Stow police seek criminal complaint against officer accused of improperly accessing personal information

STOW — On Friday, July 17, 2026, the Stow Police Department announced that it filed a complaint seeking criminal charges against one of its officers, Jason Rogers, for potential violations of state law.

According to Stow Police Chief Michael Sallese, the investigation began after a Worcester County resident alleged on June 18 that Rogers improperly used departmental and state systems to access the resident’s personal information. Rogers and the complainant were known to each other.

Chief Sallese said the department immediately opened an internal affairs investigation and placed Rogers on paid administrative leave in accordance with department policies and collective bargaining agreements.

The four-week internal affairs investigation found that Rogers allegedly sought information related to the complainant multiple times in 2024 and 2025, including five instances in which he accessed the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS). Accessing such information through CJIS for purposes unrelated to police work is prohibited, according to Chief Sallese.

The Stow Police Department filed the complaint on Friday, July 17, 2026. A clerk-magistrate will determine at a future hearing whether sufficient evidence exists to issue criminal charges, Chief Sallese said.

“The investigation also determined that the officer’s actions constituted multiple violations of departmental policy, as well as conduct unbecoming of an officer,” Chief Sallese said.

The Stow Police Department notified the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) of its findings and shared the investigation’s results with the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services.

Chief Sallese said that, as a result of the investigation, the Stow Select Board will hold an employee status hearing at a date that has yet to be determined.

“As this is a personnel matter, and relates to an ongoing investigation, the town and Stow Police Department will have no further comment,” Chief Sallese said.