Charges dropped in fake money order case
A man accused in Acton in connection with a nearly quarter-million-dollar bank fraud scheme is off the hook.
A man accused in Acton in connection with a nearly quarter-million-dollar bank fraud scheme is off the hook after county prosecutors quietly moved to dismiss charges.
Court records show the prosecution entered its notice on May 29. Judge Lynn Brendemuehl quashed charges against William Shaw, 66, of Lynn that same day.
Shaw’s attorney did not respond to a Acton Bridge request for comment last week. The prosecution’s notice said only that “this serves the best interest of justice.” Spokespersons for the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office did not respond to multiple inquiries seeking further explanation.
Shaw was arrested March 11 after police said he allegedly tried to deposit four money orders totaling $120 at the Citizens Bank location on Lowell Road.
Police said Shaw displayed a license that “did not come back to anyone” and told officers his name was Philip Wallis. Shaw was charged with forging/misusing an RMV document; using a false order for money, larceny by check under $1,200; possession of a class B substance; and intimidation of a witness, juror, police, or court official.
As their investigation continued, court records say, officers contacted a Citizens Bank investigator who said they believed Shaw was part of a larger criminal group that had, so far, taken $243,850 from seven victims.
Detective Derek Rodriguez said an agent in the FBI’s Boston office confirmed it was also investigating and that Shaw was a suspect.
Shaw wasn’t named as a defendant in any federal criminal cases as of August 4. Federal prosecutors in Boston secured an indictment against six people in late July on charges including bank fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts thanked Acton police in a press release for their “valuable assistance,” but the indictment didn’t mention Acton, and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office didn’t respond when asked via email to elaborate.
Acton police Capt. Brian Goldman said CPD didn’t get a heads-up about the press release. Asked to explain the help his department provided, Goldman said, “We are still in the dark as to what this is about.”
