Roger Martin, Hoax Distress Calls, Massachusetts 2016

State: Massachusetts
Category: Public Corruption
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/fairhaven-man-sentenced-making-hoax-distress-calls-us-coast-guard" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

BOSTON – In a shocking display of reckless endangerment, Roger Martin, 47, of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, was sentenced to one year of probation yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston for sending three false distress messages to the U.S. Coast Guard over the radio.

Martin, a former Bristol County Sheriff’s dispatcher, used his improper access to a law enforcement database to obtain the date of birth of an unsuspecting Fairhaven resident, which he then used to impersonate the resident during the hoax calls.

Between 2016 and an unknown date, Martin made three separate calls to the U.S. Coast Guard, claiming that he was on a boat in the Cape Cod Canal that was sinking. The calls were so convincing that they prompted a full-scale response from the U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement, who expended significant resources to investigate the false emergencies.

The investigation revealed that Martin had committed three counts of sending false distress messages to the U.S. Coast Guard and one count of identity fraud. He pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2016 and was subsequently sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay $7,182 in restitution to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Giselle J. Joffre of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Fairhaven Police Department were also involved in the investigation.

As a result of Martin’s actions, the U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement were forced to divert resources away from genuine emergencies, putting the safety of real people at risk. The sentence handed down to Martin is a stark reminder of the consequences of reckless behavior and the importance of prioritizing public safety.

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