Timothy Sullivan, Music Festival Extortion, Massachusetts 2023

High-Ranking Boston Official Indicted in Music Festival Scandal

BOSTON - In a shocking turn of events, Timothy Sullivan, 36, of Dorchester, was arrested this morning after a federal grand jury indicted him in connection with the extortion of a music festival production company operating on City Hall Plaza.

Sullivan, the Chief of Staff of Intergovernmental Affairs, was indicted in a two-count federal indictment charging him with conspiracy to extort a company and extortion of that company.

The alleged extortion scheme occurred in September 2014, when Sullivan and Kenneth Brissette, 52, of Boston, repeatedly advised the music festival production company that it would need to hire members of Local 11 to work at the festival. Despite the company's insistence that it had already entered into a contract with a non-union company, Brissette and Sullivan allegedly insisted that half of the company's labor force consist of union members.

As a result of these demands, the company entered into a contract with Local 11 for eight additional laborers and one foreman just three days before the festival. Shortly thereafter, the City of Boston issued the necessary permits.

The charge of extortion carries a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to extort also carries the same sentence. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura J. Kaplan and Kristina Barclay of Ortiz's Criminal Division. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/second-city-official-charged-music-festival-extortion