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Lynn Clark, 53, of Belchertown, was sentenced to a year of probation and a $1,000 fine on Tuesday, April 30, after pleading guilty to two counts of making false statements in January, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.
Clark had been head of the Chicopee School District when she made the threatening texts, authorities said.
Acting US Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy said Clark caused hundreds of hours of wasted police time and "sowed chaos" by lying and blaming others, including her son, for the threats.
In a relentless effort to evade accountability, Ms. Clark’s actions and lies not only harmed innocent people and tarnished the reputation of Chicopee, but also sowed chaos and wasted invaluable investigative resources. ... Ms. Clark’s scheme led to months of needless stress for the city and halted its crucial search for a chief of police. Additionally, her lies resulted in hundreds of hours of wasted investigation as she pointed the finger at completely innocent people. This calculated misconduct, which spanned false accusations against police officers, a city employee, and even her own son, underscores a flagrant disregard for the repercussions of her actions.
A candidate for Chicopee police chief reported receiving the texts in December 2021. They eventually withdrew from the application because of the threats, and the city put their search on hold, the prosecutor said.
FBI agents said Clark sent the messages using fake phone numbers she purchased through a mobile app. But when grilled by investigators, she continuously lied about her involvement and blamed five other people for the threats, including police officers, city employees, and her son.
She repeatedly asked investigators to drop their investigation because it was harming her reputation and “tearing the city apart," federal authorities said. She later admitted to federal agents about sending the messages.
Clark faced up to five years in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines.
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