BOSTON – A former Massachusetts lawyer was convicted in the present day of partaking in a scheme to bribe the Chief of Police in Medford, Mass. to acquire approval for a shopper to promote leisure marijuana.
Sean O'Donovan, 56, of Somerville, Mass., was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court docket Decide William G. Younger to 2 years in jail to be adopted by three years of supervised launch. O'Donovan was additionally ordered to pay a $150,000 high quality and a $300 particular evaluation. In October 2023, O'Donovan was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of trustworthy providers fraud and one depend of bribery associated to applications that obtain federal funds.
“Pushed by greed, Mr. O'Donovan tried his hand at an old-school bribery scheme wherein he tried to bribe a police chief to be able to line his pockets. Luckily, the his try was promptly thwarted by the integrity of the Chief of Police he focused, as he instantly reported it to federal authorities,” mentioned US Legal professional Joshua S. Levy. “Our workplace stays dedicated to rooting out corruption in public workplace. Immediately's sentence ought to function a warning to anybody who thinks they will bribe authorities officers for private acquire: your conduct shall be uncovered , and it’ll land you in federal jail — no matter who you’re.”
“Lawyer Sean O'Donovan thought he was past the attain of the legislation when he orchestrated a back-door deal, financed by bribes, to line his personal pockets. In doing so, he betrayed his shopper, and all companies that work that attempt to play by the principles,” mentioned Jodi Cohen, Particular Agent in Cost of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Such blatant corruption is poisonous to the general public's belief, and in the present day's sentence makes it clear that crime actually doesn’t pay. The FBI is dedicated to eliminating corruption, and we’re very grateful to the Police Chief of Medford and his brother who labored with us to thwart his shameful scheme.”
O'Donovan sought to deprave the town of Medford's political course of for choosing retail marijuana companies by making an attempt to affect the Medford police chief in reference to the town's leisure marijuana enterprise. shopper of O'Donovan. At the moment, the Chief had just lately been appointed to serve on a committee to categorise such functions on behalf of the Mayor, which might in the end choose three candidates to open marijuana shops in Medford.
O'Donovan approached the Chief's relative and provided to pay as a lot as $50,000 in free money to the Chief's relative in alternate for the Chief's official assist for his shopper's early utility for promoting leisure marijuana in Medford. Particularly, O'Donovan sought that the Chief favorably classify the applying of his shopper and, individually, to advise and strain the Mayor to pick out the shopper. O'Donovan was anticipated to obtain an earnings stream of no less than $100,000 a 12 months from his shopper's marijuana enterprise if his Medford utility was profitable. After the relative knowledgeable the Chief of O'Donovan's corrupt supply, the Chief instantly alerted the federal authorities. The Chief and his relative cooperated with the investigation. O'Donovan by no means knowledgeable his shopper of the bribery scheme.
United States Legal professional's Levy; SAC Cohen; Assistant Legal professional Normal Nicole M. Argentieri of the Felony Division of the Division of Justice; and Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI's Felony Investigative Division made the announcement in the present day. Assistant US Legal professional Kristina E. Barclay with the Public Corruption Unit for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Legal professional Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Public Integrity Part of the Felony Division and prosecuted the case.
