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Commonwealth Prevails In Case Involving Former Hingham Police Sergeant Who Misled Investigation, Filed False Insurance Claim



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Contact: Beth Stone (508) 584-8120

BROCKTON – The Massachusetts Appeals Court has affirmed the conviction of a former Hingham Police sergeant who was found guilty for misleading police officers and attempting to receive benefits for a false injury he claimed happened on the job, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced today. In December, 2016, after a three-day trial in Plymouth Superior Court, a jury deliberated two hours before finding Kris Phillips, 56, of Hingham, guilty of one count of Misleading a Police Investigation and two counts of Filing a False Insurance Claim. Judge Gary Nickerson sentenced Phillips to two years in the Dukes County House of Corrections with six months to serve and the balance suspended for three years. As part of his sentence, Phillips was also ordered to pay $1,900 in restitution and was forced to no longer represent himself or work as a law enforcement officer. Phillips cannot possess firearms and had to surrender his license to carry firearms. On July 17, 2015, Phillips, a veteran Hingham Police Officer, was working a police detail at the Hingham Shipyard retail complex. At closing time of the Hingham stores, while Phillips was on foot patrol, he alleged that he was struck and sustained significant injuries by a person backing a car out of a parking spot. A police investigation revealed that Phillips’ claim of being struck and the manner of the incident were fabricated. The investigation found that Phillips, who was out on administrative leave at the time, misled Hingham officers responding to the accident, filed false reports of injuries as a result of the accident, and fraudulently received health insurance coverage for treatment from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. In an unpublished decision today, the Appeals Court held that the evidence presented by the Commonwealth was sufficient to prove that Phillips staged the accident and intentionally lied about it in an effort to present a fraudulent insurance claim and collect workers’ compensation benefits. “We are pleased that the Massachusetts Appeals Court has affirmed the conviction of Kris Phillips,” DA Cruz said. “Each day, our police officers choose to put the uniform on and risk their lives to protect us and keep the public safe. Mr. Phillips’s unlawful actions and betrayal of trust is an affront to the hardworking, exemplary members of the Hingham Police Department.” Assistant District Attorney Mary Nguyen handled the case before the Appeals Court while Assistant District Attorney Russell Eonas prosecuted the case at trial. It was investigated by Hingham Police.

May 13, 2019