LITCHFIELD — A Massachusetts man has been arrested in connection with several phony radio transmissions that interfered with fire department and ambulance calls during December and January, state police said.
Adam Perelli, 35, of Great Barrington, Mass., was arrested Friday by Massachusetts authorities as a fugitive from justice. He waived extradition and was turned over to Connecticut State Police.
According to police, Perelli made several unauthorized emergency radio transmissions on Litchfield County Dispatch frequencies between Dec. 25, 2013, and Jan. 6, 2014.
The man on the transmissions identified himself at different times as a Sharon firefighter, a Watertown firefighter, a Sheffield, Mass., firefighter and a Litchfield firefighter. He caused ambulances to be sent to non-existent medical emergencies and also tried to interfere with firefighters responding to real calls.
State police distributed recordings of the transmissions, hoping someone would recognize the man’s voice. In addition to state police detectives, the case was investigated by members of the Massachusetts state police, the Berkshire County District Attorney’s office, the Litchfield State’s Attorney’s office and the Great Barrington and Pittsfield, Mass. police departments.
Perelli was charged Friday with reporting a false incident, reckless endangerment, computer crimes, interfering with an officer and tampering with physical evidence, state police said.
He was held with bail set at $150,000 and is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Monday.
Litchfield County Dispatch officials said that hopefully the arrest will put an end to “the dangerous and malicious radio transmissions.”
“The person or persons who did this threatened the safety of every fire and EMS responder in Litchfield County,” they said in a press release Friday. “The recent fire in Torrington and the deaths of 2 firemen in Boston show the importance of a secure radio communication system.”
The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible, state police said.
By Kelly Glista, Hartford Courant