Former President of the Massachusetts State Police Association, former lobbyist, charged with fraud and obstruction

BOSTON – The former President of the State Police Association of Massachusetts and the union’s former Massachusetts lobbyist were arrested today on charges of fraud and obstruction of justice.

Dana A. Pullman, 57, of Worcester, and Anne M. Lynch, 68, of Hull, were charged in a criminal complaint with wire fraud, honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud and obstruction of justice. The defendants will appear at 1:00 pm today in federal court in Boston.

According to the charging documents, the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) was an association consisting of more than 1,500 troopers and sergeants from the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). SPAM acted as the exclusive bargaining agent between its members and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding the terms and conditions of SPAM members’ employment. Pullman, who was an MSP trooper from 1987 to at least 2018, was the President of SPAM from 2012 until his resignation on Sept. 28, 2018. Lynch’s lobbying firm represented SPAM during the same time period, in exchange for monthly retainer payments.

It is alleged that, from at least 2012 until Pullman resigned as the President of SPAM in September 2018, Pullman, Lynch and others were involved in a conspiracy to defraud SPAM members and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of their right to honest services from Pullman through fraud and deceit. This included illegal bribes and kickbacks that Pullman received from Lynch and her firm. Pullman, Lynch and others were also allegedly involved in a scheme to defraud two different companies that sought to do business with the Commonwealth.

In addition, Pullman is also charged with wire fraud in connection with his alleged embezzlement and misuse of SPAM funds for personal use by (1) submitting expense reimbursement checks to SPAM without receipts; (2) circumventing and bypassing SPAM’s governing Executive Board; and (3) using a debit card tied to a SPAM bank account. Specifically, Pullman used the SPAM debit card to pay for thousands of dollars of meals, flowers, travel, and gifts for an individual with whom Pullman was having a romantic relationship.

The charges of fraud and conspiracy each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of Lelling’s Public Corruption Unit are prosecuting the case.