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Three Men Plead Not Guilty For Crime Spree And Arson

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Three men accused of an array of crimes including setting fire to a Dalton Avenue business all pleaded not guilty in Superior Court.

Steven Gratton, 24, Jason Welsh, 21, and James Ledbetter, 26, all of Pittsfield all had not guilty pleas entered on their behalf on many charges.

According to police, the three men went on a crime spree on Feb. 24 that involved stealing four cars, breaking into seven vehicles and setting fire to Castine Moving and Storage and attempting to burn Jay's Modern Bends and Muffler on Dalton Avenue.

Gratton pleaded not guilty on Thursday to with 14 counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle in the night time, four counts of malicious destruction of personal property, three counts of larceny of a motor vehicle, two counts of breaking and entering a building in the daytime, two counts of attaching plates to a motor vehicle and single counts of burning a building, attempting to burn a building receiving stolen property, malicious destruction of property over $250 and possessing a stolen motor vehicle.

Judge John Agostini ordered Gratton to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $25,000 bail.
 
Welsh pleaded not guilty on Thursday to with 14 counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle in the night time, four counts of malicious destruction of person property under $250, three counts of larceny of a motor vehicle, two counts of attaching plates to a motor vehicle and single counts of larceny from a building, receiving stolen property under $250, leaving the scene of an accident, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and malicious destruction of personal property over $250.

Agostini ordered Welsh to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $25,000 bail.

Ledbetter pleaded not guilty on Friday to 15 counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle in the night time, four counts of larceny of a motor vehicle, four counts of malicious destruction of personal property under $250, two counts of attaching plate to a motor vehicle, two counts of breaking and entering in the daytime and single counts of burning a building, attempting to burn a building, larceny from a building, receiving stolen property under $250, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and malicious destruction of persona property over $250.

Agostini ordered Ledbetter to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $25,000 bail.
     

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