A Boston-area lawyer has been charged with attempted bribery of a municipal police chief in a “pay-to-play scheme” that had the potential to secure a client’s marijuana business license locally.
After allegedly attempting to bribe the police chief of Medford, another Boston suburb, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office in Massachusetts, lawyer Sean O’Donovan is now facing two charges of honest services fraud and one allegation of bribery.
According to FBI agents, O’Donovan allegedly offered $25,000 in payment through a relative in February 2021 to Medford Police Chief Jack Buckley in exchange for his endorsement for a local marijuana business license, The Boston Globe reported.
However, rather than agreeing, Buckley handed O’Donovan over to the FBI, who followed him around for months before gaining the indictment.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, O’Donovan now faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine if found guilty of all charges.
As coveted licenses are seen as potentially worth millions, particularly in limited-license zones or where permits are difficult to obtain, corruption has emerged as a persistent problem in the U.S. marijuana market.
Former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia received a six-year jail term in 2021 for corruption in connection with cannabis licenses in another Massachusetts case involving bribery and the state’s marijuana sector.
