Former Supt. Fred Foresteire is alleged to have removed numerous Everett Independent newspapers from at least one store last Wednesday, March 13, an edition of the paper that had a story about him describing sensitive police allegations of sexual assault and harassment.
The matter came to light when a worker at one of the local convenience stores posted on Facebook that a man that he believed to be Foresteire had allegedly come into his store and allegedly took a huge stack of papers – with the worker alleging that he was trying to prevent the news from getting out.
“The ex-Everett Superintendent who is on the cover of the local papers for sexual assault allegations just came and swiped all the Everett papers – like that makes it go away haha,” read the post.
Along with the post was a store surveillance video that showed what appears to be Foresteire coming into the store and going to the stack of Independents twice to remove a large stack of them.
At the store, on Ferry Street, the Manager – and Facebook poster – Tommy Rodrigues said he was working there when it happened. He and other employees claim that they recognized Foresteire – some of the employees saying they have lived all their lives in Everett and knew very well who Foresteire was.
That is why they were shocked when he seemed to allegedly take the large stack of papers.
Rodrigues said Foresteire came in and bought a Boston newspaper. Then he allegedly walked over to the stack of local papers and looked at the Independent, allegedly then taking a large stack. Then he walked towards the door, stopped, and returned to the stack to allegedly take more.
Rodrigues said he took all but about three of the papers. He said they were all surprised when he allegedly did it.
“I thought it was shocking he would allegedly take them,” he said. “It doesn’t make any of it go away. I know these are accusations, but this doesn’t make him look very innocent.”
Another worker said customers who know Foresteire said he allegedly had a lot more papers in his backseat.
Rodrigues and other workers said customers had been coming in all week to try to find the paper, noting that they had said it was very hard to find at the usual spots.
An attorney for Foresteire did not have a working phone number when the Independent tried to reach him at three different numbers to comment on the allegations.
As a free newspaper, this allegation does not involve theft, but calls into question limiting the dissemination of information to the public.
In addition to store deliveries, the Everett Independent also delivers more than 6,000 copies to residents in Everett.