Swampscott Town Hall. Item file photo.
By Gayla Cawley
SWAMPSCOTT — Harbormaster Lawrence Bithell will be arraigned on criminal charges for his use of an expired license plate.
Bithell is scheduled to appear in Lynn District Court on Oct. 28. A clerk magistrate’s hearing was held on Sept. 19, where it was determined that criminal charges should be filed against Bithell.
During the hearing, Clerk-Magistrate Jane Brady Stirgwolt found probable cause to proceed with three of the four charges — attaching a registration plate to assigned vehicle (trailer), use of an uninsured trailer and use of an unregistered trailer, according to Swampscott Police Chief Ronald Madigan.
Bithell’s attorney, Neil Rossman, has said previously that the complaint is regarding a boat trailer, but on Monday declined to comment on the pending arraignment.
On Aug. 15, Madigan received a complaint regarding the misuse of a Town of Swampscott registration trailer plate, according to a police report obtained at Lynn District Court. Police said photographs from different dates showed a blue registration trailer plate was attached to two different trailers. The registration trailer plate is assigned to a 2007 Load Rite gray utility trailer owned by the town, according to court documents.
A photograph taken on June 6 shows the blue registration plate attached to a trailer, connected with a vehicle owned by Bithell. Police said the photograph showed that the registration trailer plate was attached to a trailer other than its assigned utility trailer. The picture was taken at the boat ramp at the Fish House and showed the registration plate attached to a Highlander brand trailer, according to court documents.
The Highlander trailer was located at Fisherman’s Beach between the Fish House and Martin’s Way, without a registration plate, on the beach next to the wall that abuts Bithell’s Puritan Road residence, according to court documents.
The photographs taken on Aug. 7 at Martin’s Way, a beach where the public has a right of access on Puritan Road, shows the registration trailer plate attached to another trailer, a ShoreLand’r trailer. Police said the trailer was also holding a small white power boat with a center console, court documents show.
Police further learned that Load Rite utility trailer was at Ryan Marine in Marblehead. An officer was told by the owner at Ryan Marine that two trailers owned by the town were brought there and one of the trailers, the Load Rite utility trailer, was mistakenly taken there. Police didn’t see registration plates attached to either trailer, according to court documents.
An officer later spoke with Bithell at the Fish House as he disembarked from his boat — a white power boat with a center console. Bithell was asked where the blue registration trailer plate was and he told police that it was in the back of his truck. Bithell was asked where the trailer was located that should have the registration plate attached to it and he told the officer that it was stored at the yard of the town water tower, according to court documents.
Police said Bithell didn’t know that the trailer had been moved and taken to Ryan Marine. Bithell also told police that he used the registration trailer plate on his Highlander trailer to move his private boat, which he sometimes uses during the course of his Harbormaster duties.
An officer asked Bithell who owns the ShoreLand’r trailer, which photos showed the registration plate attached to, and was told that it belonged to Assistant Harbormaster Mounzer Aylouche. He told police that he used Aylouche’s trailer to move his boat on Aug. 7 and stated that the assistant harbormaster was unaware that he had borrowed his trailer, according to court documents.
Police said Bithell turned over the blue registration trailer plate and it was returned to Town Hall.
Swampscott officials have placed Bithell on administrative leave and are actively looking for an interim harbormaster. Interim Town Administrator Gino Cresta said no one has been chosen for the position and hopes to discuss the matter with the Board of Selectmen on Wednesday.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.