Former municipal official to serve time after probation violations

SALEM — A former official in two Massachusetts towns who pleaded guilty to destroying public records and rigging bids for municipal contracts will now serve prison time for violating his probation about 200 times.

Andrew Bisignani, 71, was sentenced to 2 1⁄2 years in the house of corrections with 18 months to be served and subsequently two years of probation.

Bisignani was originally sentenced to two years of probation with six months under house arrest after pleading guilty to destroying public records and rigging bids for municipal contracts in July 2017. Bisignani, formerly Saugus’ town manager and Nahant’s town administrator, also had to pay $600,000 in fines.

He began serving a home confinement sentence in January 2018 and he was under house arrest for tax evasion before that. He barely made it three weeks before violating the terms of his probation, according to probation officer William Faherty.

“He was allowed to be released for various things such as work, medical appointments, court appointments and religious services,” Faherty said. “Violations entail Mr. Bisignani obtaining legitimate releases under those orders and while out on those releases, making unapproved stops at various locations.”

The Salem News reported that Bisignani made various unauthorized trips, including to restaurants, the Northshore Mall and Logan International Airport.

The dates of his violations began on Jan. 17 and continued daily through March 9. More violations occurred on March 11, April 7 and 9, and four days in May.

The data comes from a GPS tracking device used by his probation officers, according to Faherty.

A violation notice was filed on June 1 in Salem Superior Court.