Joshua S. Levy, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
A former Stoneham Auxiliary Police Officer, Christopher Ponzo, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton in Boston. The sentence follows Ponzo's involvement in a bribery and kickback scheme that secured millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts. In addition to the prison term, Ponzo will serve two years of supervised release and pay a $300,000 fine.
In November 2024, Ponzo pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, multiple counts of honest services wire fraud, and making false statements to government officials. He was indicted alongside his brother Joseph Ponzo by a federal grand jury in January 2023.
The brothers were found guilty of paying bribes and providing kickbacks such as cash payments and gifts like a John Deere tractor and home fixtures to employees of Company A. These actions helped them secure lucrative contracts under the Mass Save program.
Massachusetts law mandates utility companies collect an energy efficiency surcharge from consumers to fund programs like Mass Save. Under this program, contractors perform energy improvements at reduced or no cost to customers, with costs covered by Company A using these funds.
From 2013 to 2017, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $1,000 weekly and occasionally more significant sums purportedly from Joseph Ponzo for his role in the scheme. This enabled Joseph Ponzo to establish Air Tight as a shell company for insulation work without professional experience but still amassing over $7 million through Mass Save.
After Associate 1's departure from Company A in 2017, the Ponzos enlisted Associate 2 into their scheme until approximately 2022. They continued with cash payments and employed a relative of Associate 2 as part of their operations.
Both brothers denied any bribery activities when questioned by federal agents in April 2022. Joseph Ponzo also pleaded guilty last November and is set for sentencing on February 28, 2025.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen from the FBI; Thomas Demeo from IRS Criminal Investigations; with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Dustin Chao prosecuting the case.
