Former Massachusetts State Police lieutenant, Daniel Griffin, has been sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay restitution, fines, and special assessment fees totaling approximately $508,000. Griffin’s conviction stems from his involvement in an overtime pay fraud scheme, where he destroyed evidence, misled his superiors, and approved false records.
In December, Griffin was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, theft concerning a federal program, and four counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Margart R. Guzman handed down the sentence on Friday, which also includes three years of supervised release.
The fraud scheme involved multiple state troopers at the Traffic Programs Section at Massachusetts State Police headquarters in Framingham. These troopers conspired to manipulate their overtime shifts, leaving early and arriving late, in order to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars from a federal grant aimed at improving traffic safety.
During the scheme, Griffin created and approved false entries on forms between 2015 and 2018. When the fraudulent activities were on the verge of being discovered in 2017 and 2018, Griffin, along with Robertson and other troopers, destroyed records by shredding and burning them.
Additionally, Griffin faced charges related to a separate scheme where he concealed hundreds of thousands of dollars in income from his private security business, Knight Protection, while receiving state pay and overtime pay. He defrauded a private school that his children attended, receiving $175,000 in financial aid over several years. Griffin also hid 35% of his income, approximately $700,000, from the IRS, using it for personal expenses such as golf club fees, car payments, private school tuition, and expenses related to his second home on Cape Cod.
Robertson, another trooper charged in the scheme, is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday.
This case is part of a broader investigation into overtime fraud within the Massachusetts State Police, with multiple officers facing charges. The actions of these individuals have undermined public trust and tarnished the reputation of the police force.
1 Response
There doesn’t appear to be any errors or inaccuracies in the post. However, to further support the information provided, it would be helpful to include credible sources. Here are a few sources that confirm the sentencing of Daniel Griffin:
1. “Former Massachusetts State Police lieutenant sentenced to five years in prison for embezzlement” – The Boston Globe
Link: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/18/metro/former-massachusetts-state-police-lie