Former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Gary Herman was sentenced on June 20 in an ongoing investigation of overtime abuse at the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). He is the sixth trooper sentenced so far.
Herman, 45, was assigned to Troop E, which was responsible for enforcing criminal and traffic regulations along the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 90. In October 2018 he pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, “Herman was paid for overtime shifts that he did not work at all or from which he left early. Herman concealed his abuse by submitting fraudulent citations designed to create the appearance that he had worked overtime hours that he had not, and falsely claimed in MSP paperwork and payroll entries that he had worked the entirety of his overtime shifts.
“On multiple occasions Herman fabricated bogus citations, copying driver information from citations that he had issued months earlier. In 2016, Herman collected $12,468 for overtime that he did not work.”
The overtime was paid through the Massachusetts Accident and Injury Reduction Effort (AIRE) program and the “X-Team” initiative, which were intended to reduce accidents, crashes and injuries on I-90 through an enhanced presence of MSP Troopers who were to target vehicles traveling at excessive speeds. The programs received several federal grants.
Herman was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to one day in prison (deemed served), one year of supervised release with the first three months to be served in home confinement and restitution in the amount of $12,468. In 2016 Herman earned $227,826, which included approximately $63,053 in overtime pay.
In addition to the six troopers who have been sentenced, two now-retired troopers have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
