State Police Union Head Indicted On Racketeering, Fraud Charges

BOSTON – The former president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts and the union’s former Beacon Hill lobbyist were indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Boston on charges of racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice and tax crimes, according to the Department of Justice.

Dana A. Pullman, 57, of Worcester, and Anne M. Lynch, 68, of Hull, were indicted on one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, one count of honest services wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Authorities say Pullman used the police association debit card to pay for thousands of dollars of meals, flowers, travel and gifts for someone with whom Pullman was having a romantic relationship.

Pullman was charged with two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return, and Lynch was charged with an additional count of obstruction of justice and four counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. The defendants will be arraigned in federal court in Boston. Pullman and Lynch were charged by criminal complaint and arrested on Aug. 22.

The State Police Association was made up of more than 1,500 troopers and sergeants from the Massachusetts State Police and acted as the exclusive bargaining agent between its members and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding the terms and conditions of members’ employment.

Pullman, who was an state trooper from 1987 to at least 2018, was the president of the association from 2012 until his resignation on Sept. 28, 2018. Lynch’s lobbying firm represented the association during the same time period, in exchange for monthly retainer payments.

Prosecutors say that, from at least 2012 until Pullman resigned as the president of the association in September 2018, Pullman, Lynch and others were involved in a conspiracy to defraud members and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of their right to honest services from Pullman through fraud and deceit.

This included illegal bribes and kickbacks that Pullman received from Lynch and her firm, according to prosecutors. Pullman, Lynch and others were also involved in a scheme to defraud two different companies that sought to do business with the Commonwealth, according to United States Attorney Andrew Lelling's office.

They are also charged with conspiring to defraud the United States by hiding the payments from Lynch and her lobbying firm to Pullman in a manner designed to avoid reporting and paying taxes on that income to the IRS.

But it doesn't end there.

Pullman is also charged with wire fraud in connection with his alleged embezzlement and misuse of funds for personal use by submitting expense reimbursement checks to the association without receipts; circumventing and bypassing the association's governing Executive Board; and using a debit card tied to a association bank account.

Pullman and Lynch are also charged with attempting to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation of this matter by manipulating subpoenaed records, and Lynch is charged with attempting to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation by lying to investigators.

The charges of racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, fraud and fraud conspiracy each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fine of $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fine of $250,000. The charge of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and fine of $100,000.

Previously:

MA Police Union Head Embezzled Money: Police