It’s all about the pension.
That’s the only thing these thieving, crooked state troopers care about — the monthly kiss in the mail.
Suspend ’em without pay for up to 841 days, make ’em come up with “restitution” for the money they embezzled up to $15,901, put ’em on “Restricted Duty” with no firearm or cruiser — just don’t take away their bloated pensions.
This latest MSP PR offensive is not about the crooked cops keeping their jobs, it’s about keeping their pensions. And guess what — despite their claims to the contrary, Gov. Charlie Parker and the rest of the hacks have no intention of separating more than a handful of the crooked cops from their multi-million-dollars’ worth of ill-gotten gains.
Letting the crooks off the hook — it’s professional courtesy in the hackerama.
The most telling numbers from the MSP’s latest scandal document drop was the list of 15 “implicated” Troop E thieves who were allowed to retire — without criminal charges — to start collecting.
According to state records, Trooper Raymond O’Neil #1670 is now grabbing a pension of $117,492 a year. Lt. John O’Grady #0442 is on the dole for $106,094.
So much for the old admonition, don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. The lesson of the State Police is, do the crime and laugh all the way to the bank.
Once the feds started their probe of the rampant embezzlement by the MSP out on the Pike, the “implicated” cops started stampeding out the door.
In March 2018, five of them from Troop E checked out, ranging from Lt. James Canty #0707 grabbing $95,141.64 down to Tpr. Stephen Mihalek #1545 at $69,116.
Three months later, there was another stampede out of the door. Five more from Troop E “retired.” Four of the Class of June 2018 are now collecting $80,000-plus a year, led by Trooper Sean Hoye #3451 at $87,436 and Trooper Brian Kelley #1278 at $84,209.
A handful of the bent badges have lost or may lose their pensions — of the 15 who were named in the Thursday-night press release, only one has thus far been fired — a trooper named, oddly enough, John Adams #2814. The Prez, as he will henceforth be known, was “Dishonorably Discharged effective as of the close of business on Tuesday July 07, 2020.”
The only way a Statie can be stripped of his pension is if he’s fired. And it’s up to the State Police to make a referral to the MA State Retirement Board for a decision. Here were the two agencies’ respective statements Friday — MSP: “The State Retirement Board makes determinations on pension forfeiture. The Colonel is sending information on the department’s investigation to the board regarding the termination.”
The Retirement Board: “If there are terminations and will be appealed, that process does not involve MSRB.”
To sum it up, each agency passes the buck to the other, although I’d put almost all the blame on the Staties. They obviously have no stomach for weeding out the bad apples. File under, let he who is without blame cast the first stone.
You can understand the reluctance of the brass at the most corrupt local cop shop in America to strip anyone of his pension. Considering what the last four colonels are now collecting, it seems petty to try to talk about some lieutenant’s measly 100G.
Here are names and pensions of the last four colonels: Kerry Gilpin, $171,420; Richard McKeon, $170,167; Timothy Alben, $162,043; and Marian McGovern, $165,131.
Meanwhile, today some of the crooked Troop E staties will be returning to work. Consider Trooper Anthony T. Boszko, on the payroll of Troop H for $113,259 a year. Since his three-year 2015-17 OT spree, he’s been suspended without pay for 841 days, since March 2018 (there’s that month again).
Today he returns to “work.”
“While on Restricted Duty Trooper Boszko shall not carry his issued firearm or operate a marked Department vehicle.”
In other words, the vacation continues … with pay!
Before you feel too sorry for Boszko, check out his annual hauls before he got caught stealing.
He needed a wheelbarrow to take home his cash.
According to the state comptroller’s records, in 2017, the last year before he got lugged, Boszko made $280,000 with his salary, OT and whatever else he could grab. In 2016, he collected $260,000 for speeding up and down the Pike, and in 2015 he made $247,000.
Your state pension is based on your three highest-earning years, minus survivor’s benefits, if any. You do the math for Boszko. As long as he makes “restitution” of what he stole by Sept. 1 and doesn’t get caught embezzling again, he’s a millionaire.
If I ever get jammed up, I ask for no special treatment. Just treat me like a Massachusetts state trooper.