RPD Officer Charged with Lying to the FBI

-By Seth Daniel

[email protected]

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents arrested Revere Police Officer Todd Randall yesterday (Tuesday) morning at his Revere home for lying to FBI agents – specifically about an incident where he accepted money from a cooperating witness in order to “fix” a pending case in Chelsea District Court.

The FBI alleges Randall made false statements and representations regarding an ongoing public corruption investigation.

Randall, 40, made an initial appearance in Boston’s Federal Courthouse for the charges in front of Judge Dein on Tuesday afternoon.

The complaint alleges that on January 22, 2010, Randall, a City of Revere police officer, met with an FBI cooperating witness (CW) and accepted $200 in exchange for Randall’s assistance with a criminal case pending in Chelsea District Court.  On Jan. 22, FBI agents observed Randall, who was on duty, in a police uniform, and operating a marked Revere police cruiser, as he traveled to the home of the CW in Everett. Randall was observed and photographed as he exited the police cruiser and entered the home of the CW.

While inside the home of the CW, Randall accepted $200 in FBI funds from the CW and then explained the efforts he would make to compromise a pending criminal case in Chelsea District Court for a friend of the CW. The interaction between the CW and Randall, including the exchange of $200, was memorialized on film through the use of a concealed audio and video recording device previously installed by the FBI in the home of the CW.

On March 14, 2011, Randall was interviewed by the FBI, who disclosed that they were investigating information that Randall had assisted the CW’s friend with a court case. Randall denied knowing the CW or the CW’s friend.

Agents then explained to Randall that the FBI had received information that he had been to the CW’s house while operating a police cruiser.  Randall denied being present at the home of the CW. Randall was then asked if he had ever accepted money for a court case from the CW on behalf of a third individual. Randall denied accepting any money from the CW.

Agents then explained to Randall that withholding information or lying to the interviewing agents was a violation of federal law and that he could be prosecuted. Randall once again denied ever being present at the CW’s house. Agents then specifically asked Randall whether he accepted $200 from the CW for his assistance with a court case. Randall again denied accepting money from the CW. Once again, agents explained to Randall that lying to the interviewing agents was a federal crime for which he could be prosecuted. Randall replied that he understood and stated, “I have no reason to lie to ya fellas.”

Agents again asked Randall if he had ever been present at the Everett home of the CW. Randall denied that he had been present at the home of the CW. Agents then asked Randall, hypothetically, if the FBI possessed a photo of a uniformed Revere police officer at the Everett home of the CW, could Randall be the officer in the photo. Randall denied being at the home of the CW and then stated in disbelief that, “If there is a photo of me, I’d like to see it.”

Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers of FBI’s Boston Field Division said, “The arrest this morning demonstrates Revere Police Chief Terence Reardon’s and the FBI’s commitment to pursue all allegations of public corruption. Randall’s alleged criminal actions and subsequent false statements regarding his role in an ongoing public corruption investigation are an injustice to the thousands of honest and trustworthy federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who work in Massachusetts. Recognizing that these types of crimes undermine the community’s trust in government, investigating public corruption is one of the FBI’s top priorities.”

If convicted on these charges, Randall faces up to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Randall has been a member of the Revere Police force since May 1997.

He was best known for an incident in the 1990s where he and former Revere Police Officer Evan Franklin were in a car accident while in the Police Academy and fled the scene of that accident.

Both were immediately dismissed from the academy.

However, they were re-appointed to the academy some time later by then-Mayor Bob Haas.

Oddly enough, the crimes alleged to be committed by Randall happened during the height of Officer Dan Talbot’s murder case, which transpired in late January 2010. It was well known that Talbot and Randall were very close friends.