A police sergeant in Hingham, Massachusetts, has been found guilty of faking a car accident injury while he was on duty, and then filing false insurance claims.
Kris Phillips, 53, was sentenced to two years in jail, of which he will serve six, after a three-day trial in Plymouth Superior Court.
The sergeant was working at a shopping center in Hingham in July 2015 when he claimed he was struck and injured by a car backing out of a parking spot, the
Boston Herald reports.
An investigation found that his claims were “fabricated” and that he had filed false injury reports as well as fraudulently receiving health insurance coverage for treatment.
At the trial, he was found guilty of one count of misleading a police investigation and two counts of filing a false insurance claim.
As well as being sentenced to a stint in Dukes County House of Corrections, Phillips was ordered to pay $1,900 in restitution, and will no longer serve as a police officer.
“Each day they put the uniform on, our police officers put their lives on the line in order to keep the public safe,” said District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz, who announced the sentencing today.
“The jury made the right decision in finding Mr. Phillips guilty,” he continued. “His unlawful actions and betrayal of trust should not tarnish the exemplary work performed day in and day out by members of the Hingham Police Department.”
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