Multiple Boston Cops Arrested for 'Stealing Taxpayer Money' Over the Course of Several Years
Source: Law & Crime
Nine current or former police officers were arrested for stealing taxpayer money through overtime pay fraud in a years-long scheme. U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Andrew Lelling said on Wednesday that although he supports police in general, official misconduct needs to be punished.
I am a strong supporter of the police, especially in these difficult times. But all must be treated equally under the law, regardless of wealth, power or station, Lelling said. These officers are charged with stealing taxpayer money, year after year, through fraud. Beyond the theft of funds, this kind of official misconduct also erodes trust in public institutions, at a time when that trust is most needed.
...
According to the indictment, the defendants were assigned to Boston Police Departments (BPD) Evidence Control Unit (ECU), where they were responsible for, among other things, storing, cataloging and retrieving evidence at the warehouse. ECU officers were eligible to earn overtime pay of 1.5 times their regular hourly pay rate for overtime assignments. It is alleged that beginning in at least May 2016, the defendants routinely departed overtime shifts two or more hours early but submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips claiming to have worked the entirety of each shift.
One overtime shift, called purge overtime, was focused on reducing the inventory of the evidence warehouse. The shift was supposed to be performed from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays. On days which the defendants claimed to have worked until 8:00 p.m., the warehouse was closed, locked and alarmed well before 8:00 p.m., and often by 6:00 p.m. or before. Despite this, it is alleged that the defendants routinely submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips claiming to have worked from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Supervisors, who also left early from this shift, allegedly submitted their own false and fraudulent slips and also knowingly endorsed the fraudulent overtime slips of their subordinates.
Read more: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/multiple-boston-cops-arrested-for-stealing-taxpayer-money-over-the-course-of-several-years/
They were padding their overtime hours.
nykym
(3,063 posts)Generally an officers pension is based on hours worked.
So not only were these fine upstanding public servants cheating taxpayers
They were illegally padding their retirement accounts.
Now if convicted of these crimes will they loose their pensions?
I know stealing time at my former employer was an offense that was an immediate termination.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)money bomb that is about to be exposed Nation Wide.
Stuart G
(38,414 posts)When you are sure you can do it, and get away with it, then they (the cops) do it...Furthermore,
...It ain't the first time, and won't be the last time!!!!
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)Abuse of overtime by PD's and Fire Dept's seems to be the flavor of the day in the last thirty years. When they brag to your face about it,you know they feel they will never have to face accountability.
Bayard
(22,038 posts)Yeehah
(4,574 posts)Most U.S. police forces have very low standards and this must be changed.
GoneOffShore
(17,339 posts)At this point, the only difference between the cops and the criminals are the uniforms.
Two pieces on this:
Confessions of a Former Bastard Cop
The Case for Ending All Traffic Stops
LuckyLib
(6,819 posts)GoneOffShore
(17,339 posts)support the whole 'Thin Blue Line' bullshit.
I remember reading the Peter Maas biography of Frank Serpico in 1973 when I was 25. It made a great impression on me and gave me the view of police that I hold to this day.
The Knapp Commission did a lot of good, but didn't go far enough.