BOSTON — The former head of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, and a former lobbyist for that union are facing lengthy prison after being convicted of racketeering, fraud, obstruction, and tax charges.
Dana Pullman and Anne Lynch were arrested and charged in August 2019. At the time, Kristina O’Connell, of the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division in Boston, said Pullman treated the union account like his own “personal piggy bank.”
[ 2019: Former MSP union president, lobbyist arrested on federal conspiracy charges ]
The federal convictions followed a 20-day trial.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said Pullman and Lynch “concocted a fraudulent scheme to game the system for their personal financial benefit, all under the guise of looking out for hard working union members.”
SPAM represents more than 1,500 state troopers and sergeants and acts as the exclusive bargaining agent between its members and the state.
Pullman was a trooper from 1987 to 2018 and was the president of the union from 2012 until he resigned in 2018.
Lynch’s lobbying firm represented SPAM during that same period, in exchange for monthly retainer payments, according to the US Attorney’s office.
“Our fundamental responsibility is plain and simple – to protect and serve. We enforce the law, we do not break it,” said United States Attorney Rachael Rollins. “Police union leadership is supposed to fight for the rights, benefits, and protections of their members. Not their own self-interests for personal financial gain.”
Investigators say Pullman and Lynch defrauded SPAM members and the state of their right to “honest services” from Pullman when Lynch paid Pullman a $20,000 kickback in connection with a settlement agreement between SPAM and the state.
“Pullman and Lynch defrauded two different companies that sought to do business with the MSP by hiding from the vendors the fact that Lynch was paying Pullman to direct vendors to use Lynch’s services. The defendants hid the payments from Lynch and her lobbying firm to Pullman in a manner designed to avoid reporting and paying taxes on that income to the IRS. Pullman and Lynch also attempted to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation of this matter by manipulating subpoenaed records, and Lynch attempted to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation by lying to investigators.” according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
“Today’s verdict proves that Dana Pullman and Anne Lynch were paid to look out for the best interests of Massachusetts State Police union members, but instead were only looking out for themselves, lining their pockets with thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks and defrauding at least two different companies seeking to do business with the state,” said Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Boston Division.
Pullman was also accused of embezzling SPAM funds for personal use by using a debit card tied to a SPAM bank account to pay for thousands of dollars of meals and travel “for an individual with whom Pullman was having a romantic relationship.” said investigators.
The charges of racketeering conspiracy and fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
The obstruction of justice charge provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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