A former Massachusetts State Police lieutenant was cuffed with a five-year prison sentence for his role in a fraudulent overtime scheme and other financial wrongdoings. Daniel J. Griffin, 60, of Belmont, felt the weight of the law on his shoulders as U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman handed down the sentence on Thursday, also imposing three years of supervised release, as per the Justice Department's announcement.
Griffin, alongside his co-conspirator, MSP Sergeant William W. Robertson, nicked thousands from federal overtime funds intended for traffic safety – cashing in on shifts they either skipped out on early, or showed up late to between 2015 through 2018. As the plot unraveled, Griffin opted for a paper purge, burning or shredding records to obscure his trail, according to the official statement. His sentencing comes after a December 2023 conviction on multiple counts including conspiracy, and wire fraud.
But Griffin's financial finagling extended beyond the badge. His security entity, Knight Protection Services, raked in nearly $2 million over seven years – over $700,000 of which he hid from the IRS – while simultaneously drawing a regular MSP salary and overtime pay. The off-duty business also bankrolled his lavish lifestyle: golf club fees, car payments, even private school tuition for his offspring.
In light of his deception, Griffin had previously pleaded guilty in November 2023, to defrauding a private school via understated financial aid applications. Despite the considerable income from his MSP duties and private business ventures, Griffin managed to swindle over $175,000 in financial aid from the school. His co-conspirator, Robertson awaits sentencing scheduled on April 30, as noted in the Justice Department's report.
The case saw a coordinated effort to bring Griffin to justice: The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and Adam Deitch took point on the prosecution as part of the Public Corruption Unit's effort to pin down the corrupt cop.
