State Trooper Stripped Of Pension In First For Overtime Scandal

BOSTON— A retired Massachusetts State trooper convicted this year for his part in the overtime scheme that had taxpayers covering the cost of numerous unworked shifts, was the first to be stripped of his pension, the Globe has reported.

This week, the state's pension board voted to take away former trooper Paul Cesan's pension, which would have paid him nearly $80,000 a year for the rest of his life.

In 2018, the scandal, which prosecutors said included other misconduct, resulted in Troop E being disbanded and the governor and the new head of the State police promising to restore public trust. A federal grand jury investigation followed as well as a rash of suspensions and sudden retirements from the embattled law enforcement agency that has struggled to regain its footing since a change in leadership.

The Globe said it is unusual for the board to strip pensions from state employees. But the news that Paul Cesan, 52, of Southwick, will no longer have his pension, raises the possibility that others involved in the scandal could face the same fate, according to the Globe.

Cesan who retired in 2016, pleaded guilty to collecting $29,287 for overtime hours that he did not work as part of a plea agreement in 2018. He was sentenced this year to a day in prison, deemed served, a year of supervised release, a fine of $5,500 and he had to pay back the $29,000 he collected.

Cesan was assigned to Troop E, which was responsible for enforcing criminal and traffic regulations along the Mass Pike. In 2016, Cesan earned $163,533, which included approximately $50,866 in overtime pay.

Related

• 3 MA State Troopers Arrested For Stealing Government Funds
• State Police's Latest Controversy Could Be Criminal
• State Police Reforms: Troop Eliminated, Body Cams, More
• State Police No. 2 Retires After Boss Does

For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to your Free neighborhood Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.