Two of the three former Massachusetts State Police lieutenants who were indicted in overtime abuse pleaded not guilty on Friday.
John Giulino, 68, and David Keefe, 52, appeared in Suffolk Superior Court for their arraignment in the ongoing state investigation. The third lieutenant, 57-year-old David Wilson, will be arraigned on Oct. 19.
The trio is accused of being paid thousands of dollars in overtime hours that they did not work. They each were charged with larceny over $250 by single scheme, procurement fraud and public employee standards of conduct violation.
In 2016, Wilson earned $103,447 in overtime pay while Keefe received an additional $55,960 for overtime and Giulino earned more than $53,000 in overtime pay.
The defendants were supervisors in Troop E and were in charge of overseeing traffic enforcement on the Mass Turnpike. Prosecutors say the troopers entered overtime pay for shifts they either left early from or did not work at all.
Timothy Burke, the attorney representing Giulino and Keefe, criticized the evidence used to build the case and said it won’t be enough to prove his clients broke the law.
"They’re going to have to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that each and every one of those allegations is supported by credible evidence," Burke told reporters. "I can tell you right now that as someone who has tried hundreds of these cases, I have every confidence they’ll be acquitted."
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
The retired lieutenants have a lot at stake: If they are convicted of the crimes, their pension benefits could be stripped.
According to figures provided by the state retirement board, Wilson is collecting an annual pension of $105,492, Keefe receives $103,261, and Giulino has retirement payments of $89,582.
Wilson is scheduled to be arraigned in the state’s case next week. He is already facing federal charges in a separate investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
