Friday, August 19, 2011

Crime Does Pay

Former Probate Register John Buonomo - now serving jail time for swiping coins from copy machines and stealing campaign donations - is entitled to collect his retirement pension from the city of Somerville, a judge has determined.

Buonomo's Boston attorney, Nicholas Poser, argued in Lowell District Court that the Somerville Retirement Board illegally withheld Buonomo's pension after he was convicted of several crimes in the fall of 2009. Buonomo was collecting pension from the city because he once served as a Somerville alderman.

In a ruling issued May 28, Judge James H. McGuinness rejected the retirement board's decision to withhold Buonomo's pension.

"In essence, the judge adopted both of my major arguments," Poser says. "I expect that any appeal will be rejected because it is a proper decision. "

Poser had argued that the retirement board was wrong in withholding Buonomo's pension because he did not steal public money - the copy machines were privately owned - and he did not commit a crime while working for the city of Somerville.

Full Article and Source:
Judge Finds Jailed Register of Probate Should Receive Pension From City of Sommerville

5 comments:

Barbara said...

Crime pays when judges let criminals off with a slap of the wrist.

Thelma said...

I don't think the guy should get any pension if he is conficted of theft.

Anonymous said...

This sounds very familiar. Same thing has happened several times in PA. Crime definitely pays.

StandUp said...

The machins were privately owned so it's not real stealing????? Good grief!

Mike said...

I agree, Thelma.