What to Know
- Retired state trooper Daren DeJong has pleaded guilty in connection to the ongoing overtime abuse scandal at the Massachusetts State Police.
- Authorities said DeJong earned $200,416 in 2016, which included an estimated $68,000 in overtime pay.
- Eight other troopers were arrested and charged with embezzlement in similar cases. Seven troopers have pleaded guilty or agreed to do so.
A retired state trooper has pleaded guilty in connection to the ongoing overtime abuse scandal at the Massachusetts State Police.
Daren DeJong, 57, of Uxbridge, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.
DeJong, who was a trooper assigned to Troop E, which is responsible for enforcing criminal law and traffic regulations along the Massachusetts Turnpike, is accused of receiving overtime pay for hours he did not work.
Authorities said DeJong earned $200,416 in 2016, which included an estimated $68,000 in overtime pay. He is accused of receiving $14,062 for shifts he did not work or left early for.
DeJong was arrested in July 2017.
Eight other state troopers have been charged in the ongoing investigation, seven of whom have pleaded guilty or have agreed to do so.
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DeJong is scheduled to be sentenced May 1. He could face up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
