Former Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office Official Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison

NORWOOD, Mass. — A former senior official with the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison after admitting to ordering employees to perform unpaid maintenance work at his private residence and engaging in witness tampering.

Thomas Brady, 55, of Norwood, was sentenced Monday, October 26, in federal court in Boston, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Brady was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

Employees Ordered to Perform Home Repairs

Federal prosecutors said Brady used his position of authority to direct subordinate maintenance employees to perform repairs at his home during and outside their regular working hours.

The conduct included work on his home heating system in October and November 2022. Prosecutors said one employee feared that refusing Brady’s requests could negatively affect their work schedule, position or continued employment.

The case drew public attention after NBC10 Boston’s investigative team reported allegations that employees of the sheriff’s office had been directed to perform personal work for Brady while on duty.

Brady later admitted to pressuring employees to perform plumbing and electrical work at his residence as part of his guilty plea.

Witness Tampering Allegations

The federal case also involved witness tampering.

According to prosecutors, Brady sent a letter to the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission in October 2023 that falsely appeared to come from an employee who had reported concerns about his conduct. The letter contained information about an internal investigation.

Federal investigators linked Brady to the letter through forensic evidence, including a fingerprint found beneath the postage stamp.

Prosecutors also described a separate incident involving an anonymous letter sent to a school attended by a whistleblower’s minor relative. The letter falsely accused the employee of sexually molesting the child, triggering an investigation by the Department of Children and Families.

Guilty Plea and Sentencing

Brady pleaded guilty in June 2026 to one count of witness tampering and one count of using interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion.

He previously served as an assistant deputy superintendent of jail operations before being promoted to assistant superintendent in May 2023. He later left the sheriff’s office as the allegations and investigations progressed.

Brady is scheduled to begin serving his prison sentence in January 2027.

The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office said it cooperated fully with federal authorities and condemned the conduct described by victims during sentencing.

The case followed an investigation by the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission and reporting by NBC10 Boston’s investigative team.

Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; NBC10 Boston.

This report is based on published court and law enforcement information.

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