A Boston police officer sent a fake ticket and angry note to a driver involved in a road rage incident with him on I-93 while off duty, according to indictments handed up in Suffolk Superior Court Tuesday.
Prosecutors say the victim was driving Interstate 93 south through Stoneham on March 1, 2019 when a pickup truck came “dangerously close” to the car’s rear bumper. Court documents state the pickup truck continually sped towards the vehicle and honked its horn. According to the report, the truck forced the victim off the roadway and nearly into the median barrier before exiting the expressway.
A week later, prosecutors say a traffic citation for $790 for several violations and an angry note arrived in the mail for that same victim.
The victim appealed the ticket in Woburn District Court and officials say there were “irregularities” detected with the ticket.
Boston Police Anti-Corruption Division launched an investigation into the ticket, which they say had an illegible signature and an untraceable officer identification number.
Police say the ticket also listed “state” in the agency box, making it appear to be written by a State Police Trooper.
According to court documents, investigators tracked Curtis using the police system to find the victim’s background and information -- illegally using a CORI check -- and matched the ticket to a book of tickets last used by Curtis.
Police say when questioned, Curtis initially denied any involvement before he “remember[ed] completely and became absurd in his explanations."
According to court documents, Curtis later admitted to sending the ticket and writing the note, though he allegedly claimed not to have intended to send the note with the ticket. Curtis claimed that the note was meant to be a “joke sent to another officer with a gift card.”
Curtis was indicted on forgery, filing a false report by a public employee, witness intimidation, misleading an investigation, and unlawfully obtaining a CORI charges this week. He pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
Curtis had been a Boston police officer for just two years at the time of the incident. He is now on unpaid leave.
Neither Curtis nor his attorney replied to Boston 25 News when asked for comment.
[ Athol couple’s car pushed off road in apparent road rage crash ]