The jury in U.S. District Court in Springfield ended their first full day of deliberations Friday in the case of Joseph Buffis without coming to a verdict. The jury received the case around 2:30 p.m. Thursday following closing arguments. The former police chief of Lee, Massachusetts is facing federal extortion, fraud and money laundering charges.Buffis is accused of stealing more than $120,000 from the Edward J. Laliberte Toy Fund, which he controlled, over the course of 12 years. He is also accused of coercing a Lee couple to donate $4,000 to the fund in exchange for dropping prostitution charges against them. Buffis was on the witness stand Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Court reporter Bob Dunn of The Berkshire Eagle says under cross examination Buffis admitted he lied to state investigators n 2012 about how he used the fund’s money.
“And was put in a position where he was on the stand and had to admit that much of that information that he gave to investigators simply wasn’t true,” said Dunn.
Buffis says he would buy toys with his own money and then reimburse himself through the fund. Buffis’ attorney Lori Levinson says the former police chief is simply an incompetent bookkeeper.
Each of the 11 counts Buffis faces carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The jury resumes deliberations Monday.