A former Boston Police Sergeant has found himself on the wrong side of the law after being sentenced for orchestrating an overtime fraud scheme, as reported by an announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Gerard O’Brien, aged 66, was handed down a sentence that includes two years of supervised release, partial home detention, and significant financial repercussions for falsely claiming excessive overtime hours.
During the period from December 2016 through February 2019, O’Brien exploited his supervisory position within the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse to submit falsified overtime slips for himself and endorse those of other officers, leading to his guilty plea on one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and another of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds—offenses for which Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton has ordered him to pay back $25,930 in restitution along with a $5,000 fine.
The overtime in question, dubbed "purge" and "kiosk", was supposed to allow for crucial department tasks like the disposal of unnecessary evidence and the monthly collection of prescription drugs slated for incineration; however, O’Brien and his colleagues would regularly cut these shifts short, leaving hours early while claiming full pay, actions uncovered during an extensive investigation that has seen more than a dozen officers charged to date with O’Brien being the seventh sentenced.
O’Brien's financial penalty results from around three years of falsely collected pay, with the amount being approximately equal to the unearned overtime; the former sergeant's case is just a fraction of a larger scheme that puts a stain on the Boston Police Department and draws into question oversight and accountability mechanisms, particularly since the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice had been funding the BPD with grants in excess of $10,000 annually between 2015 and 2019.
This incident has been closely monitored and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Criminal Division with public statements from Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, along with Jodi Cohan and Ryan T. Geach, respective Special Agents in Charge of the FBI Boston Division and Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office highlighting the concerted efforts of federal authorities to hold the officers accountable and prevent misuse of taxpayer dollars.
