Former Boston Police Officer Sentenced for Overtime Fraud Scheme

BOSTON - A former Boston Police officer was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with an investigation of overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department's (BPD) evidence warehouse.

Diana Lopez, 62, of Milton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to six months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Lopez was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $36,028 in restitution. In June 2021, Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.

Between January 2015 and February 2019, Lopez submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips for overtime hours that she did not work for overtime shifts at the evidence warehouse. The "purge" overtime was a 4 - 8 p.m. weekday shift intended to dispose of old, unneeded evidence. For the "purge" shift, Lopez claimed to have worked from 4 - 8 p.m., but she routinely left at 6 p.m., or earlier.

Between January 2015 and February 2019, Lopez personally collected approximately $36,028 for overtime hours she did not work.

To date, over a dozen Boston Police officers have been charged in connection with committing overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department's evidence warehouse. Lopez is the eighth officer to be sentenced.

From 2016 through 2019, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.