Investigations

On September 19, 2018, Gary Herman, a suspended Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Trooper, was charged via information in U.S. District Court, Massachusetts, with one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. Herman agreed to plead guilty, but a hearing date has not yet been scheduled.

 

The information alleges that Herman was paid for overtime shifts that he did not work or from which he left early. He concealed his fraud by submitting fraudulent citations designed to create the appearance that he worked overtime hours, when he did not, or falsely claiming that he worked an entire overtime shift. On multiple occasions, Herman fabricated citations by inserting driver information from citations he issued months earlier in order to be paid for overtime shifts he did not work.

 

The overtime in question was authorized through the Accident and Injury Reduction Effort (AIRE) program and the “XTeam” initiative. The goal is to reduce accidents, crashes, and injuries on Interstate-90 by increasing the number of MSP troopers who target vehicles traveling at excessive speeds.

 

In 2016, MSP received more than $10,000 in DOT grants, which funded its annual benefits program.

 

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation jointly with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 

Note: Indictments, informations and criminal complaints, are only accusations by the Government. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.