Former Boston police sergeant pleads guilty in overtime fraud scheme

July 3, 2021

BOSTON — A former Boston police sergeant has pleaded guilty in connection to an ongoing investigation of overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department's evidence warehouse, officials announced Friday.

William Baxter, 62, of Hyde Park, 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.

He's expected to be sentenced in October.

Between March 2015 and June 2016 Baxter submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips for overtime hours that he did not work for two overtime shifts at the evidence warehouse, according to officials.

The first, called "purge" overtime, was a 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. weekday shift intended to dispose of old, unneeded evidence. The second shift, called "kiosk" overtime, involved driving to each police district in Boston one Saturday a month to collect old prescription drugs to be burned.

MORE: Former BPD sergeant charged, pleads guilty in connection to overtime fraud investigation

For the "purge" shift, Baxter claimed to have worked from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., but routinely left at 6 p.m. and sometimes earlier. In addition, Baxter knowingly endorsed the fraudulent overtime slips of his subordinates who, allegedly, also left early from this shift.

For the "kiosk" shift, Baxter and, allegedly, others routinely submitted overtime slips claiming to have worked 8 1/2 hours, when in fact he and, allegedly, other members of the unit, only worked three of four hours.

Between March 2015 and June 2016, Baxter personally collected approximately $9,223 for overtime hours he did not work.

To date, 14 Boston Police officers have been charged in connection with committing overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department's evidence warehouse.

Baxter is the seventh officer to plead guilty.

An eighth former officer, Craig Smalls, is scheduled to plead guilty on July 1, 2021.

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