Press Release  Three Former Massachusetts State Police Lieutenants Indicted in Ongoing State Investigation Into Overtime Abuse

Boston — Three former lieutenants of the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) have been indicted in connection with an ongoing state investigation by Attorney General Maura Healey into overtime abuse at Troop E, the unit previously assigned to the Massachusetts Turnpike. The AG’s Office alleges that in 2016, these three lieutenants were paid thousands of dollars for overtime hours that they did not work.

A Suffolk County Grand Jury today returned indictments against David Wilson, age 57, of Charlton, John Giulino, age 68, of Lanesborough, and David Keefe, age 52, of Norfolk. Each was charged with one count of Larceny Over $250 by Single Scheme, Procurement Fraud, and Public Employee Standards of Conduct Violation (False/Fraudulent Claim to Employer). The defendants will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court at a later date. 

At the time of the alleged offenses, Lieutenants Wilson, Giulino and Keefe were supervisors in Troop E and responsible for overseeing criminal and traffic enforcement along the Massachusetts Turnpike. The AG’s Office began an investigation into overtime pay at Troop E after a referral from MSP following an internal audit that revealed potential misconduct.

The investigation revealed that Wilson, Giulino and Keefe all allegedly submitted claims for pay for overtime shifts they did not work or from which they left early. According to investigators at the AG’s Office, these alleged offenses occurred during overtime shifts for the Accident and Injury Reduction Effort program (AIRE), which was intended to increase the presence of MSP troopers on the Turnpike to deter excessive speeding and aggressive driving.

Troopers assigned to these AIRE shifts were expected to work their assigned hours as scheduled and accurately report information about traffic citations issued, including the date, time and shift during which it was written. 

In 2016, Wilson who was a shift commander in Troop E’s Duty Office in Boston, earned $259,476, including $103,447 in overtime pay. According to the AG’s Office, Wilson allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for pay for at least 180 hours of overtime, resulting in him obtaining at least $19,000 for hours that he did not work. Wilson allegedly regularly scheduled his overtime shifts directly before his regular shifts but submitted claims for both shifts so that he was double paid for a number of overlapping hours.

In 2016, as commander of the Westfield barracks, Giulino earned $212,504, which included more than $53,073 in overtime pay. The AG’s Office alleges that Giulino submitted claims for pay for over 99 hours of overtime that he did not work, resulting in him illegally obtaining at least $10,000. Authorities allege he either did not work these shifts at all or left early from them.

In an attempt to conceal their misconduct, both Wilson and Giulino allegedly submitted falsified traffic citations to MSP to make it appear they had been issued during their overtime shifts, when in fact they were not issued during their overtime shifts or never issued at all.  

As commander of the Weston barracks, Keefe earned $207,878 in 2016, which included $55,960 in overtime pay. He allegedly submitted claims for payment of at least 170 hours he did not work, resulting in at least $17,000 in overpayment. Authorities allege he regularly left early from these shifts and at times did not work them at all.

The AG’s investigation into overtime abuse in Troop E is ongoing. These charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General John Reynolds and Chief Trial Counsel James O’Brien, both of AG Healey’s White Collar and Public Integrity Division. The case was investigated by Senior Financial Investigator Molly Parks, Criminal Investigator Michael Azevedo, and Commissioned Officers assigned to the State Police Detective Unit at the Office of the Attorney General, with assistance from the AG’s Digital Evidence Lab. MSP and MassDOT fully cooperated throughout the investigation. 

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