Amherst man gets 9-11 years in state prison after admitting to six separate crimes

Gavel and scales

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By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

Staff Writer

Published: 06-18-2025 6:01 PM

NORTHAMPTON — An Amherst man has pleaded guilty to 11 charges stemming from a spate of crimes committed between 2017 and 2019, including forcible rape of a child, unlawful possession of a firearm and breaking and entering in the nighttime.

Rene Garcia-Alvarado, 26, admitted to the crimes on Tuesday in front of Hampshire Superior Court Judge Jane Mulqueen, who adopted the sentence recommended jointly by both the defense and the commonwealth. As a result, Garcia-Alvarado will serve between nine to 11 years in state prison, along with lesser sentences to be served concurrently.

Garcia-Alvarado will also have to register as a sex offender and participate in treatment, while staying away from the victim in the case and have no unsupervised contact with children under 16.

In August 2019, Garcia-Alvarado fled the state and moved to Ohio, where he was incarcerated on a separate charge in 2022 before being transported back to Massachusetts to face charges. He was represented by defense attorney Jonah Goldsmith from the Committee for Public Counsel Services on the cases involving breaking and entering, vandalism, assaults and firearms charges, and by defense attorney Tom Glynn on the case involving forcible rape of a child.

Child Protection Unit Chief Lori Odierna prosecuted the rape and child sexual assault charges and Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington handled the other cases involving six guilty pleas. As part of the plea agreement, the commonwealth dropped four charges.

“Due the serious nature of the crimes, particularly the rape and sexual assault charges involving a child, the Commonwealth believed a lengthy state prison sentence was warranted and we are heartened that the judge agreed,” said Odierna in a statement from the Northwestern district attorney’s office. “The child survivor showed tremendous strength and courage throughout this process despite the long delay caused by the defendant’s flight from Massachusetts for almost five years.”

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.

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