Howie Carr is a Boston Herald Columnist and rabble-rouser who focuses on organized crime, government waste, and malfeasance. The Trooper Leiha Genduso story is just one of several involving the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). The stories, taken as a whole, are an indication of a police agency suffering from organizational corruption and not the failure of an individual officer. There is no indication that the MSP is serious about fixing the problem and every indication that MSP is hoping to hunker down and ride out the storm. Carr/2018/05/Carr_fight_back_against_disgraced_trooper_ Leigha_ Genduso
Some backstory, Genduso is the former girlfriend of Sean Bucci. Bucci was convicted in Federal Court in Boston of running a marijuana conspiracy. Genduso, as his girlfriend, was implicated in the conspiracy but agreed to testify for the government https://www.justice.gov/archive/tax/usaopress Sean Bucci.
A blog, Turtleboy Sorts, published partial transcripts of her testimony in Federal Court against Sean Bucci. The partial transcripts showed she was a daily user of marijuana and assorted recreational pills. She helped to repackage marijuana for sale and delivered that marijuana to customers. She also aided Bucci in manipulating large sums of cash in an effort to show the proceeds as legitimate income. Her truthful testimony bought her her freedom.
It also established a record, that she was engaged in multiple felonies. As far as a background check goes, police agencies don’t care whether you were arrested, convicted, or did your time. Genduso’s resume of her criminal lifestyle should have been enough to disqualify her. The fact that the information came out in court testimony, as part of a deal to escape prosecution, is not binding on the MSP.
Former Drug Dealer Who Somehow Became A Massachusetts State Trooper Breaks Her Silence
Most police agencies require that the applicant fill out a detailed personal history statement. Many require that the statement is notarized. At a minimum, the applicant is warned that material misstatements will result in disqualification.
On her MSP application, Genduso explained away her marijuana usage as experimentation. I guess the experiment was how much dope can you deal before the United States Attorney yells, “Fuck it!” and drops an indictment on your ass. On her application, Genduso listed Sean Bucco’s former residence as hers. She didn’t live there anymore because the Federal government seized it. MSP, as one of the investigative partners, was in line to get a piece of the pie. Running the address should have triggered warning bells. Crickets. Most background investigators will make home visits and then take the opportunity to visit the neighbors. Nada.
There may be a tendency to say well, she was never convicted. It happened several years ago. She made it through the academy and has performed successfully while on the job. What is the big deal? The big deal is that she lied repeatedly. A person who does not have a reputation for truth and veracity may not be able to testify in court. The Prosecutor would have to preface Genduso’s testimony by pointing out she is a known liar and now she is going to tell the current jury a story. This will not likely lead to a successful prosecution.
The other issue is, how many others, engaged in the processing of applicants had to lie by commission or omission in order for her to be approved? I guess it is to be expected of an agency where nine retiring troopers were caught lying on their overtime expenses. This is the state where the legislature thinks an all-expense paid trip to Danbury FCI is part of their retirement package.
The way things are going in Massachusetts I figure the next installment will be that K-9 Mako has been implicated in a shakedown scheme targeting PetSmart for dog biscuits and getting a piece off a French Poodle while on the clock.