A retired Massachusetts State Police sergeant was sentenced on July 22 for fraudulently obtaining and later having forgiven a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
Damian Halfkenny, 54, of Boston, received one year of probation from U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, restitution of $21,333, and forfeiture of $21,333. In April 2026, Halfkenny was charged with one count of wire fraud.
According to court documents, in 2021 Halfkenny worked full-time as a sergeant earning $160,378 per year and owned several rental properties in Boston. In March 2021 he applied for a PPP loan for his real estate business by falsely claiming monthly payroll expenses of $8,488 and submitting a fabricated IRS Schedule C form. Based on these misrepresentations, the U.S. Small Business Administration issued him a $21,220 PPP loan that was later forgiven.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division, announced the sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers prosecuted the case from the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts enforces federal laws through prosecutions involving national security threats and civil rights violations; advances community initiatives on civil rights and violence prevention; employs over 200 attorneys and staff; maintains facilities at the John Joseph Moakley United States Federal Courthouse in Boston as well as branch offices in Springfield and Worcester; serves all residents across Massachusetts; and is part of the United States Department of Justice, according to the official website.