arrested. Makes you wonder about the "training" they receive on the job and how their bosses treat them. It's likely that their bosses are breaking some kind of labor law if these workers are desperate enough to get arrested. Even still, I think a few hours or a night in jail is punishment enough, no need for further sentencing.

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Oh hell no. If someone breaks into my house I sure as hell don't want them to get off because "my boss told me to do it." Putting them in time out for a few hours is no punishment at all. They aren't little kids. They are adults who are responsible for their (criminal)actions.

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Where was the "breaking"? Annoying does not equal criminal.

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If the door was open and you went in (without touching the door), you would have another crime (entering in the day time with the intent to commit a felony, misdemeanor, etc,etc)

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Won't prosecutors have to prove intent to commit a felony to sustain a conviction on breaking and entering? And if this was in fact an enclosed porch before the "true" front or back door couldn't you call the cops on everyone who comes a-knocking, the mailman, a solicitor from the Patrolmen's benevolent asociation, etc, if they have to open a screen door to get in?

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Dear god man. How far backwards do you want to bend to assert that these guys illegally entering a home wasn't a crime?

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Proven is the intent to commit a felony. So I've answered ny own question and am done, I guess.

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There are very few instances where someone could actually break into a home and commit a misdemeanor.

The two most common ones (and maybe the only ones I've seen) are:

If a homeless guy breaks into your garage (lest say he doesn't damage it) and sleeps there and gets up the next morning and leaves, that legally isn't a felony. The guys intent was to sleep there (trespass) which is a misdemeanor.

In the same category, sometimes a really drunk friend of a college kid will get lost and not know where he is after a night out. They often break down or enter someone elses apartment and do something stupid (sleep on the couch, eat some food, etc). Not really felonious behavior.

A case like this you need to do some investigating. In my experience, the guys who go door to door almost always have a long record. In fact, they have a record 100% of a time from any time I hear these guys getting their records run on the air. Basically you ask them questions, and yea, in the end you need to prove that they intended to commit a felony.

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This is a really good point about intent. While these guys weren't necessarily intending anything felonious by entering the sunroom/enclosed porch (I agree with an earlier commenter that it sounds like something that a mailman could do with impunity), I think it's true that people who take jobs like this sometimes do so because they have criminal records that may make it more difficult to get jobs that are better/with a more reputable company. So, their record "proves" intent in a way it wouldn't necessarily for someone with no record.

That being said, I think the folks who work for these companies are way too aggressive in their sales techniques and I don't want to appear to be defending their methodology at all...

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It's called "equal application of the law" and it's sort of a bedrock principle of a free society. If opening an unlocked porch door to knock on the "real" door is a crime for these guys, then its a crime for everyone else the parent post mentioned.

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You don’t have to force your way in to be changed with braking and entering. It’s the public trust you are braking.

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Here in lies the hypocrisy of Western law and why liberalism is scoffed at. He witnessed them"try multiple"points of entry into his home. But they were there in an official capacity and had no burglary tools therefore should be given the benefit of a doubt. Come on man.

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You'd prefer Sharia law or something, man?

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piggybacked into my building. When I demanded they leave, they drew dicks on the wall with marker, pulled off their "Hi Viz" jackets and raced off in a car they had illegally parked on the sidewalk.

Good that they are in jail. I hope this company gets run out of the state (and all others like them).

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Phone calls from these companies are driving me crazy and they say they are from Eversource. They are relentless, even when I tell them I know they are scammers. When is this going to stop? I know these calls are illegal. What agency do I contact? Does anyone know?

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I made a complaint about a similar company NRG Energy to the Attorney General's office, and they did follow up with me, though I don't know that anything happened from there.

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Would you Perry Mason types read,please! The guy stated he witnessed the pair try numerous doors or points of entry unlike the milkman or others their intent was obvious.

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They were planning to what, haul out a big screen tv or something? In the middle of the day, after talking with a dozen other people in the neighborhood? Maybe, but I don't know. Doesn't make all that much sense. I've heard a bunch of people who don't seem to know how to say "no, thank you" without having a panic attack complain about these guys for months, but haven't heard reports of anything going missing or anything. Now all of a sudden it's a burglary ring? Maybe.

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More like they were going to try to get the meter number or account number without talking to the account owner. That and possibly take small items of value. Or were simply scouting.

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Couple points:

There's no real guarantee that they are actually working for this company at the time. They're sub-sub-subcontractors at best with a few zillion percent turnover; I'm sure people walk off the job with their windbreakers and plastic badges all the time.

Even if they are technically on the clock, these jobs pay jack-all, so who cares if they get fired. And they can just jump ship to the next shady fly-by-night contractor. As pointed out above, most of them have records. Nobody's doing background checks on these clowns. I'm sure pocketing a few baubles is not unheard of.

I'm sure they have a story ready to go if they're confronted by a resident. "Oh, you didn't answer the door so I was making sure you were OK / wasn't sure I had the right entrance." They're already preying on people who are too trusting to call the cops. I'm from "your energy company," show me your bill? Yeah nah, my company can call me a lot cheaper than hiring canvassers to go out in the snow.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have let themselves in my back gate and cupped their hands to my darkened windows to peer inside before, but these energy creeps actually rattle doorknobs and attempt a pincer maneuver to distract me from one entrance while I'm cussing out the invader at the other. (Yes I keep my doors locked. It's still SUPER creepy that they try it.) They are on a whole 'nother level and I fully believe they're capable of ANY crazy illegal activity you could dream of.

I've done volunteer canvassing for political campaigns and even when a front door was wide open and I could hear a TV and/or voices inside, if ringing the bell and knocking on the doorframe didn't get a response, I turned around and walked TF away. People have a right to be "not at home to visitors" in their own home.

If you're not an EMT with a credible reason, you better not walk in anyone's home without an explicit invitation. Not even cops are allowed to do that.

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