Massachusetts Probation Officer Pleads Guilty to Making False Statement

BOSTON – A long-serving Massachusetts Department of Probation officer pleaded guilty yesterday to making a false statement to the FBI in connection with an investigation the FBI was conducting into allegations by probationers that he was engaging in a deprivation of their rights under color of law.

Lawrence Plumer, 46, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the FBI.  It was alleged at the plea hearing that Plumer mistreated two female probationers by, among other things, showing them pornography videos and making suggestive comments.  When confront with the allegations by the FBI, Plumber falsely denied them.  U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2016.  Pursuant to the plea agreement, Plumer will resign from his position as a Massachusetts Probation Officer at Suffolk Superior Court where he has worked since 2000.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office also wishes to acknowledge the cooperation of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Fisher of Ortiz’s Public Corruption Unit & Special Prosecutions Unit.