Massachusetts
Massachusetts brothers, ex-cops, convicted of Mass Save bribery scheme lose their federal appeal
A pair of brothers, who are former cops, convicted of a bribery kickback scheme that netted them millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts have lost their appeal.
Christopher and Joseph Ponzo — ex-Stoneham police officers — defrauded a company to obtain tens of millions of dollars of Mass Save funds through paying bribes and kickbacks to company employees.
Mass Save is a state-mandated program that’s funded by surcharges on utility bills — supporting energy-conservation programs and initiatives in Massachusetts.
The Ponzo brothers pleaded guilty to felonies arising from the bribery kickback scheme, and a district judge sentenced both of them to 27 months in federal prison. The judge also ordered Christopher to forfeit $13.2 million, and Joseph to forfeit $3.6 million.
The brothers then appealed the sentences and forfeitures to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit — which has affirmed the punishments across the board.
“How the Ponzos became crooks and what they want from us is kind of a long story,” the appeals court wrote in its ruling.
The brothers paid tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes, kickbacks, and other in-kind benefits — including a John Deere tractor, a computer, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work — to a company’s employees in exchange for the employees’ help in getting the brothers millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.
Christopher owned CAP Electric, Inc., a business specializing in energy-conservation work. In 2013, he began bribing people at CLEAResult, a firm that picked and oversaw contractors on Mass Save projects.
He later pulled Joseph into the scheme, with Christopher and CLEAResult employee Eric Darlington helping Joseph set up an air-sealing shell company called Air Tight Solutions, LLC as a Mass Save contractor.
Doing next to no work for the company and without telling CLEAResult, Joseph subcontracted the air-sealing projects to Chinasa Construction Services, Inc., and falsely claimed Chinasa employees were Air Tight employees. The Ponzos even created fake email addresses for the Chinasa staffers to make it look like they worked at Air Tight.
To cover his share of the payola, Joseph sent money from Air Tight to Christopher and CAP Electric and labeled it “subcontractor” business expenses. Christopher then bought off CLEAResult employees.
From 2013 to 2017, he gave Darlington $1,000 cash every week and bought him expensive things like an Apple MacBook, a John Deere tractor, bathroom fixtures, and outdoor lights.
And after CLEAResult fired Darlington in 2017, the brothers began bribing CLEAResult employee Peter Marra — sending him cash and gift cards for special favors like getting heads-ups on inspections and audits.
All told, CAP Electric took in about $36 million from CLEAResult, and Air Tight received about $7.4 million.
During the course of the bribery-kickback scheme, Joseph aided in the filing of false tax returns by claiming hundreds of thousands of dollars in false business deductions.
To disguise personal expenses as business deductions, Joseph used his company credit card to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in purchases at Home Depot, Lowes and Staples, claiming to his tax preparers that charges at those establishments were business-related.
In reality, he used the company credit card at those stores to purchase gift cards that he and his spouse then used to make thousands of dollars in personal expenditures.
“Life was good for the millionaire brothers,” the appeals court wrote. “But the government eventually caught on. And arrests, indictments, guilty pleas, sentencings, and forfeitures followed.”
The brothers in their appeal were attacking the sentences and forfeitures from many angles.
“Broadly speaking, the Ponzos argue (either individually or collectively) that the judge procedurally erred — first by miscalculating the tax loss attributable to Joe in setting the base-offense level for his tax crimes, then by misapplying guidelines enhancements to their sentences, and finally by misstating how much money they made from their misdoings,” the appeals court wrote. “But none of their arguments work.”
“Chris claims… that ‘everyone affected by’ his crimes ‘was enriched’ by his work (or to use his alternative phrasing, no one suffered ‘financial loss’) — especially ‘CLEAResult, the supposed victim.’ But… his crimes corrupted the Mass Save program in at least three ways: by damaging the utilities’ confidence in the companies approving and overseeing the projects; by corroding CLEAResult’s faith in its workers; and by eroding the public’s trust in the program — points the government makes in its brief without any denial from Chris in his reply brief,” the court added.
Massachusetts law requires utility companies to collect an energy efficiency surcharge on all Massachusetts energy consumers. These funds, which amount to hundreds of millions of dollars each year, are to be disbursed by the utility companies to fund energy efficiency programs and initiatives in Massachusetts.
Under the Mass Save program, the utility companies select lead vendors to approve and select contractors to perform energy improvement work for residential customers.
Massachusetts
Coast Guard search underway for a crew member overboard on Boston-bound cruise
A search is underway after a report that a crew member of the C/S Norwegian Breakaway was seen falling from the Boston-bound cruise ship, U.S. Coast Guard officials said Sunday.
The Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England received a report from the C/S Norwegian Breakaway regarding a crew member who had fallen overboard about 12 miles east of Wellfleet. The C/S returned to the last known place of the person and deployed their rescue boat and life rings.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter arrived on scene at around 1 a.m. to assist the search along with a crew from the Coast Guard Station Provincetown, officials confirm.
Officials are currently still conducting an aerial search as of SUnday morning along with the Station Provincetown Crew.
Massachusetts
Minogue dominates as Republicans narrow Massachusetts gubernatorial field to two
BY KATIE CASTELLANI & ELLA ADAMS
WORCESTER, MASS., APRIL 25, 2026…..Republican delegates qualified two out of three possible gubernatorial candidates for the September primary ballot: Mike Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve. Minogue earned the convention’s endorsement by a landslide.
Minogue received 70.38% of the delegates’ votes and Shortsleeve earned 15.5% — narrowly surpassing the 15% threshold needed for his candidacy to survive.
Mike Kennealy, secretary of housing and economic development under former Gov. Charlie Baker, received 14.11% of the delegates’ votes, spelling an end to his bid for the party’s nomination. A small number of delegates chose not to cast a vote for a gubernatorial candidate.
Minogue, former CEO of Danvers-based biotech firm Abiomed, opened his convention speech by asking the audience questions, including if delegates were ready for the voter-approved legislative audit and to “get criminal illegal immigrants off our streets.”
The DCU Center audience erupted in cheers.
Minogue leaned on his faith, saying he believes “all things are possible with God.” He touted his work leading Abiomed, a company he said was on the path to bankruptcy when he took over. As governor, Minogue said he would do something similar for Massachusetts, helping the state address its affordability woes as well as what he called waning economic competitiveness and an “illegal immigration crisis.”
“So, how do we get on the right path? We elect a leader with integrity and common sense and compassion,” he said. “We elect a new kind of governor with a blueprint to accountability, affordability, opportunity and keeps communities safe.”
Minogue promised to take several actions as governor, including, auditing the Legislature and budget; cutting taxes and spending by getting rid of “waste and fraud”; cutting energy utility fees; investing in energy sources like natural gas and nuclear, which he said were safe, clean and more affordable; canceling and repeal the state’s net zero emissions mandates; and growing jobs by retaining and recruiting entrepreneurs and businesses.
“I’m the only candidate and CEO that has actually built a company and sweated the details, so I will cut red tape. I know how it works,” he said.
Shortsleeve and Kennealy made similar promises to delegates during their speeches.
A former MBTA chief administrator and acting general manager, Shortsleeve leaned on his time as a Marine and small business owner while introducing himself to the convention.
“We need a new governor with the determination of a Marine, the mindset of a businessman, the perspective of an outsider and the urgency of a father who knows the clock is ticking until the time when my kids and yours decide whether to stay or whether to go. I will be that governor,” he said.
Shortsleeve also backed a legislative audit — similar to the one Auditor Diana DiZoglio is attempting — saying he would audit every agency and program in state government if elected. He added that part of his work at the T involved agency audits, including one he said uncovered millions in fraud.
Shortsleeve also advocated for cutting the income tax rate, saying he would support a proposed ballot initiative to cut it from 5% to 4%.
“Middle class tax relief that that ballot question would deliver is the first step in restoring affordability,” Shortsleeve told the News Service during the convention.
Additionally, Shortsleeve said he would strip “state mandated green fees” out of utility bills and fire the Parole Board, which he said “treats criminals like victims and victims like afterthoughts.”
Kennealy’s camp could not immediately be reached after the convention results were announced Saturday evening.
Delegates also gave all three candidates for lieutenant governor enough support to secure their name on the ballot. Minogue-backed Anne Brensley secured the party endorsement receiving 1,100 votes, about 56% of delegates’ support.
“If we have four more years of the Healey-Driscoll administration, then what we’re losing each day will be gone forever. The real repercussions of these policies cut deeply, are relentless and do not spare anyone,” Brensley said.
At around 5 p.m., to a crowd of delegates who were frustrated with voting delays, Brensley said, “I don’t know about you, but I want to hear from some governors, so my speech is going to be real short: Thank you all so much for believing in me, we’re just starting. Let’s go.”
Gubernatorial candidates had not given their speeches yet, putting the convention hours behind its tentative schedule.
Anne Manning-Martin, running with Kennealy, received 27.33% of the votes with 536. Delegates cast 325 votes, or 16.57%, for Shortsleeve’s preferred running mate Shawn Oliver.
“In Peabody and in local government, you don’t get to hide from the people you serve, especially when you’re looking for their votes. You don’t get to duck responsibility,” Manning-Martin told delegates, railing on the Healey administration for much of her speech.
A New Bedford city councilor and state correction officer, Shawn Oliver spoke about his experience as a first-generation Portuguese American, criticizing the state’s criminal justice system, “sanctuary policies,” cost of living, and outmigration, arguing that “Beacon Hill has made it nearly impossible for the next generation to build a life here.”
“Families all across Massachusetts are being pushed to the edge. Businesses are closing and our young people are leaving,” Oliver said. “Heck, that little girl that I had when I was 17 — she did it. She couldn’t afford to stay in Massachusetts, and is living over the border in Rhode Island. As a father, that disgusts me.”
An elongated voting and counting period for the lieutenant governor endorsement caused a ruckus among delegates. MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale said the delay stemmed from the time it took delegates “getting up and down the DCU Center and the stairs,” the larger number of members present in some districts, and the desire for privacy among voters.
“In a couple of districts, some of the leads wanted to assure that their delegates had a more private experience,” Carnevale said. “That caused a little bit of a delay in a couple of the districts.”
In a pre-convention webinar Friday, MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan told Democrats that the party expects to have “a clear picture of this race after this weekend.”
“What we do know is we have seen an unprecedented level of self funding in this race,” Kerrigan said. “All three of these candidates have been pouring their own money into the race, and on top of that, they all have super PACs affiliated with them, as well. All of these factors really set up this race to be probably the most expensive governor’s race in our commonwealth’s history.”
In the first quarter of 2026, Minogue led the fundraising pack among statewide candidates, bringing in more than $7.5 million — $7 million of which came from Minogue himself. Shortsleeve brought in about $646,500 throughout the quarter and Kennealy raised around $438,900, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
“Each of these candidates seeking their nomination are going to be focused on bringing Donald Trump’s harmful agenda to Massachusetts,” Kerrigan said. “This convention is basically going to be a race to the bottom to satisfy the MAGA base of delegates who are really going to decide the GOP nominee. Our job always is to stay focused on fighting against the misinformation and the attacks we know are coming.”
The Massachusetts Democratic nominating convention is set for May 29 and 30, also at the DCU Center in Worcester.
GOP candidates will now be eyeing voter support for the next few months leading up to September’s primary.
Katie Castellani and Ella Adams are reporters for the State House News Service and State Affairs Massachusetts. Reach them at kcastellani@statehousenews.com and ella.adams@statehousenews.com.
Massachusetts
2 children found dead in Wellesley home, DA says
Wellesley Police discovered two children dead inside an Edgemoor Avenue home.
A police department in Vermont called Wellesley Police at around 9:30 p.m. Friday to ask them to conduct a well-being check at the home. When police performed that check, they found two deceased children inside the residence.
There was no further information immediately available Saturday morning.
The incident is under investigation by the Wellesley Police and the Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s office.
The DA says that “there is no risk to the community.”
This is a developing story.

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