The former president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts and the union’s former lobbyist have been sentenced in federal court for racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice and tax crimes.
Dana Pullman, the ex-president of the State Police union, was sentenced on Wednesday to 2.5 years in prison, three years of supervised release and restitution.
Anne Lynch, whose lobbying firm represented the union, was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and restitution. Lynch was also ordered to pay a fine of $25,000.
Last year, Pullman and Lynch were convicted by a federal jury of one count of racketeering conspiracy, 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 IRS.
Pullman, 60, of Worcester, was also convicted of two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return.
Lynch, 71, of Hull, was convicted of an additional count of obstruction of justice and four counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return.
“Members of law enforcement have a duty to protect and serve — placing the needs of the community and others first. Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch’s actions violate these very obligations,” U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement.
“The racketeering organization that these two individuals ran deprived hard working union members of honest services and defrauded vendors seeking to do business with the Massachusetts State Police,” Rollins added. “For six years, Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch used the State Police Association of Massachusetts as a criminal enterprise for their own personal financial benefit.”
Pullman, who was a trooper from 1987 to 2018, was the union president from 2012 until his resignation in 2018. Lynch’s lobbying firm represented the union during the same time period, in exchange for monthly retainer payments.
Pullman and Lynch turned the union into a racketeering enterprise, using Pullman’s position and power to defraud union members, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and vendors looking to do business with the Mass State Police, the feds said.
Among other things, Pullman and Lynch defrauded union members and the state when Lynch paid Pullman a $20,000 kickback in connection with a settlement agreement between the union and the state.
Pullman also embezzled and misused union funds for personal use by using a debit card tied to a union bank account — paying for thousands of dollars of meals and travel for an individual with whom Pullman was having a romantic relationship.