BOSTON — A retired Massachusetts State Police sergeant was sentenced in federal court Friday for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program loan that was later forgiven.
Damian Halfkenny, 54, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton to one year of probation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Halfkenny was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, $21,333 in restitution, and $21,333 of forfeiture. He was charged with one count of wire fraud in April 2026.
Federal prosecutors say that in 2021, Halfkenny worked full time as a Massachusetts State Police sergeant and earned $160,378 annually. He also owned and rented several properties in Boston.
In March 2021, Halfkenny applied for a PPP loan for his real estate business and falsely claimed the business had a monthly payroll expense of $8,488. Halfkenny supported the application with a fabricated IRS Schedule C.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts reported that, based on those misrepresentations, the U.S. Small Business Administration issued him a $21,220 PPP loan that was subsequently forgiven.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Ted E. Docks announced the sentence on Monday, July 27, 2026.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
