Former Police Chief Plans to 'Resolve' Criminal Charges on Monday

The attorney for former Hamilton Police Chief Walter Cullen said Monday that the criminal charges against Cullen will be “resolved” next Monday – the day he had been scheduled to go to trial on larceny and other charges.

Attorney William Cintolo told Judge Timothy Feeley that he has been in almost daily communication with the state Attorney General’s office, on charges of larceny over $250, a government purchasing violation and two counts of an EMS violation.

Cullen was indicted on the charges in July 2009 after an AG investigation found that Cullen allegedly submitted EMT training records to state officials showing he attended refresher and recertification training classes that he did not actually attend. He, in turn, was paid based on his false certification as an EMT – which resulted in the larceny charge. Cullen retired from the in December 2008.

Cintolo said the case was not ready to be resolved during a hearing in Salem District Court on Monday - but it was close.

“We think we need a couple more days,” Cintolo said in court on Monday.

Cintolo did not reply to a phone and e-mail message inquiring about exactly how he hoped to resolve the case.

Feeley, at first, expressed reservation about making plans for Cullen to “resolve” the case on the same day that his trial is scheduled to begin. He asked whether Cintolo expected Prosecutor Edward Beagan to prepare for opening arguments and the trial to begin on Monday.

Cintolo said no.

“It is going to be resolved on the 12th,” Cintolo said.

In response, Feeley said: “I am taking it off the trial list,” Feeley said.

The entire hearing at , which had originally been scheduled as a pre-trial conference, lasted less than five minutes.

Cullen stood next to Cintolo throughout the hearing without speaking.

Cullen was the highest ranking of four officials that were indicted as a result of the Hamilton EMT training scandal in 2008 and 2009. At the time, the Hamilton police ran the town’s ambulance but ambulance calls are now handled by Lyons ambulance.

In March, , two counts of attempted obstruction of justice and six counts of emergency services violations and was sentenced to one year of probation. Michalski submitted some of the EMT training records that falsely said Cullen attended the classes.

More than a year ago – last November - to two counts of filing a false written report and four EMS violations. He was also sentenced to a year of probation. Mastrianni organized EMT training classes that either didn't happen or lasted just one class when it was supposed to include many sessions.

The training fraud uncovered in Hamilton into whether EMTs were falsely signing class attendance sheets for classes they were not attending.

A fourth defendant in the case, former Lt. James Foley, is charged with attempting to commit a crime and an EMS violation. He is scheduled to go to trial on Jan. 9.