Man Held Without Bail After Alleged Beatings, Threats, Extortion Attempt in Medford

Three men allegedly beat several people at NEQ Construction's Medford office, demanded $10,000 and threatened the lives of victims and their families Tuesday, according to police reports.

One of the suspects, James Morando, 52, of Swampscott was arrested Thursday by Swampscott Police and arraigned in Somerville District Court Friday morning, where he was ordered held without bail pending a hearing next week.

Morando faces fourteen charges, including three counts of extortion, three counts of kidnapping, three counts of threat to commit a crime, two counts of extortion, two counts of assault and battery and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Although the other suspects are named in police reports, their identities are being withheld in this report because they have not been arrested and it is not clear whether they face charges. Lt. Paul Covino, Medford police's spokesman, could not be reached late Friday.

Morando, the owner of demolition company Total Group, had previously done work with some of the alleged victims, according to Medford Police reports. He told police he and one of the other suspects went to the office seeking money owed to them, although witnesses said he was upset over losing customers.

Witnesses who work at NEQ told police Morando and the other men entered the office at 427 Riverside Ave. about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, where they beat two men who worked there, angrily shouted death threats and held a pen to the eye of one alleged victim, witnesses said. The men were demanding a $10,000 "commission fee," witnesses told police. He also accused one of the alleged victims, who used to work for him, of stealing customers, witnesses said.

But Morando told police he went there to collect money that was owed to him for work as a subcontractor and things went "haywire" when one of the alleged victims pulled a gun on him and another grabbed him from behind.

Witnesses told police that when Morando and the other visitors entered the office a man who stood to greet them was shoved aside. They began to beat another man about the head until he needed hospital treatment and forced another to sign paperwork by pressing a pen to his eye and threatening to gauge it out, according to a police report.

Morando also threatened to kill a victim's teenage son if they went to police, witnesses said.

In a brief statement to police, Morando said he office Tuesday to get paid what was owed to him, but one of the men who worked there immediately pulled a handgun on him.

"The gun was a .38 snub nose, blue/black colored," Morando said, according to a police report. "He pulled it from his desk draw...it all went haywire after."

Morando then cut off the conversation with police, according to the report.

"That's all I have to say," he said, according to the report. "I have lawyers I pay for this stuff."

No gun is mentioned in police reports stemming from interviews with victims and witnesses working at the office when the incident occurred.

Morando was arrested in Swampscott late Thursday and arraigned before Judge Neil Walker in Somerville District Court Friday. He was ordered held without bail pending a hearing Monday.