BPD cop in Hyde Park overtime scandal gets seven months of home confinement
A federal judge this week sentenced BPD Sgt. William Baxter to seven months of home confinement, followed by 29 months of probation, for putting in for overtime for hours he did not actually work while in a position at the department evidence warehouse in Hyde Park.
Baxter, 63, of Hyde Park, will also have to pay a $20,000 fine and restitution of $9,223 to cover the phantom hours he claimed in 2015 and 2016, the US Attorney's office reports.
Baxter formally pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds in June, 2021; his sentencing was originally scheduled for October of that year, but kept getting postponed until this week.
Baxter was one of 15 BPD warehouse officers charged with overtime fraud at the warehouse on Hyde Park Avenue. Ten were convicted or pleaded guilty, four were acquitted, one died before trial.
Baxter was one of 15 police officers arrested, starting in 2019, in connection with committing overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse, 10 of whom were convicted either by guilty plea or jury verdict. Of the remaining officers charged, four were acquitted in April 2023 and one officer passed away while charges were pending.
Among those who pleaded guilty: Former Boston Police Patrolmen's Association President Thomas Nee, who took a job there after he lost a bid for re-election as union president to Patrick Rose, who turned out to be a child rapist.
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Comments
in before the inevitable "he got off too easy"
Federal sentencing is based on guidelines, which can only be departed from in a limited way. And the guidelines in this case said that you don't sentence a 63 year old first offender to prison in a non-violent offense amounting to less than $10,000.
Why does him being 63 matter?
Why does him being 63 matter? People over a certain age should be able to break the law without going to jail? Where in the guidlines does it mention people over 60 not having to face jail time for theft?
Also he is a repeat offender (he stole many times).
And he still has his pension
And he still has his pension no doubt.
two common-sense reasons
1. You earn civic credit by being a law-abiding citizen for many years.
2. You won't be healthy and alive that much longer, so the protection of society and the deterrent effect is not very operative.
Correction
ftfy. Whatever the hell "civic credit" is. Also because cop.
seven months of home
Wow, talk about sending a message and setting an example. If I ever end up in court, I hope I get treated like a Boston police officer.
21st century
Why were they using time slips?
Because it's easier to cheat, and everyone knows it.
Hopefully this nonsense stops soon, extremely well paid people being this greedy is infuriating.
General resistance to change, really
It's really hard to get people to switch away from established processes, especially in an organization like government where many of the employees have worked for decades. Long-time managers like the idea of a "paper trail" and there are (union-represented) jobs involved with transposing data from paper into electronic payroll systems.
All of that is true
And having the ability to fill in whatever you like is also true.
are they using these paper
are they using these paper slips to keep track of the actual evidence too? Is anyone really checking that? Or are we all just on "scouts honor"
Now that you mention it, an
Now that you mention it, an audit of every evidence room at every MSP barracks seems like a worthwhile idea, I'd be happy to have some of my taxes go for that.
BPD, I meant, not MSP. Wrong
BPD, I meant, not MSP. Wrong scandal, wrong thieves.
seven months from now
he will have the best garden in the neighborhood, and the neatest basement.
Heh
You say that like you assume this "home confinement" is going to mean just that.