A Plymouth man who allegedly fired shots at two homes in March has been indicted on 21 charges, including armed assault with intent to commit murder, illegal possession of a loaded handgun, and possession of a large capacity weapon.
A Plymouth County grand jury Thursday charged Joshua T. Fitzgerald with 21 crimes, including 15 felonies, many of which carry the possibility of a lengthy prison term.
The charges stem from a March 9 incident. Plymouth police responded to a home on North Spooner Street after a 911 caller told police the alleged shooter, who was a friend, was firing rounds at his house, and his neighbor’s. He was also sending threatening texts, the caller said.
“I’ll kill you … and don’t even blink about it,” was one of the texts Fitzgerald allegedly sent, according to officer Liam Stone. The “verbally abusive” texts continued even while Stone was at the house, he said.
Once the victim identified the alleged shooter, police drove to Fitzgerald’s home on Braley Street. There they found the 25-year-old man on the front porch, police said.
They watched him go inside and upstairs before eventually emerging from the front door and walking to the rear of the property.
Three officers, saying they believed he had a gun, drew their weapons and pointed them at Fitzgerald, who dropped what turned out to be a 9 mm pistol.
At his arraignment in Plymouth District Court in March, Fitzgerald pleaded not guilty. Court records do not show when he will be arraigned on the new, superior court charges.
Since his arrest, Fitzgerald has been jailed at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility.
Three Plymouth District Court judges ordered him held without bail during separate hearings — in March, April, and June, court records show. In July, a judge set bail at $25,000 cash, which according to court records, he hasn’t yet posted.
His lawyer, Sabrina Bonanno, did not return phone calls seeking comment. At Fitzgerald’s arraignment, she said he had no prior criminal record.
Fitzgerald is charged with armed assault with intent to murder four people: Jacob Lippman, Lippman’s sister Jordan, their uncle Richard, who lived in the house, and a friend, Damian Holmes-Vaccaro, who was staying at the house, according to police reports.
Jacob Lippman told police that he, Fitzgerald, and other friends were socializing at Brewster Bar on Main Street when Fitzgerald, allegedly drinking and using cocaine, insulted Jordan.
Fitzgerald, he told police, was a “confrontational drunk known to become aggressive towards friends and strangers alike while under the influence.”
When Fitzgerald wouldn’t stop insulting his sister, Lippman told police, he punched Fitzgerald in the face.
Lippman went home, arriving around midnight. Shortly thereafter, Fitzgerald allegedly began sending menacing texts to him and his sister, threatening to kill them, police reports said.
A few minutes later, they heard a gunshot and a car speed away. Fifteen minutes later, they heard a second shot, then an hour later, a third. After the third shot, Lippman called police, the police report said.
Police found three bullet holes in the apartments at 12 and 14 North Spooner, which are adjacent units in a multi-family building.
Fitzgerald is charged with an array of crimes, including four counts of armed assault with intent to murder. He is also facing seven counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of threats, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, firing a gun within 500 feet of a home, possession of a large capacity weapon, and possession of cocaine.
Andrea Estes can be reached at andrea@plymouthindependent.org.