Probation officer charged with larceny

LOWELL (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - A Lowell probation officer has been charged with larceny for allegedly pocketing money he received from probationers, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said.

Benjamin Okiwe, 37, of Quincy, was charged with larceny over $250 and larceny by scheme. He will be arraigned Wednesday in Lowell District Court.

"This defendant is alleged to have abused his position of authority by violating the public's trust, taking advantage of probationers, accepting cash payments from them and personally using the money instead of properly submitting it," District Attorney Leone said. "I commend the Lowell Police on their investigation to uncover this defendant's illegal actions."

Numerous defendants on probation made cash payments to Okiwe for their monthly supervisory fees, according to authorities.

Cash payments were required to be submitted to the Lowell office and transported to Woburn, where they were officially noted in the probation's system. The payments submitted to Okiwe were allegedly never recorded on the probationers' payment cards, District Attorney Leone said.

In January 2010, the protocol changed and Okiwe no longer accepted payments made in cash. He is alleged to have continued to collect cash payments from probationers long after the new requirement was established.

Authorities also allege that some of the cash payments Okiwe received were listed as a community service credit instead of a cash payment. It is alleged that Okiwe would personally take the money and list that the probationer was fulfilling community service hours.

It is further alleged that one probation defendant prepaid his probation fee of about $2,400 to Okiwe. This payment was never recorded in the probationer's file. After authorities began an investigation, Okiwe later returned the payments to the probationer, informing the probationer that he had been saving the money to financially assist the probationer once he was finished with his probation.