Former Methuen Police Chief, Officer Indicted On Fraud Charges: AG

METHUEN, MA — A former Methuen police chief and officer have been indicted by a grand jury in a fraud and corruption case, according to prosecutors. Former police chief Joseph Solomon and former police officer Sean Fountain face numerous charges in the case.

The attorney general's office claimed that Solomon hired part-time officers into full-time roles circumventing civil service laws. He is also accused of deceiving others into believing Fountain had graduated from a police academy when he had not.

The charges against Fountain stem from his misrepresentations about his training credentials, including in his employment application and in a search warrant affidavit. He is also accused of falsifying a training certificate to deceive others into believing that he was fit to serve as a police officer.

"The investigation demonstrated that Solomon had repeatedly misused his position of authority as police chief to repeatedly undermine the law for his own benefit, including by hiring six part-time intermittent officers to the Methuen Police Department and then appointing them to full-time roles," prosecutors said in a statement. "Fountain was one of these hires, and he made false statements about his qualifications to be a police officer."

Solomon was charged with two counts of perjury by written affidavit, seven counts of unwarranted privileges in violation of the civil service laws, six counts of civil service law violations, uttering a forged document, and procurement fraud.

Fountain was charged with forgery, uttering a forged document, perjury, procurement fraud, and conflict of interest law violation.

Solomon and Fountain will be arraigned in Essex County Superior Court at a later date.

Solomon retired in 2021 following a state inspector general report on exorbitant police contracts. At the time of his retirement, he was making more than $300,000 a year. He was also accused of handing out jobs and promotions to favored candidates after the $300,000 salary was approved.

See related: Methuen Police Chief To Retire Amid State Investigation: Report