In a major blow to the Massachusetts State Police's integrity, two former troopers have been convicted of dipping into overtime funds and committing wire fraud. Ex-Lieutenant Daniel J. Griffin and ex-Sergeant William W. Robertson were found guilty on various charges, including conspiracy and theft concerning a federal program. According to a Department of Justice announcement, these convictions stem from a scheme that saw them raking in unearned overtime pay from 2015 to 2018.
Griffin, 60, and Robertson, 61, partook in a sneaky enterprise to steal thousands from federally funded traffic safety overtime shifts. They were crafty, arriving late and cutting out early from the shifts they were supposed to be working. When the scandal surfaced, they tried to hastily destroy evidence by ordering records to be shredded or burned to cover up the fraud. But as the truth has a way of always seeping out, the destruction of records did little to protect them from the law's piercing gaze.
An internal investigation into the missing forms found Griffin sending a deceptive memo, which, according to the DOJ, was "designed to mislead" his superiors about inadvertently discarded or misplaced documents during office moves. On top of this deception, Griffin racked up almost $2 million from his own security business, Knight Protection Services, all while he was still on the MSP's clock. As the deception deepened, so too did the hole Griffin was digging for himself—hiding over $700,000 from the IRS and laundering funds for private luxuries.
And if the fraud wasn't thick enough, Griffin was bold enough to admit to severely understating his income to secure hefty financial aid for his children's private schooling. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 27—just ahead of the jury's verdict—to wire fraud and 11 counts of filing false tax returns. "The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison," highlighted the DOJ report, underscoring the serious consequences of Griffin and Robertson's actions.
With their fates sealed by the jury, both former officers are scheduled to face sentencing on March 20, 2024. Their conviction not only marks the culmination of a long-running legal drama but also casts a somber shadow over the Massachusetts State Police, as it grapples with a tarnished image of honor it once held so dear. The case was a joint effort, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and Adam Deitch of the Public Corruption Unit, and their unyielding pursuit of justice ensures that this chapter of corruption has been firmly closed.
