The wife of a Millbury, Mass. police officer allegedly faked a robbery and vandalized the couple’s own home.
According to police, Maria Daly reported a burglary at the home, and said jewelry and money had been stolen on Oct. 17. She also said the house was tagged with graffiti saying “BLM,” in an apparent reference to Black Lives Matter.
Investigators determined the entire account was false, Millbury Police Chief Donald Desorcy told CBS News.
“Something wasn’t quite right,” he said. “I think that was pretty obvious and as a result of that investigation, the officers did their due diligence and followed through with the investigation that we had.”
Desorcy said officers “came to the conclusion that it was all fabricated.” “There was no intruder, there was no burglary,” he said.
Daly’s husband, Millbury Officer Daniel Daly, was not involved in the fabricated burglary and has been exonerated, Desorcy said. Maria Daly now faces charges of filing a false police report and misleading a police investigation.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
- How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
- What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com