Town administrator says he received anonymous letter that threatened blackmail

A police investigation is underway in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, where the town administrator revealed he received an anonymous letter at his home that threatened extortion if someone was not hired for an open position.

Town Administrator David Gagne announced the criminal probe while he addressed the Select Board at a recent public meeting.

Gagne said he received an anonymous letter at his home earlier this month. According to Gagne, the letter said he would be blackmailed if he did not hire someone for a town position.

It was unclear what information would be used to extort Gagne, who said the letter had been turned over to police, and taxpayer resources would now be used to find and prosecute the person responsible.

"When people make threats, they are really cowards. That's what it comes down to," Gagne said. "If they had a legitimate gripe or issue or problem, they could've had that conversation."

It wasn't specified which town position the letter referenced. However, public documents from the Sept. 20 Select Board meeting show the town just went through the interview and selection process for the Department of Public Works director, offering the job to an external candidate from Stoughton.

Gagne did not respond to an NBC10 inquiry about the letter.

During the meeting, he said West Bridgewater police had reached out to partners in law enforcement for the "multi-pronged investigation."

Lieutenant Timothy Nixon confirmed to NBC10 Boston that West Bridgewater police had received the letter, but said no other details would be released while the investigation is open.

We reached out to the Plymouth County District Attorney and the Massachusetts State Police. Spokespeople for both agencies said they were not involved in the investigation.

"I hope I don't know the person," Select Board Chair Denise Reyes said during the meeting. "That's the mentality you're dealing with is someone who, 'You don't do what I want, I'm going to use what I have against you.' That amounts to a spineless jellyfish, in my opinion."

Earlier in the meeting, Reyes announced that she would be resigning from her elected position on Nov. 3.

According to Reyes, she had recently sold her home to her daughter and attempts to find another home to purchase in West Bridgewater were unsuccessful.

"The right house came along, at the right price, but outside of West Bridgewater," said Reyes, who indicated she will continue living in town until renovations at the new property are complete.

She is the second Select Board member to step away from the elected position in the past three months, though her announcement comes with more advance notice.

In July, former Select Board chair Anthony Kinahan abruptly resigned amid an NBC10 Boston investigation that found he was living in Braintree.

Following our story, residents called for a criminal investigation into voter fraud. A member of the town's finance committee filed a police report, alleging Kinahan fraudulently obtained his stipend for the elected seat.

Kinahan did not challenge his residency and has been removed from the registered voter list in West Bridgewater.

Nixon did not respond to an NBC10 Boston question about whether that situation is under investigation.

Ryan Kath can be reached at ryan.kath@nbcuni.com. You can follow him on Twitter or connect on Facebook.