John Ruch
FOREST HILLS/WOODBOURNE—A former Boston Police officer at District E-18, which covers part of Jamaica Plain, has pleaded guilty to robbing a Roslindale gas station with his service pistol.
Michael T. Jones, 44, was sentenced to two years in prison on June 11—five months to the day after the January robbery.
On Jan. 11, Jones—who was not in uniform or on duty—robbed the gas station at gunpoint, stealing cash from the register. He then tried to rob a man outside the station while pressing a gun to the victim’s belly, but the man did not have any money.
Other Boston Police officers later arrested Jones as he was driving in his own vehicle. He was charged with armed robbery and other felonies.
Jones, a Dorchester resident and 20-year Boston Police Department (BPD) veteran, was assigned to a desk job at the time of the crime and had not recently patrolled the streets. According to the BPD, Jones was suspended for 30 days in 1999 after an internal investigation sustained a civilian complaint related to a “domestic incident.”
Jones reportedly filed his resignation from the force on the same day he pleaded guilty, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. The BPD could not be reached for immediate comment on Jones’ status. Jones was on unpaid suspension during his court case, according to DA’s Office spokesperson Jake Wark.
After serving time, Jones will be under probation for four years, according to the DA’s Office. The court may also order him to undergo drug, alcohol and mental health treatment.