AG: Statie got paid for a cruise, but not in a cruiser
Ex-lieutenant in Dartmouth arraigned on larceny charges
A now-retired State Police lieutenant allegedly claimed to be working while he was actually on a cruise in Bermuda, according to court documents.
David Andrade, 47, of Westport, pleaded not guilty Friday in Bristol Superior Court on charges including larceny over $1,200 and a public employee standards of conduct violation, and was released on personal recognizance, according to court documents and the Attorney General’s office.
Andrade is accused of stealing $11,538 in holiday pay for time off he wasn’t entitled to, including a stint he claimed pay for when he was allegedly on a cruise to Bermuda, according to court documents.
Andrade, a lieutenant since 2016 according to filings, committed the alleged scheme between
August 2018 and August 2019 while he was the station commander at the Dartmouth Barracks.
Shortly after Andrade started at Dartmouth, he claimed to work on Aug. 21, 2018, which investigators said was a lie.
“Investigation revealed that the Defendant was actually in the middle of a cruise to Bermuda and could not have been at work,” prosecutors say in court documents.
Andrade, in charge of the barracks’ attendance calendars, reportedly rigged his own compensating paid days off from holidays, and made it appear as if he was at work when he wasn’t, according to court documents.
A private attorney for Andrade did not return a request for comment Monday.
Andrade, who made a total of $192,348 in 2018, allegedly ramped up his scheme in 2019 before his
Aug. 14, 2019, retirement, submitting claims for 22 unused holidays that he hadn’t actually worked.
Once he retired, he allegedly received the $11,538 payment for time off he wasn’t entitled to.
A State Police spokesman said the agency has no comment on the pending case, referring to Col. Christopher Mason’s statement last month when Andrade was indicted.
“It is unfortunate and unacceptable that these allegations exist, and our investigation indicates that this defendant’s alleged scheme appears to be unique to him,” Mason’s said. “This should serve as a clear signal to those we serve that we will not tolerate criminal activity and will pursue criminal charges when appropriate.”
Andrade’s arraignment comes weeks after Gov. Charlie Baker and Mason insisted the agency’s culture is changing following years of high-profile scandals including an overtime scandal that dissolved an entire troop.
Andrade is named in court documents as a member of Troop D and is not among the former troopers assigned to Troop E who were charged in federal court in the “Troopergate” scandal.
Ex-statie Daren DeJong, who gave names of lieutenants and commanding officers involved in the overtime scandal to Healey’s office, is scheduled to be sentenced next Tuesday.