Federal authorities on Friday arrested two former Massachusetts State Police troopers for allegedly collecting thousands of dollars in overtime pay for hours not worked and destroying evidence in a scheme dating back to 2015.
Former MSP Lieutenant Daniel Griffin and former Sergeant William W. Robertson had been charged conspiracy, federal programs embezzlement and wire fraud in connection with the scheme, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said in a press conference.
Griffin, 57, of Belmont and Robertson, 58, from Westborough -- both former supervisors -- were scheduled to appear in in federal court in Boston Friday.
The arrests were the latest in an overtime scandal that has rocked the Massachusetts State Police in recent years.
"We're going to keep doing these cases until this kind of behavior stops," Lelling said. "Either internally at the state police, they can take proactive steps to make sure troopers aren't doing this, or I can do it. But either way, it's going to stop."
According to the indictment, Griffin, Robertson and other members of the Traffic Programs Section at MSP headquarters in Framingham embezzled over $120,000 by arriving early to and leaving early from overtime shifts. Griffin allegedly made and approved false entries on timekeeping records.
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The overtime funds came from federal programs to increase public safety, such as those to reduce distracted and drunk driving.
Amid heightened scrutiny into the department, Griffin, Robertson and others allegedly shredded and burned records and forms related to the scheme. Griffin also claimed to superiors that missing forms had been "inadvertently discarded or misplaced."
Griffin is also accused of spending "significant time" running a private security business called KnightPro during regular and overtime work hours and hiding over $700,000 of revenue from that business from the IRS.
According to Lelling's office, he is also accused of hiding his earnings from that company on financial aid applications to a private school attended by two of his children. Griffin allegedly obtained over $175,000 in financial aid from the school over several years.
In July, the state police announced disciplinary action against over 20 troopers, including termination in some cases, in connection with the overtime scandal.
Massachusetts State Police Colonel Christopher Mason released a statement on the indictments:
"The conduct as alleged is unacceptable and does not represent the standards and professionalism expected of Massachusetts State Troopers; the Department has already implemented a series of internal controls, training, and supervisory systems designed to prevent such behavior. I wish to thank the original Department investigators for their audit of former Troop E personnel, which provided the foundation for the Department and prosecutors to discover and address this conduct."
A further statement said that the department has implemented initiatives over the last two years in order to improve its time and attendance recording system. In addition, regular detailed payroll audits of personnel are being conducted, Mason said.
Further, MSP is opening Internal Affairs investigations into members who have been indicted, authorities said.
