Former Stoneham Police Officer Arrested, Charged With Wire Fraud

STONEHAM, MA — A former detective sergeant for the Stoneham Police Department has been arrested and charged after being accused of defrauding three of his landlords, according to a Friday news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts.

Stoneham's Robert Kennedy, 53, was charged with one count of wire fraud after being accused of giving false information in rental applications to fraudulently obtain three separate apartment leases before intentionally withholding payments after moving in, the charging document said.

To get his lease approved, Kennedy is accused of giving the date of birth and social security number of a relative who shares his name to the tenant screening service, meaning that his history of collections, delinquent payments, defaults, and evictions went undiscovered, officials said.

According to the document, Kennedy then lived in the apartment rent-free for four months by taking advantage of the slow eviction process, despite making $141,000 - $187,000 a year from the Stoneham Police Department. He is also accused of giving his landlord bad checks for his rent and security deposit and failing to make subsequent rent payments.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, officials said.

According to NBC10 Boston, reporters first approached Kennedy outside the police department about the allegations in January. An hour after the initial confrontation by the media, Kennedy sent a message to the entire police department, which was obtained by NBC10 Boston.

"Dear fellow colleagues, but most importantly my friends," the email began. "It's with sheer embarrassment that I write this. In the next few hours or days, you will see a story in the media about me and some poor financial decisions. My family and my career I hold with the utmost [sic] respect and love. I ask that you be nonjudgmental and recognize my full ownership in this situation."

Kennedy then called in sick for three straight weeks before being placed on administrative leave amid an internal investigation once he returned to work in February, NBC10 Boston reported. He retired a few days later.

“On Friday, March 31, 2023, the Stoneham Police Department assisted the FBI in the arrest of Robert Kennedy, a former police sergeant with the Department," Town Administrator Dennis Sheehan and Police Chief James McIntyre said in a joint news statement Friday. "Kennedy resigned from the Stoneham Police Department on February 23, following notice of an internal investigation into a history of civil claims against him."

The statement continued: "These matters have also been referred to the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, as they are relevant to Kennedy’s eligibility for re-certification to work as a police officer in the Commonwealth ... The town and the Stoneham Police Department will continue to cooperate with their investigation as the case progresses.”

Kennedy is set to appear in federal court in Boston Friday morning.