Chicopee Public Schools superintendent indicted in threatening text message probe

The Chicopee Public Schools superintendent arrested earlier this month and accused of sending nearly 100 threatening texts to a candidate for the police chief has been indicted.

Lynn M. Clark, 51, of Belchertown, was indicted on two counts of making false statements, which is one more count than she was originally charged with when arrested April 6, according to earlier Herald reporting.

Each charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. She’s scheduled to appear in federal court in Springfield on Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors say that an unidentified applicant for Chicopee Police Chief, who filed papers in November ahead of the Dec. 3 hiring date, received “numerous text messages from unknown numbers containing threats to expose information that would cause the victim reputational harm.” As a result of the threats, the feds say the applicant dropped out and the city delayed its selection process.

Clark allegedly purchased fake phone numbers from a “burner” phone app and used the app to send the texts. The feds say that she lied to investigators when confronted with the allegations, first on Dec. 6 and once more on Feb. 7.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/Xn5HoyM