Thomas Brady, a Norwood resident and former deputy superintendent at the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office (NCSO), was sentenced to prison on October 26, following a guilty plea in June to witness tampering and use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion, said the United States Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts.
U.S. District Court Judge Julia Kobick sentenced the 55-year-old Norwood resident to 20 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and a fine of $5,000.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, on or around October 6, 2022, Mr. Brady ordered his subordinate - an NCSO maintenance officer identified as Maintenance Officer A - to perform repairs to Mr. Brady's home heating system during and after work hours. Maintenance Officer A complied, fearing refusal could result in negative consequences to his job and changes to his work shift.
On two occasions in November 2022, Maintenance Officer A returned with a second maintenance officer, identified as Maintenance Officer B. Together, they installed a new circulator pump at Mr. Brady's residence.
Image courtesy of U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts. In a text exchange, Officer B informed Officer A that the NCSO deputy superintendent was looking for Officer A. This image released to press had identities obscured. Westwood Minute has blurred profanity in the exchange.Around June 16, 2023, a third maintenance officer at NCSO - identified as Maintenance Officer C -reported Mr. Brady to the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission (SEC) for ordering subordinates to work at his private residence.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said that when Mr. Brady learned of the SEC investigation, he falsely signed a letter purportedly from Maintenance Officer C that divulged information about a confidential, internal investigation into Maintenance Officer B. The letter named Mr. Brady, himself, as a witness.
Federal investigators confirmed that Mr. Brady's fingerprint was found beneath the stamp to that letter. Investigators also found DNA on the envelope belonging to Brady, said the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In sentencing, the Court considered that Mr. Brady also engaged in a smear campaign against the maintenance officers, said the U.S. Attorney's Office. This included sending an anonymous letter to the school attended by a young relative of Maintenance Officer C that falsely accused Maintenance Officer C of sexually molesting the minor. The anonymous letter that Mr. Brady sent triggered an emergency investigation by the Department of Children and Families.
Mr. Brady first joined the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office in 1996. He served as a corrections officer until 2021, when he was appointed to the position of assistant deputy superintendent of jail operations. He was promoted to deputy superintendent in May 2023.
As deputy superintendent at NCSO, Brady was responsible for the daily operations of the jail and House of Correction, including supervising security staff, maintaining a safe and secure facility, and ensuring the safety of all justice-involved individuals.
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