A Massachusetts police officer and his brother have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly paying an employee of a Mass Save vendor company tens of thousands in weekly cash bribes.
Joseph Ponzo, 48, a Stoneham police officer, and Christopher Ponzo, 47, of North Reading, an owner of an electrical contracting company, were also accused of using kickbacks and offering other benefits — including a John Deere tractor, a computer, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work — in exchange for more than $36 million in Mass Save contracts with the vendor company, according to federal prosecutors.
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An associate of the company — not named by prosecutors — helped the brothers create companies, assisted in gaining approval for the companies to serve as Mass Save contractors, and helped them obtain Mass Save projects, according to investigators.
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The Ponzos allegedly collected about $29 million and $7 million respectively in fraudulently obtained funds.
Mass Save is a public-private partnership sponsored by gas and electric utilities that disburses energy efficiency funds — collected through an energy efficiency surcharge on energy consumers — to pay for energy conservation projects at no or little cost to consumers.
The two were arrested and arraigned Friday. Attorneys for the brothers could not immediately be reached.
