BOSTON – The previous President of the State Police Affiliation of Massachusetts (SPAM) and the union’s former Massachusetts lobbyist had been convicted by a federal jury right this moment of racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice and tax crimes.
Dana A. Pullman, 60, of Worcester, and Anne M. Lynch, 71, of Hull, had been convicted following a 20-day jury trial of 1 rely of racketeering conspiracy, one rely of sincere providers wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one rely of obstruction of justice and one rely of conspiracy to defraud the Inside Income Service. Pullman was additionally convicted of two further counts of wire fraud and two counts of aiding and helping the submitting of a false tax return. Lynch was convicted of a further rely of obstruction of justice and 4 counts of aiding and helping within the submitting of a false tax return. U.S. Senior District Court docket Decide Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2023. Pullman and Lynch had been arrested and charged in August 2019 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2019.
“Being a police officer is a noble and valued occupation. It’s an honor and privilege to function a member of regulation enforcement. With that honor and privilege comes immense duty. No matter whether or not some might imagine it’s unfair, as members of regulation enforcement, we’re and must be held to a better customary. Our elementary duty is apparent and easy – to guard and serve. We implement the regulation, we don’t break it,” mentioned United States Lawyer Rachael S. Rollins. “Police union management is meant to struggle for the rights, advantages and protections of their members. Not their very own self-interests for private monetary acquire. Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch concocted a fraudulent scheme to sport the system for his or her private monetary profit, all below the guise of searching for exhausting working union members. At the moment’s conviction affirms that. Their felony conduct has diminished the already strained relationship and lack of belief some communities really feel towards regulation enforcement. And when communities don’t belief regulation enforcement, we’re all much less secure.”
“At the moment’s verdict proves that Dana Pullman and Anne Lynch had been paid to look out for the most effective pursuits of Massachusetts State Police union members, however as a substitute had been solely searching for themselves, lining their pockets with 1000’s of {dollars} in bribes and kickbacks and defrauding no less than two completely different corporations searching for to do enterprise with the state,” mentioned Joseph Bonavolonta, Particular Agent in Cost of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “They crossed over the skinny blue line to committing felonies whereas the actual victims on this case—hard-working troopers, taxpayers, and companies—had been brief modified and shut out of the sincere authorities providers they deserve. The FBI has zero tolerance for many who exploit their official positions for private acquire after which attempt to impede our investigation into their felony conduct.”
“As an alternative of truthfully representing the pursuits of the greater than 1,500 Massachusetts regulation enforcement professionals, these defendants cared extra about enriching themselves by means of a collection of bribes and kickbacks. At the moment’s responsible verdict affirms that their actions violated the belief given to them and this conduct won’t go unpunished,” mentioned Joleen D. Simpson, Particular Agent in Cost of Inside Income Service-Legal Investigation, Boston Area Workplace.
SPAM is an affiliation consisting of greater than 1,500 Troopers and Sergeants from the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). SPAM acts because the unique bargaining agent between its members and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts relating to the phrases and circumstances of SPAM members’ employment. Pullman, who was an MSP trooper from 1987 to 2018, was the President of SPAM from 2012 till his resignation on Sept. 28, 2018. Lynch’s lobbying agency represented SPAM throughout the identical time interval, in change for month-to-month retainer funds.
From no less than 2012 till Pullman resigned because the President in September 2018, Pullman and Lynch turned SPAM right into a racketeering enterprise, utilizing Pullman’s place and energy to defraud SPAM members, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and distributors seeking to do enterprise with the MSP. Amongst different issues, Pullman and Lynch defrauded SPAM members and the Commonwealth of their proper to sincere providers from Pullman when Lynch paid Pullman a $20,000 kickback in reference to a settlement settlement between SPAM and the Commonwealth. Pullman and Lynch defrauded two completely different corporations that sought to do enterprise with the MSP by hiding from the distributors the truth that Lynch was paying Pullman to direct distributors to make use of Lynch’s providers. The defendants hid the funds from Lynch and her lobbying agency to Pullman in a fashion designed to keep away from reporting and paying taxes on that earnings to the IRS. Pullman and Lynch additionally tried to impede the grand jury’s investigation of this matter by manipulating subpoenaed information, and Lynch tried to impede the grand jury’s investigation by mendacity to investigators.
Moreover, Pullman embezzled and misused SPAM funds for private use through the use of a debit card tied to a SPAM checking account to pay for 1000’s of {dollars} of meals and journey for a person with whom Pullman was having a romantic relationship.
The fees of racketeering conspiracy and fraud every present for a sentence of as much as 20 years in jail, three years of supervised launch, and positive of $250,000 or twice the gross acquire or loss, whichever is bigger. The cost of obstruction of justice supplies for a sentence of as much as 10 years in jail, three years of supervised launch and a $250,000 positive. The cost of conspiracy to defraud the US supplies for a sentence of as much as 5 years in jail, three years of supervised launch, and positive of $250,000 or twice the gross acquire or loss, whichever is bigger. The cost of aiding and helping the submitting of a false tax return supplies for a sentence of as much as three years in jail, one 12 months of supervised launch and positive of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court docket decide based mostly upon the U.S. Sentencing Tips and statutes which govern the dedication of a sentence in a felony case.
U.S. Lawyer Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and IRS SAC Simpson made the announcement right this moment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Particular Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.