Former Lee, Massachusetts Police Chief Joseph Buffis was taken into federal custody Tuesday to start a 27-month sentence for extortion.Buffis was seeking to delay his sentence amid safety and health concerns while awaiting his final prison designation, but a judge denied the motion. Buffis and his attorney expressed concern that he may be held with inmates he had a role in prosecuting. Judge Mark Mastroianni said he was confident Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island can address those worries.
Buffis was found guilty last year of extortion in relation to a toy charity he ran. He has been free on bail since his 2013 indictment.
The prison where Buffis will eventually serve his sentence will not be made public until after he arrives.
