NORTHAMPTON — The third and final suspect police say helped plan and carry out a botched drug deal turned violent home invasion, in which a man was shot three times, pleaded not guilty Friday to his alleged role in the assault.
At his arraignment in Hampshire Superior Court, Joseph Massa, 18, of Chester, pleaded not guilty to home invasion, armed robbery, assault and battery with a firearm, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm without a license, possessing ammunition without an firearms identification card, carrying a firearm without a license, receiving a defaced firearm and conspiracy. He remains jailed on $25,000 cash bail and is expected back in court April 11.
The two other men prosecutors say helped carry out the attack Nov. 26, 2016 — Robert VanHoy, 19, of South Hadley, and Dupree Hinds, 30, of Chicopee — have pleaded not guilty to similar charges.
Police say the three men confronted a 29-year-old man in his Amherst Road apartment. When they arrived, Hinds brandished a handgun and shot the man in the stomach three times, then drove to an Amherst Road apartment to buy marijuana, according to police. A fourth man is said to have driven the car, but remained in the vehicle.
Once inside, Hinds, Massa and VanHoy confronted the 29-year-old victim, prosecutors said, and Hinds drew a handgun from his waistband, firing three shots into the man’s stomach when he tried to call 911.
The wounded man survived after he was treated at an area hospital.
In court Friday, Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jeremy Bucci said Massa had an understanding of how the inside of the apartment was laid out and informed the others prior to carrying out the robbery.
Some marijuana was taken from the apartment that evening, Bucci said after court, but the amount was unknown as well as who actually took it.
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com.