Suspended MSP trooper accused of spying on estranged wife with baby monitor, drone – Boston News, Weather, Sports

PLYMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) – A suspended Massachusetts State Police trooper appeared in Plymouth District Court Monday after he was accused of violating a restraining order and spying on his estranged wife at the home they once shared in Plympton.

Michael Gagnon Jr., 36, is charged with unlawful wiretap and violation of abuse prevention order. The Essex County District Attorney’s Office said both charges stem from incidents that occurred on March 10.

Gagnon was also previously arrested in November after he was accused of assaulting a child. He pleaded not guilty to that charge.

Prosecutors said Gagnon is a trained trooper who should have known to follow the court’s rules.

“This flies in the face of that by constantly monitoring her by video,” said Prosecutor Alyssa Fournier. “I understand it was remotely, it’s also coercive control.”

Prosecutors claim Gagnon’s estranged wife first noticed a baby monitor operating under her bed once Gagnon had moved out, and also had concerns he had been flying a drone over her house last year. The woman asked state police to sweep her home in search of listening devices, and police said an investigation found Gagnon had been monitoring ring cameras in her home using a family Amazon account.

“It appears that there is near constant monitoring of one of the cameras starting at 10:55 a.m. until 7:27 p.m. on that day that they were in court,” Fournier said.

Gagnon’s defense attorney said he sees no hard evidence that the trooper was monitoring his estranged wife’s movements, even though she reported he knew things he could have only known if he was watching her.

“‘Appears’ is not going to carry the day,” said Jeff Larson, Gagnon’s Defense Attorney. “There is no surveillance being done by Mr. Gagnon on his home at any point in time.”

Gagnon was released on $1,000 cash bail after his initial arrest in November connected to the child assault case, but was warned that the bail would be revoked for three months if he got in any further trouble. The judge said Monday that Gagnon’s bail has been revoked following the new allegations against him.

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