Repeat Stalker Recives State Prison Sentence

Bristol County District Attorney’s Office

Thomas M. Quinn III 

District Attorney

Press Release 

March 2, 2017

A 44-year-old Roxbury man was sentenced to serve two to four years in state prison after being convicted of stalking his former Fall River girlfriend last week.  It was the second time the defendant had been convicted of stalking in Massachusetts.

Julius Tolbert pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court last week to an indictment charging him with one count of stalking-subsequent offense.

The victim and the defendant dated for about two weeks last February. After the victim broke up with the defendant, he immediately began stalking her, harassing her by phone and threatening her.

One day in particular, the defendant called the victim’s phone more than 100 times and left 85 voice messages to threaten and harass her. There were also dozens of text messages sent from the defendant to the victim, threatening to kill her. The incidents of threats and stalking continued daily for about a month before he was eventually arrested by Fall River Police.

During his plea hearing before Judge Raffi Yessayan, Assistant District Attorney Courtney Cahill argued that based on the defendant’s prior conviction for stalking in Suffolk County and the facts of this case, he should serve a three-and-a-half to five year state prison sentence.  The defendant, however, requested a two year term in the county jail. 

After hearing from both sides, Judge Yessayan sentenced Mr. Tolbert to serve two to four years in state prison.

“This defendant engaged in threatening and compulsive behavior that left the victim in legitimate fear for her safety,” District Attorney Quinn said.  “This type of behavior leads to physical violence against women which is unacceptable.”

Contact:

Gregg Miliote

Director of Communications

508-997-0711

774-292-9576–cell