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Date: 06-16-2021

Case Style:

United States of America v. Diana Lopez

Case Number: 1:20-cr-10164-NMG

Judge: Nathaniel M. Gorton

Court: United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Suffolk County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office

Defendant's Attorney:


Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory


Description: Boston, Massachusetts overtime fraud charge criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant.

Diana Lopez, 56, of Milton, was charged one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.

In September 2020, Lopez and eight other Boston Police officers were arrested and charged for their roles in an overtime fraud scheme that is alleged to have collectively embezzled over $250,000 between May 2016 and February 2019. As part of the ongoing investigation, four additional officers have been charged: former officer Joseph Nee, former Captain Richard Evans and former Sergeants George Finch and William Baxter. Nee is scheduled to plead guilty on June 22, 2021. Finch pleaded guilty on June 1, 2021 and Baxter is scheduled to plead guilty on June 25, 2021.

Lopez submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips for overtime hours that she did not work for two overtime shifts at the evidence warehouse. The first, called “purge” overtime, was a 4 – 8 p.m. weekday shift intended to dispose of old, unneeded evidence. The second shift, called “kiosk” overtime, involved driving to each police district in Boston one Saturday a month to collect old prescription drugs to be burned.

For the “purge” shift, Lopez claimed to have worked from 4 – 8 p.m., but she routinely left at 6 p.m., and sometimes earlier. For the “kiosk” shift, Lopez and, allegedly, others submitted overtime slips claiming to have worked eight-and-one-half hours, when in fact she and, allegedly, other members of the unit, only worked three-to-four hours of those shifts.

From January 2016 to February 2019, Lopez personally collected approximately $36,028 for overtime hours she did not work.

From 2015 through 2019, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants.

The charge of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Russell W. Cunningham, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Washington Field Office; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Mendell’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

18 U.S.C. § 371 Conspiracy to Commit Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds
(1)
18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(A); 18 U.S.C. § 2- Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds; Aiding and Abetting
(2)

Outcome: Defendant pleaded guilty.

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