The federal embezzlement trial of four Boston Police officers accused of an overtime scam began Tuesday at the U.S. District Court in Boston.
Fifty-seven-year-old Timothy Torigian of Walpole, 61-year-old Robert Twitchell of Norton, 64-year-old Henry Doherty of Boston and 52-year-old Kendra Conway of Boston are charged with conspiracy to commit embezzlement, embezzlement, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
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According to reports from the Boston Globe, lawyers for the police officers told jurors that the officers were paid for overtime hours they didn't work, but that it was following longstanding practices by the department.
Eleven other officers were accused of the same crimes, the Globe reported. Nine of them pleaded guilty to embezzlement and are awaiting sentencing. One of the officers died last year, and a captain, charged in the scheme, is awaiting trial.
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers said the officers filed false overtime reports between 2016 and 2019 resulting in overpayments of $300,000 total, the Globe reported.
The officers were indicted three years ago. Torigian is accused of collecting $43,000, Twitchell of collecting over $25,000, Doherty of collecting almost $26,000 and Conway of collecting over $16,000 in unearned overtime hours.
The trial will resume on Thursday.
