STONEHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - A former detective sergeant for the Stoneham Police Department has been arrested and charged for allegedly providing false information in rental applications to fraudulently obtain three separate apartment leases for which he intentionally withheld rent payments, according to U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins.
Robert Kennedy, 53, of Stoneham, was charged with one count of wire fraud.
According to the charging document, Kennedy defrauded his last three landlords by providing materially false and misleading information in his rental applications to obtain the respective apartment leases.
After moving in, prosecutors say Kennedy intentionally withhold rent payments, despite making $141,000-$187,000 a year from the Stoneham Police Department. As a result, Kennedy lived in the apartments rent-free by allegedly taking advantage of the slow eviction process.
Prosecutors say Kennedy defrauded his most recent landlord by submitting false and fraudulent information during the rental application process.
The landlord required Kennedy to submit to a tenant screening service, which included a credit check and eviction history check. Instead of providing his own date of birth and social security number to the tenant screening service, which would likely have shown Kennedy’s history of collections, delinquent payments, defaults and evictions, Kennedy allegedly provided the date of birth and social security number of a relative with the same first and last name.
The landlord relied on the information from the fraudulently obtained tenant screening report to approve Kennedy’s rental application and give him a lease for the apartment. Kennedy then allegedly violated the terms of the lease by giving the landlord bad checks for his rent and security deposit and failing to make subsequent rent payments.
Kennedy lived in the apartment for approximately four months without making rent payments and currently owes the landlord approximately $14,000 in overdue rent, prosecutors say.
In response to the arrest, the Stoneham Police Department released the following statement:
“On Friday, March 31, 2023, the Stoneham Police Department assisted the FBI in the arrest of Robert Kennedy, a former police sergeant with the Department. Kennedy resigned from the Stoneham Police Department on February 23, following notice of an internal investigation into a history of civil claims against him.
“These matters have also been referred to the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission, as they are relevant to Kennedy’s eligibility for re-certification to work as a police officer in the Commonwealth.
“The Town of Stoneham is grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston and to the FBI for their diligent work on this matter. The Town and the Stoneham Police Department will continue to cooperate with their investigation as the case progresses.”
Kennedy could face up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
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