Waltham, MA- Police officer Paul Tracey is accused of intimidating Edgar Gonzalez.

The attorney general’s office is reviewing a complaint from a Vernon Street resident alleging City Council President Paul Brasco asked a Waltham police officer to intimidate the man – one of Brasco’s tenants – and threatening deportation if the tenant did not pay rent, attorney general spokesman Grant Woodman has confirmed.

Brasco denies doing anything wrong, saying the officer is a friend who went to visit the apartment with him at a late hour, though he did admit to not being initially forthcoming in the Police Department’s internal affairs investigation. He also said he wants the public to know that the matter “in no way, shape or form, had anything to do with my decision not to run for mayor,” adding that he will pull papers to run for City Council, “100 percent guaranteed,” on Friday.

“Whoever is behind this may be trying to run me out of office, and I’m not going to (oblige them),” Brasco said. The deadline to return the papers is June 23.

Edgar Gonzalez, who was living in the basement of 89 Vernon St., which Brasco owns, had refused to pay rent until Brasco made major repairs at the apartment, including malfunctioning heat and lighting, said Gonzalez’s attorney, Tyler Fox.

About one month after Gonzalez refused to pay rent, a man who identified himself as “Joe” called Gonzalez, saying he represented Brasco, and that the rent needed to be paid regardless of the malfunctioning heat and lights, Fox said.

Gonzalez told “Joe” he would not pay the rent until the heat was fixed properly, and ended the call, Fox said.

Then, on Feb. 17, at 10 p.m., Officer Paul Tracey and a second, unidentified man, both wearing police uniforms, showed up at Gonzalez’s apartment, Fox said.

Tracey and the other man asked for Gonzalez’s ID, and told Gonzalez he was “trespassing and the owner did not allow him to rent the space,” according to Fox.

“Officer Tracey then said he would report Mr. Gonzalez and that if Mr. Gonzalez did not have ‘papers’ that Mr. Gonzalez would be deported,” Fox said in a letter to the U.S. attorney’s office.


Link:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/waltham/news/x1260731407/Man-says-Waltham-council-head-Brasco-used-cop-in-rent-squabble#axzz1PX5CUZwj