BOSTON — John George Jr., 71, a former Dartmouth Selectman and previously convicted state representative, admitted in federal court today to hiding more than $2.5 million in cash from authorities after being sentenced for embezzlement in 2015. The guilty plea on one count of obstruction of justice marks the latest fall from grace for George, who once held public office entrusted with taxpayer dollars.
George pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Senior Judge Douglas P. Woodlock, who set sentencing for June 12, 2018. The charges stem from George’s deliberate concealment of assets following his July 2015 sentencing, where he was ordered to serve 70 months in prison, pay $688,772 in restitution, and forfeit $1.38 million tied to embezzlement from the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA).
At the time of sentencing, George claimed under oath to possess only about $28,000 in cash. But within months, federal investigators uncovered a hidden fortune: over $2.5 million in cash, along with Rolex watches and jewelry, stashed in safe deposit boxes in New Bedford and Fairhaven. The discovery revealed a brazen attempt to undermine the judicial process and keep ill-gotten gains out of federal reach.
Indicted in April 2017, George now faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. While the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines will factor into the final judgment, prosecutors emphasize the severity of obstructing justice after a high-profile corruption conviction.
The case was jointly investigated by the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation in Boston, and the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts. The findings underscore a pattern of financial deception that extended far beyond George’s original crimes.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling announced the plea alongside Todd A. Damiani, Joel P. Garland, and U.S. Marshal John Gibbons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and Ryan M. DiSantis of Lelling’s Public Corruption Unit are prosecuting the case, signaling continued federal scrutiny of public officials who betray their office for personal gain.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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