Brian Joyce was charged Friday with using his Senate office as a front to collect about $1 million in bribes and kickbacks, along with getting hundreds of pounds of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee for free. https://t.co/kRwAfjIYjB
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) December 8, 2017
Former state senator Brian A. Joyce collected about $1 million in bribes and kickbacks that he laundered through his law firm, according to a sweeping 102-page indictment that accuses the Milton Democrat of turning his public office into a criminal enterprise — even accepting hundreds of pounds of free coffee from a Dunkin’ Donuts owner.
Joyce, once the Senate’s assistant majority leader, was taken from his Westport home in handcuffs early on Friday morning and escorted by federal agents to be booked and fingerprinted, and face federal charges of mail fraud, corruption, money laundering, and embezzlement, among many others.
Acting US Attorney William Weinreb said prosecutors launched the investigation of Joyce after a series of stories by The Boston Globe that began in January 2015 looking at Joyce’s mingling of public and personal business.
Weinreb said investigators estimated that Joyce’s many illegal schemes have netted him about $1 million since 2010. Prosecutors say, among other things, Joyce extorted a Jeep from a Milton developer and collected more than $100,000 in phony legal fees from a Dunkin’ Donuts store owner in exchange for using his influence to help them.
Harold Shaw, special agent in charge of the Boston FBI office, was more blunt: “We believe Mr. Joyce was greedy, plain and simple.’’
Ya think?!?!?
Anyhow the donut reference, yes I know it was coffee from Dunkins, and the Boston reference trigger the following obligatory entries.
Open thread!
James E. Powell
All that criminal activity for one million dollars and some coffee? Amateur.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
How long until the Bitcoin bubble bursts? And when it does, how fucked are we?
I say Dec. 31 at the latest.
Also, if I may self-promote: A Twitter thread colloquy about Ryan Holiday’s would-be Cassandra moment on media trolls.
Yutsano
The Tulip Bubble crashed in only a couple months, and that was in the 17th century. I’m thinking next week.
Well, we won’t be using up a shit ton of power to support what is essentially a techbro financial bubble. So that’s a plus. Otherwise it’ll be mostly meh.
Duane
When that Simpson’s video ended, Trump’s picture flashed next. Scared me. Did you do that on purpose? Scariest clown you could find?
TenguPhule
@Yutsano:
Goldman Sach is involved.
Just saying.
Ruckus
@James E. Powell:
I know someone who did federal time for embezzling a bit over $100,000. through his travel expense reports over a period of several yrs. He was a board member of the parent company of the company that I worked for. If you knew him you could easily believe such a little man could embezzle such a small amount. And I don’t mean little in the physical sense.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@James E. Powell: That’s one of the things that has stayed with me from an interview with Randy McNally about his work with Operation Rocky Top. Even decades later, he was astonished and outraged at how cheaply his fellow State House members were selling themselves.
(((CassandraLeo)))
@Duane: Can’t sleep. Clown’ll eat me. Can’t sleep. Clown’ll eat me. Can’t sleep. Clown’ll eat me. Can’t sleep. Clown’ll eat me.
debbie
There’s a great inflatable yard decoration near my neighborhood: Homer Simpson in a Santa suit holding a box labeled “DONUTS.” I want!!!
HeleninEire
I miss Dunkin Donuts coffee.
But her emails!!!
1. There are an awful lot of US Senators and Representatives whose balance sheets have increased significantly since taking office despite showing little previous skill in making money. Maybe the media should dig more into their finances.
2. Bitcoin should have collapsed awhile ago, but it I don’t think it’s quite run out of people yet who want to make a quick buck speculating. On top of that, its still gaining acceptance which increases demand for use in transactions. Given it’s increasingly getting competitors who in some cases have better features and a value that is largely speculative, it could crash at any time. Having said that, I think it’s most likely to crash during the next economic downturn.
Xenos
@But her emails!!!: As usual, it would be tempting to short it, but the craziness can last a lot longer that a sensible person’s patience will.
Kraux Pas
Aww, that’s a shame. He was my State Senator. I never knew too much about him, but I always liked him because I got a letter from his office one time when I made the dean’s list at school.
Most Massachusetts crime ever…
DHD
Was the investigation that nabbed him called “Operation Dollars to Donuts”?
RepubAnon
Trump’s new Director of the Consumer Protection Bureau brought Dunkin Doughnuts to work on his first day… coincidence?