Joseph F. Gulluni Jr. acquitted on arson and insurance fraud charges in connection with 2019 Palmer property fire [masslive.com]

SPRINGFIELD — After nine hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Joseph F. Gulluni Jr. on arson and insurance fraud charges after a weeklong trial.

Gulluni, 66, a cousin of Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni, stood trial accused of torching a rental property he owned at 2002-2006 Palmer Road in Three Rivers while two tenants and a dog were inside. The property went up in flames on June 4, 2019.

Worcester County Assistant District Attorney Joseph Simmons was assigned to the case to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. He argued Gulluni was a down-on-his-luck contractor struggling to pay household bills and burned the six-unit property as a cash grab.

Video surveillance camera showed a “flash” when Gulluni entered the ground floor garage of the building and left two minutes later. The building began to “gush” with smoke 47 seconds after he left, according to investigators.

Two tenants fled as the building smoldered, along with one tenant’s dog. Everything else they owned was incinerated in the fast-moving fire.

But defense attorney Daniel D. Kelly argued Gulluni had no financial motive to burn his own property and the prosecutor’s theory was “a sham.” Kelly poked holes in many of the prosecution’s theories regarding how, where and when the fire actually began.

When investigators searched Gulluni’s car and the property, they did not find signs of an accelerant.

Over a week, the jury heard 21 witnesses and reviewed 293 exhibits.

Following the verdict, Gulluni said he was “railroaded” by law enforcement and the police targeted him.

“This has been following me around for more than three years. It was completely unfair,” Gulluni said.

Kelly said Gulluni’s surname added to the zeal of the prosecution.

“Because of his last name they brought in one of the top arson prosecutors in the state and devoted countless hours to this case, involving multiple state and federal agencies. Despite all that, the jury saw through it all.”

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