Foxborough Man Who Threatened Selectman Over Casino Vote Arrested Again

The was arrested Monday at 9:40 a.m. for allegedly violating the harassment prevention order that was a condition of his probation, according to Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s Office.

Michael Viscardi, 40, a local construction worker of 1 Spruce St. Foxborough, pled not guilty Tuesday to violating the harassment prevention order that was a condition of his probation following Wrentham District Court’s ruling in July of the April incident involving Foxborough Board of Selectmen vice chair Mark Sullivan.

Viscardi was ordered held without bail by Judge Stephen Ostrach in the Wrentham District Court Tuesday pending his final probation surrender hearing on Oct. 2. An additional $500 bail was requested on the new HPO violation charge; the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office had requested $5,000 bail on the new charge, according to the DA’s Office.

Viscardi was arrested by the Foxborough Police Department after allegedly coming within 50 yards of the selectman’s home in violation of the terms of the HPO.

On April 15, Viscardi had confronted Sullivan in an angry manner and stated, “If you don’t change your (expletive) vote … you’re a dead man,” according to a July press release from Morrissey's Office. 

Viscardi was arrested and charged by following an investigation.

“The charge [carried] a maximum penalty of six months in the county house of correction,” Morrissey said. “We requested that he serve two months incarcerated, then have a four month suspended sentence hanging over his head for three years with a list of conditions designed to change his behavior in the community.”

The court did not order the incarceration, however, but instead sentenced Viscardi to six months in the house of correction, suspended for one year.

The court did order the probation conditions requested by the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. Those conditions include mental health evaluation and any recommended treatment, remain drug and alcohol free, sign waivers allowing probation to monitor his treatment, submit to random chemical screens, and stay away and have no contact with the victim of the threat.

It is that last condition that Viscardi is most recently – and allegedly – in violation of.

Viscardi was arraigned at Wrentham District Court on April 17 after he was charged with threatening to commit a crime – to wit, kill after an April 15 incident with Sullivan, according to court documents.

According to the state, Viscardi spoke with Sullivan on April 15 and became “extremely agitated.” The state claimed that Viscardi began screaming at Sullivan –the two men are neighbors – saying, if Sullivan did not change his vote on the casino proposal – after the Board of Selectmen opposed The Kraft Group and Wynn Resort’s plans for a casino off Route 1 in Foxborough – “he was a dead man.”

The prosecution said, the next day after the threat was allegedly made, Sullivan drove down Spruce Street – the street both men live on – and saw Viscardi wielding a hatchet and looking in his direction.

Viscardi pled guilty to the threatening charge on July 12 at Wrentham District Court.

Following his recent arrest and court appearance, Viscardi is due back for pre-trial conference and final probation surrender on Tuesday, Oct. 2, according to Morrissey’s Office.