BOSTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Massachusetts), published as received.
BOSTON – A retired Sergeant for the Massachusetts State Police was sentenced on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which was later forgiven.
Damian Halfkenny, 54, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to one year of probation. The defendant was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000, restitution in the amount of $21,333 and forfeiture of $21,333. In April 2026, Halfkenny was charged with one count of wire fraud.
In 2021, Halfkenny was employed full-time as a Sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police earning $160,378 per year. He also owned and rented several real estate properties in Boston. In March 2021, Halfkenny submitted a PPP loan application for his real estate business, falsely representing that he had a monthly payroll expense of $8,488. In support of this application, Halfkenny provided a fabricated IRS Schedule C. Based on his misrepresentations, the U.S. Small Business Administration issued Halfkenny, and later forgave, a $21,220 PPP loan.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
