I-Team: Convicted Quincy Cop's Pension Stripped

QUINCY (CBS) - A former Quincy police officer convicted of ripping off taxpayers by "double dipping" is now really paying the price for his crime.

The Quincy Retirement Board voted 3-1 to strip Thomas Corliss of his $87,268 annual pension, according to a copy of the decision obtained by the WBZ I-Team.

The former lieutenant, who spent 24 years with the Quincy department, is currently serving a one-year prison term at a federal facility in Lewisburg, Penn.

Last June, a jury found him guilty of collecting double pay by working overlapping details and police shifts in 2015. That year, Corliss was the city's highest earner, collecting more than $265,000.

In Massachusetts, public employees convicted of crimes directly related to their jobs risk losing their taxpayer-funded retirement benefits.

Corliss is entitled to the money he contributed to the retirement system over the course of his career.

The WBZ I-Team previously reported that Corliss received a controversial payout for unused sick time after he was convicted in federal court. At the time, city officials said the veteran officer filed his retirement paperwork before they were able to terminate him.

Federal court records show Corliss still has not paid restitution of more than $8,000 for his conviction. That amount will now be garnished from his pension contributions.

After that amount is subtracted, along with more than $47,000 he's received since his retirement, Corliss will receive a refund of $158,301.64, according to hearing officer Michael Sacco.

Nicholas Poser, an attorney who has fought several other pension forfeiture cases, declined to comment on whether he would appeal the Corliss decision.

State lawmakers are currently debating whether public employees should get to retain some of their pensions, depending on factors like years of service and severity of the crime.

Ryan Kath can be reached at rkath@cbs.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or connect on Facebook.