Medford Man Arraigned on Perjury Charges

Local Man Accused of Perjury in Connection with Summer Homicide

– Allison Goldsberry

A Medford man has been arraigned on perjury charges in connection with lying under oath during a grand jury investigation into a summer murder in Medford, according to Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone.

Roger Beattie, 32, of Medford, was arraigned Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on two counts of perjury charges. Middlesex Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Fahey ordered the defendant held on $20,000 cash bail with the conditions that he stays away and has no contact with witnesses in the case.

Brian Fahy, 28, of Weymouth, was allegedly beaten to death by Beattie’s roommate in a Salem Street apartment last August.

According to authorities, Beattie was a witness to a murder that occurred at 382 Salem Street in Medford on August 28, 2010. The defendant in that case, Christopher Toppi, is alleged to have started a fight with Fahy and then beat him to death. Both Beattie and Toppi lived in an apartment at 382 Salem Street.

According to information released by DA Leone, Beattie, Toppi, and several friends were out on August 27, 2010 and when Beattie arrived home in the early morning of August 28, he allegedly called Toppi to let him know that Fahy was at his apartment with a friend. Authorities say Toppi returned to the apartment, spoke to Beattie, and went upstairs and beat Fahy to death. Beattie is accused of watching Toppi beat Fahy before pulling him out of the room.

Beattie was summonsed to testify in a grand jury investigation of the murder. He is alleged to have lied under oath, stating that he did not see the defendant, Toppi, at the Salem Street house. Beattie is also alleged to have not disclosed additional conversations he had with Toppi, specifically conversations that discussed a murder weapon.

“The statements Beattie falsified were imperative to the murder investigation based on the fact that the information he withheld concerned the identity of the person who caused the death of Fahy and the nature and existence of the weapon that was allegedly used to murder him,” said a statement from DA Leone.

Beattie was indicted by a Middlesex Grand Jury on February 11. His next court date is on March 1 for a pretrial conference.