Fall River man sentenced to prison for assault over $40

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — A Fall River man was sentenced to prison for an assault that stemmed from an argument over $40, prosecutors said Thursday.

Charles Silvester, 54, was sentenced to three years after he pled guilty in Fall River Superior Court to assault and battery to collect a loan, assault and battery, threats, assault and civil rights violation.

Police were called for an incident in the area behind the Taco Bell on Plymouth Avenue on April 4, 2022.

Officers followed a trail to a small homeless encampment and found a woman crying with a broken nose.

She told police that Silvester dragged her out of her tent and repeatedly punched her in the face while asking, “Where’s my money?”

A witness said Silvester woke him up while looking for the victim, and then saw him punch her two times.

While officers were near Silvester, he said he went into the woods to get his $40 that the let the woman borrow, and stated that he hit her.

Police said he was aggressive while being placed into handcuffs, trying to spit on an officer, headbutting them, and calling one officer a racial slur.

Silvester has a lengthy criminal history, including county jail sentences for assault and other crimes. This will be his first prison sentence.