Retired Massachusetts State Trooper sentenced for overtime abuse

BOSTON (WWLP) – A retired Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Trooper was sentenced in federal court docket Thursday for extra time abuse on the Massachusetts State Police.

The trooper, 60-year-old Daren DeJong of Uxbridge was sentenced to 2 years of probation. The primary six months will probably be served in dwelling confinement. DeJong has to pay a fantastic of $5,500 and $14,062 in restitution. In January 2019, he pleaded responsible to 1 depend of embezzlement from an company receiving federal funds.

DeJong is a retired trooper that was assigned to Troop E which was accountable for implementing site visitors laws and implementing prison legislation alongside the Massachusetts Turnpike. It was eradicated in 2018 because of a scandal the place a number of troopers within the unit have been submitting and being paid for extra time shifts they didn’t work.

DeJong acquired extra time pay for shifts that he left 1 to 7 hours early from or shifts he reportedly workd however didn’t. He acquired extra time pay for selective enforcement initiatives such because the Accident and Damage Discount Effort program (AIRE) and the “X-Crew” initiative. Each initiatives are suppose to scale back accidents, crashes and accidents on the Pike via extra Massachusetts State Police Trooper presence and goal autos which might be touring too quick.

DeJong was required to work the complete period of the shifts and honestly report the dates, instances and sectors of deployment on the citations that have been issued in the course of the shift. DeJong was capable of conceal the fraud by submitting citations that have been issued outdoors the extra time shift, altering the citations to make them appear like the citations got in the course of the extra time shift and/or submitting citations that didn’t happen or by no means issued.

In 2015 and 2016, the MSP acquired annual advantages from the U.S. Division of Transportation in extra of $10,000, which have been approved to fund varied federal grants. DeJong earned $200,416 in 2016, together with $68,394 in extra time and $14,000 was accredited to X-Crew and AIRE shifts that DeJong by no means did or left early from.

DeJong is the ultimate defendant of eight to be sentenced within the MSP Troop E extra time abuse case.