Former Boston police union boss pleads guilty in overtime fraud case

A former Boston police union boss has pleaded guilty to collecting more than $16,000 in fraudulent overtime pay while working at the department's evidence warehouse, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Thomas Nee, 64, of Quincy, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Nee submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips from at least January 2015 through February 2019 and personally collected about $16,642 for overtime hours he did not work, prosecutors said.

He retired from the force in May. His pension is nearly $95,000 a year.

He's the 15th former or current officer charged in connection with the investigation into overtime abuse at the police department's evidence warehouse.

Nine officers have so far pleaded guilty. Federal officials say more than $250,000 was embezzled.

Nee was a long-time president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association who served until 2014.

The embezzlement charge carries a sentence of up to ten years in prison; the conspiracy charge up to five years.