A Massachusetts faculty superintendent is going through a federal cost for allegedly mendacity to officers about sending practically 100 threatening textual content messages to a candidate for chief of police, the Division of Justice introduced Wednesday. In line with a legal grievance, Chicopee Superintendent Lynn Clark, 51, allegedly despatched the messages to a candidate in search of to turn into the city's chief of police, inflicting them to drop out of rivalry.
In November 2021, the candidate, who was not recognized, obtained a number of textual content messages threatening to disclose info that may injury their repute, the DOJ stated. The messages seemed to be despatched with the specific function of forcing the candidate to drop out of the race, in response to the Justice Division. Authorities had been made conscious of the messages in December.
Telephone and web information confirmed that Clark allegedly purchased faux cellphone numbers by a cellular app and used them to ship "roughly 99" threatening messages.
On account of the threats, the candidate withdrew their software and town needed to delayed its choice course of.
Clark allegedly instructed investigators on a number of events that she didn't ship the messages, and advised different metropolis employees, a member of her circle of relatives or the candidate's colleagues could have despatched them as an alternative, the Justice Division stated.
However the superintendent admitted later that she was behind the threats, in response to prosecutors.
She has been charged with one depend of creating false statements, which may land her in jail for as much as 5 years and an extra yr of supervised launch, in addition to a effective of as much as $10,000 if convicted. Clark was scheduled to make her first look in federal court docket Wednesday.
Chicopee mayor John Vieau referred to as Clark's arrest "disheartening for the Metropolis," CBS Boston experiences. He stated the college district's committee will meet Wednesday evening "to determine on a correct plan of action."