TO 100F OR HIGHER FOR A FEW
HOURS IN THE LATE
A VETERAN PROVIDENCE
FIREFIGHTER--
IS FACING A FELONY
CHARGE--
AFTER ALLEGEDLY
MAKING A FALSE
DISABILITY CLAIM.
(SN)
JOHN MCGOVERN--
WAS ARRAIGNED
YESTERDAY--
AFTER ALLEGEDLY SAYING
AN OFF DUTY INJURY--
WAS AN INJURY HE GOT
ON THE JOB.
THE COURT AMENDED IT'S
PAPERWORK THIS
AFTERNOON SHOWING
JOHN MCGOVERN FACES
ONE FELONY CHARGE AND
ONE MISDEMEANOR
CHARGE.
TONIGHT--
WE'RE LEARNING MORE
ABOUT WHAT HE CLAIMED
HAPPENED.
(HE)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH--
IS COVERING THE STORY
FROM LIVE FROM THE
PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX.
KAIT?
(KW)
I SPOKE WITH
PROVIDENCE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMISSIONER
STEPHEN PARE WHO SAID
FALSE CLAIMS OF AN
INJURY ON THE JOB - HURT
THE REPUTATION OF HARD
WORKING POLICE AND
FIREFIGHTERS IN
PROVIDENCE - AND THEY
WILL SEEK CRIMINAL
PROSECUTION.
A PROVIDENCE FIREFIGHTER
ON THE JOB FOR 26 YEARS -
NOW FACES SERIOUS CRIMINAL
CHARGES - ACCUSED OF
STEALING 4,014 DOLLARS AND
67 CENTS FROM PROVIDENCE
TAXPAYERS.
"We thought it was suspicious
for
varying reasons."
PROVIDENCE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMISSIONER STEPHEN PARE
SAID ON MAY 11 - 51-YEAR-OLD
JOHN MCGOVERN OF
CRANSTON - FILED AN INJURY
ON DUTY, OR IOD CLAIM -
SAYING HE HURT HIS RIGHT
WRIST FALLING OFF A FIRE
ENGINE AT THE STATION WHEN
HE WAS REPORTING FOR DUTY
THAT DAY.
THERE WERE NO WITNESSES
TO THAT ALLEGED INCIDENT.
"The detectives started making
inquiries where we thought
something may have happened in
and around Point Street and they
were able to establish that
there was
an altercation that early
morning on
May 10th - the night of May
9th."
IN OTHER WORDS - PARE SAID -
MCGOVERN GOT IN A FIGHT
OUTSIDE A PROVIDENCE PUB -
AND FILED THE IOD TWO DAYS
LATER.
PARE SAID MCGOVERN MET
WITH HIM THIS PAST MONDAY -
AND ADMITTED HE LIED ABOUT
GETTING HURT ON THE JOB -
TRYING TO COVER HIMSELF
FOR STEALING FROM THE CITY.
"We immediately reverted him
from
IOD to his own personal time for
the
five weeks in which he was out."
ACCORDING TO COURT
DOCUMENTS OBTAINED BY
EYEWITNESS NEWS -
MCGOVERN WAS ARRAIGNED
ON THURSDAY AT PROVIDENCE
DISTRICT COURT ON A FELONY
CHARGE OF OBTAINING MONEY
BY FALSE PREMISES WITH THE
INTENT TO DEFRAUD THE CITY
OF PROVIDENCE - AND A
MISDEMEANOR CHARGE OF
PRESENTING OFFICIAL
PAPERWORK AS TRUE - WHEN
IT WAS LATER PROVEN FALSE.
HE WAS RELEASED ON HIS OWN
RECOGNIZANCE.
WE CALLED MCGOVERN FRIDAY
AFTERNOON ABOUT THIS CASE
- HE ANSWERED - AND SIMPLY
SAID, "NO COMMENT."
THE PROVIDENCE
FIREFIGHTERS UNION
DECLINED TO COMMENT ON
THIS MATTER.
(KW)
COMMISSIONER PARE SAID
A DAY AFTER MCGOVERN
ADMITTED THE FRAUD TO
HIM ON MONDAY - HE
FILED PAPERWORK TO
RETIRE ON TUESDAY.
HEAR WHAT THESE
CHARGES COULD MEAN
FOR HIS PENSION - NEW
AT 6.
LIVE IN PROVIDENCE, I'M
KAIT WALSH, EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
FIRST ON EYEWITNESS
NEWS ---
A VETERAN PROVIDENCE
FIREFIGHTER IS ACCUSED
OF COLLECTING
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
IN DISABILITY PAYMENTS,
BY LYING ABOUT HOW HE
GOT HURT.
(SN)
WE BROKE THE
FIREFIGHTER'S ARREST
ON W-P-R-I-DOT-COM THIS
MORNING.
WE'RE TOLD 51-YEAR-OLD
JOHN MCGOVERN
CLAIMED HE WAS INJURED
ON THE JOB --- BUT
INVESTIGATORS SAY THAT
WASN'T TRUE.
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH IS
LIVE WITH THE
PROVIDENCE MOBILE
NEWSROOM, WITH NEW
DETAILS AT SIX.
I WENT TO PROVIDENCE
DISTRICT COURT TO GET
THIS DOCUMENT ON JOHN
MCGOVERN'S
ARRAIGNMENT.
PROVIDENCE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMISSIONER
STEPHEN PARE TOLD ME -
A DAY AFTER MCGOVERN
ALLEGEDLY ADMITTED TO
STEALING FROM THE CITY -
HE FILED PAPERWORK TO
RETIRE. A PR
26 YEARS AS A PROVIDENCE
FIREFIGHTER - AND AT 51-
YEARS-OLD - JOHN MCGOVERN
OF CRANSTON - IS ACCUSED OF
STEALING NEARLY 4,015
DOLLARS FROM PROVIDENCE
TAXPAYERS.
"Whether it's 4,000 or 400
dollars,
we are in a profession of
integrity
and honesty and when you cheat,
lie and try to take advantage of
the
system, it hurts not only the our pensi
reputation, it hurts our pension
system..."
PROVIDENCE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMISSIONER STEPHEN PARE
SAID MCGOVERN FILED AN
INJURY ON DUTY REPORT ON
MAY 11TH - SAYING THAT SAME
DAY - HE FELL OFF A TRUCK
AND HURT HIS RIGHT WRIST.
BUT AFTER AN INVESTIGATION -
PARE SAID DETECTIVES
DISCOVERED MCGOVERN
ACTUALLY GOT HURT OFF THE
JOB - IN A FIGHT OUTSIDE A
PROVID
PROVIDENCE PUB.
ACCORDING TO PARE -
MCGOVERN ADMITTED THE
FALSE CLAIMS ON MONDAY OF
THIS WEEK - AND ON TUESDAY -
FILED PAPERWORK FOR
RETIREMENT.
THE RETIREMENT BOARD IS
NOW LOOKING INTO HOW MUCH
OF HIS PENSION HE CAN
COLLECT - IF FOUND GUILTY.
"We have an ordinance that
requires
honorable service. This
certainly
was not honorable, and so to
what
effect his pension benefits will
have,
is yet to be determine."
THIS AFTERNOON - I
CALLED MCGOVERN - HE
ANSWERED AND SAID "NO
COMMENT."
THE PROVIDENCE
FIREFIGHTERS UNION
ALSO DECLINED TO
COMMENT.
HE'S DUE BACK IN COURT
IN SEPTEMBER.
LIVE IN PROVIDENCE, I'M