Bernard Joseph Tully, Wire Fraud, Massachusetts 2023

Former Massachusetts State Senator Bernard Joseph Tully pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a scheme to defraud a Boston-area businessman out of approximately $18,000.

According to court documents, Tully, 84, of Dracut, Mass., pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris to one count of wire fraud.

The scheme began when Tully became aware of the possible closure of the Lowell Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in early 2009. Tully contacted the Boston-area businessman who owned the space where the Lowell RMV was housed, telling him that if he paid Tully, Tully would ensure a state senator would find money to keep the RMV in the space.

Later, Tully contacted the businessman again, telling him that he needed to pay Tully so that Tully could pay a public official, otherwise the RMV would have to move out of the space. On July 3, 2009, the RMV announced it was closing the Lowell office as well as other RMV offices on July 23, 2009.

Tully and a co-conspirator visited the businessman and told him that he would need to pay $20,000 to keep the RMV in Lowell. The businessman agreed to pay the money, and on July 15, 2009, he gave the co-conspirator a $5,000 check, which was cashed and given to Tully.

Between November 2009 and March 2010, the businessman paid Tully and his co-conspirator approximately $18,000 as bribe payments designed to secure the official assistance of various public officials. However, Tully and his co-conspirator never paid any money to any public officials.

Tully admitted in a May 2010 interview with FBI agents that he received approximately $12,000 in cash and checks from the businessman, and that he split the money with his co-conspirator.

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