PROVIDENCE – Christopher Hayes, 49, of Middletown, R.I., a former Newport, R.I., Police Department Sergeant and President of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Newport Lodge No. 8, was sentenced today to a total sentence of 12 months, 6 months imprisonment followed by 6 months of home confinement, for using FOP funds for personal use.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Hayes to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration; pay $71,523 restitution to the FOP; and perform a total of 300 hours of community service during his term of supervised release. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range in this matter is 12-18 month. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 12 months in prison.
Hayes pleaded guilty on May 1, 2017, to wire fraud. At the time of his guilty plea, Hayes admitted to the court that between August 2009 and December 2014, he used an FOP debit card to pay for his own personal expenses; wrote checks payable to himself from the FOP bank account; withdrew cash from the FOP bank account for personal use; and made online payments to his personal credit card from the FOP bank account.
