A former Boston police captain was convicted by a federal jury Friday in an overtime fraud scheme dating back to 2012, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts said.
Richard Evans, 65, of Hanover, was convicted of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
According to prosecutors, Evans was the commander of the Boston Police Department's Evidence Control Unit from May 2012 to March 2016. Among his duties was to approve department officers' overtime.
Evans was accused of submitting and approving overtime slips with amounts well above what officers actually worked. Officials said he also submitted hundreds of slips for hours he himself did not work.
The scheme was based around a standard overtime shift, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Officers involved in the scheme only worked about two hours of the shift, some from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and others from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., but submitted for the full shift, earning 1.5 times their usual pay. By splitting the shift, it also created the illusion that all of the officers were at work for the four hours, hiding the theft. Toward the end, Evans and other officers consistently left two or three hours early, according to evidence presented in the trial.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Evans misled superior officers about the overtime to cover up the inflated hours. They said it all started virtually as soon as he took command.
Evans earned around $120,000 in overtime over 3 and a half years as commander on top of his set salary, which was over $200,000.
“Mr. Evans’ greed is not a reflection of the Boston Police Department or the many men and women in law-enforcement who serve with integrity. However, when individuals put their greed before their public duty, they must be held accountable," United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a media statement.
Evans is scheduled for sentencing on June 20. The wire fraud charges carry the heaviest potential sentence at 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and theft concerning programs receiving federal funds could each carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Evans was first arrested in 2021. The charges stemmed from an ongoing federal investigation into overtime abuse at the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse. At the time authorities said nine current and former officers who worked there were charged with collecting a total of more than $200,000 in overtime pay they were not entitled to. Several former Massachusetts State Police officers were also charged in federal court with overtime pay abuse.
