NORTHAMPTON — A Belchertown man allegedly involved with a violent Amherst home invasion has had his bail set at $3,000.
Joseph T. Barcelos, 20, pleaded not guilty to a total of 10 charges in Hampshire Superior Court in March. Barcelos is charged with conspiracy to commit home invasion, conspiracy to commit armed and masked robbery, three counts of armed and masked robbery, breaking and entering in the nighttime, larceny in a building, assault and battery, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon.
He is one of five people who have been arraigned in Superior Court following an October home invasion in which individuals, armed and wearing tactical gear, allegedly ransacked a South East Street home in Amherst in pursuit of drugs and valuables. Two of the home’s residents were seriously injured while the home invasion was being carried out, according to authorities.
In court Tuesday afternoon, First Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Steven Gagne told the judge both attorneys had agreed on the bail amount of $3,000 cash or $30,000 surety. He was previously held without right to bail without prejudice, which meant his attorney could readdress the matter at a later date.
Conditions of release include that Barcelos submit to GPS monitoring, stay away and have no contact with co-defendants and alleged victims, remain drug- and alcohol-free and submit to random drug testing.
Barcelos’ attorney, Colin Keefe, said shortly after the hearing it was possible his client would be able to make bail but did not anticipate it would happen that day.
He is the last remaining defendant in custody as two other suspects in the home invasion, Stephanos Georgiadis and Patrick Bembem, were able to make bail in February and January, respectively.
John Joseph Niemiec III, 29, and Brittany Buckowski, both of Sunderland, were released on conditions following their arraignments in March.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.