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Former BPD sergeant charged, pleads guilty in connection to overtime fraud investigation

BOSTON — A former sergeant in the Boston Police Department has been charged and pleaded guilty in connection to an ongoing overtime fraud investigation the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts wrote in a release Thursday. That former sergeant has been identified as George Finch, 59, of Franklin.

Finch faces two charges: one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.

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Finch is the eleventh officer charged in the overtime fraud investigation and the third to have pleaded guilty. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

“The charge of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office release read.

“The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.”

Law enforcement officials allege that Finch, along with other officers performing overtime shifts, regularly submitted overtime slips stating he worked eight and a half hours when the work for that overtime period had been finished earlier, often within four hours.

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“According to charging document, between March 2015 and September 2016, Finch personally collected approximately $11,310 for overtime hours he did not work,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “In sum, the loss to BPD as a result of the criminal conspiracy is alleged to be in excess of $150,000.”

Finch is also accused of both submitting further falsified overtime slips and knowingly approving fradulent overtime slips of his subordinates. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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