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Robert Kennedy, 54, of Stoneham, was sentenced to two years of probation and 90 days of home confinement after he pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in September, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He must also repay $14,275 to his victims.
Investigators said Kennedy defrauded three landlords from February 2020 through June 2023. The scheme played out similarly each time. He would move into an apartment or home with no intention of paying rent, knowing that it would take months to evict him, the prosecutor said.
He did this whilst earning more than $500,000 as a Stoneham police detective during those three years. The FBI labeled Kennedy a "serial debt fraudster who has a trail of bad debts, collections, and unpaid judgments" in a court filing.
Kennedy scammed the final landlord by submitting fake and fraudulent material on his rental application, the federal prosecutor said. Instead of giving his own information — which would have shown a history of evictions and delinquent payments, Kennedy provided the social security number and information for relatives, authorities said.
Kennedy paid his security deposit and first month's rent with a bad check. He lived in that apartment for four months without making a rent payment, the prosecutor said. He owed that landlord $14,000.
“Today's sentence should send a clear message: no one is above the law," said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. "We remain steadfast in our commitment to hold accountable those who exploit their positions and engage in fraudulent activities that compromise the very principles they are sworn to uphold."
Kennedy resigned as a Stoneham police detective in February.
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