On December 1, 2022, Officer Robert Awad, who was working a security detail at Gillette Stadium, used his position to sneak Officer John Avelar and a friend into the stadium's Putnam Club, an upscale suite available to those with season ticket packages ranging between $6,000 and $10,000, according to Boston.com.
The State Ethics Commission found both officers to be in violation of conflict of interest law, which prohibits public employees from using their positions to obtain valuable services for themselves or others that are not otherwise properly accessible. As reported by Patch.com, Avelar and Awad have been penalized with civil penalties of $8,000 and $4,000, respectively, and have waived their rights to a hearing.
The incident commenced several weeks before the game when Avelar, seeking an evening of enjoyment, asked Awad to help him and a friend gain access to the Putnam Club. Awad acquiesced, despite his status as a new officer still within his probationary period. And yet, when confronted by a security supervisor to assist in locating and removing Avelar and his friend, Awad reportedly asked, "What's wrong, don't you like cops?" and "Why don't you trust me?" Consequently, Avelar and his friend left the suite, and Awad was removed from the security detail.
Another Boston.com report reveals that Awad was suspended for three days without pay and had his probationary period extended for an additional year, with a directive to not work any details at Gillette Stadium "until further notice." Meanwhile, Avelar faced a five-day suspension without pay and lost his traffic specialty stipend for two months, and was similarly prohibited from working Gillette details.
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