Ex-Adams Police Chief Accused of Pocketing $19K in Bogus Overtime

The former chief of the Adams Police Department has been indicted by a grand jury on three fraud-related charges, the Berkshire District Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday.

Kevin Scott Kelly, 46, now living in Mauldin, South Carolina, was indicted Tuesday, April 7 at Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield. He faces charges of Procurement Fraud, False Claim to Employer, and Larceny Over $1,200 by Single Scheme. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in state prison or two and a half years in the House of Correction.

Kelly was sworn in as Adams police chief in January 2021, relocating from South Carolina with his family to take the job. He served about four and a half years before the Adams Select Board placed him on paid leave in September 2025. He has since returned to South Carolina. -berkshireeagle.com

Prosecutors say that during his time as chief, Kelly submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims under a municipal traffic enforcement grant administered by the Office of Grants and Research in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

According to investigators, the alleged scheme ran from roughly January 2024 through at least January 2025, during which time Kelly collected $19,123.15 in overtime pay for shifts he either did not work or for duties that did not qualify under the grant's requirements.

It was members of the Adams Police Department itself who first spotted the red flags. Officers noticed discrepancies in the reimbursement records and gathered evidence before reaching out to the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit and the DA's Office.

The State Police then conducted a formal investigation that confirmed the alleged fraud.
Kelly is expected to be arraigned at Berkshire Superior Court on a date yet to be announced.