Boston, MA — The State Ethics Commission has issued a Final Decision and Order allowing a Joint Motion to Dismiss and approving a Disposition Agreement in which former Arlington Inspectional Services Department Director Michael Byrne admits to repeatedly violating the conflict of interest law by allowing his own plumbing company to do work without permits or inspections at more than three-dozen Arlington sites, creating false permits for work his company performed, and through other actions. The Commission accepted Byrne’s payment of an $80,000 civil penalty and dismissed the adjudicatory proceeding against him.

Byrne was director of the town of Arlington’s Inspectional Services Department (ISD) from 1997-2021, during which time he also owned and operated Trademark Plumbing. As ISD Director, Byrne was responsible for enforcing the state building and plumbing codes. From 2016 through 2020, Byrne allowed Trademark Plumbing to perform plumbing work without permits at 37 locations and without inspections at eight locations. Byrne, as ISD Director, also performed inspections on Trademark Plumbing’s work at six locations, issued certificates of occupancy for two properties where the company did work, and created eight false plumbing permits for work the company had performed without permits. Byrne also issued a certificate of occupancy in 2017 for a building whose owner provided him with private loans totaling $25,000 in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

By allowing Trademark Plumbing to...

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