The racketeering and fraud trial for former leader of the Massachusetts State Police union Dana Pullman began Monday.
Pullman, along with state house lobbyist Anne Lynch, were indicted three years ago on a slew of charges including racketeering, fraud and tax crimes for allegedly misusing union funds for personal gain.
Investigators from the FBI and IRS began investigating the police association and Pullman around July 2018, according to court documents, and by October were investigating the union and Pullman's relationship with Lynch and her lobbying firm. The investigation included the review of documents, emails, records and interviews with multiple witnesses.
The FBI said its investigation revealed that from at least 2012 and continuing until Pullman's resignation as union president in September 2018, Pullman, Lynch and others "were involved in a scheme and a conspiracy to defraud the union membership through fraud and deceit, including Pullman's receipt of illegal bribes and kickbacks from Lynch and the lobbying firm."
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The investigation also found that Pullman, Lynch and others were involved in a scheme and a conspiracy to defraud two companies seeking to do business with the state of money and property.
Pullman and Lynch were charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, 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 United States.
Pullman was charged with two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. Lynch, meanwhile, was charged with an additional count of obstruction of justice and four counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return.
The alleged illegal spending added up to thousands of dollars and included flowers, gifts, expensive meals and a Florida vacation for himself and a woman with whom he was having an extra-marital affair.
During opening arguments, the prosecutor told the jury Pullman turned the State Police Association of Massachusetts from a force for good into a force for himself. His attorney said the money Pullman spent was legitimate union business and urged jurors to look at it in that context.
Lynch is accused of providing kickbacks to Pullman and his wife totaling over $41,000 dollars. Her attorney told jurors she did make those payments but they were legitimate business transactions. Her son worked for her firm and signed at least one check in evidence. He cut a deal with the government and is scheduled to testify against his mother.
