Man Faces Charges in “Duckgate” Scandal Linked to Karen Read Case

A Massachusetts man is facing criminal charges after allegedly distributing rubber ducks and fake $100 bills in support of Karen Read, a woman accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. Richard Schiffer Jr., 65, has been charged with witness intimidation, criminal harassment, and littering, according to Stoughton District Court. The incidents, some locals are calling "Duckgate," have sparked controversy in the Boston suburb of Canton, where the case has divided the community.



Schiffer is accused of leaving rubber ducks and counterfeit bills near homes and businesses connected to witnesses in Read's case, which has attracted a fervent group of supporters. Read, 44, of Mansfield, is accused of striking O'Keefe with her SUV outside a Canton home on January 29, 2022, and leaving him to die in a snowstorm after a night of drinking. O’Keefe’s body was found the next morning outside the home of a fellow Boston police officer.



Read has pleaded not guilty, and her defense team argues that she was framed as part of a conspiracy to protect individuals who were present at the home that night. They claim O’Keefe was fatally beaten, and his body was left outside to divert suspicion onto Read. Her first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after the jury was deadlocked. Judge Beverly Cannone, who oversaw that trial, will return to the bench for Read's second trial, scheduled for early next year. Cannone rejected the defense's request to drop certain charges, and that decision is now being appealed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.



In addition to overseeing the retrial, Cannone will also rule on recent requests by Special Assistant District Attorney Hank Brennan, who was appointed to lead the case last month. Brennan has asked for court authorization to reassemble and retest electronics from Read's SUV, seeking more evidence before the retrial. He has also requested cellphone records for William Read, Karen Read’s father, and records related to a 2023 local media interview the Read family gave about the case.



Schiffer, who admits to distributing rubber ducks and fake $100 bills, claims his actions are protected under the First Amendment. "Through the First Amendment and my right to free speech, I expressed my opinion and belief that Karen Read is innocent," Schiffer wrote in an online fundraiser seeking help with his legal fees. Schiffer’s attorney has not yet been listed in court records, and CNN has reached out to him for comment.



The rubber ducks reportedly reference a comment made by Read's defense attorney, Alan Jackson, during a pre-trial hearing, when he said, "If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s a duck." Police claim Schiffer used these ducks to harass witnesses by implying they could not "duck the truth" about O'Keefe's death. Surveillance footage, traffic cameras, and witness testimony were used to link Schiffer to the incidents.



The first incident occurred in March 2023, when fake $100 bills were found near D&E Pizza & Subs in Canton, a restaurant owned by a relative of the homeowner where O’Keefe’s body was discovered. Over the next several months, more fake bills and rubber ducks appeared near O'Keefe’s home, two bars he visited before his death, and outside homes of other witnesses. Some of the ducks carried stickers implicating a family member of the property owner where O'Keefe was found, and the fake bills bore the message “Justice for BPO John O’Keefe.”



In May, investigators executed a search warrant on Schiffer’s Toyota Tundra and found rubber ducks and stickers inside the vehicle. Rubber ducks were also discovered outside the home of Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the case. Proctor has been accused of mishandling the investigation, and after Read’s first trial, he was suspended from the force without pay following revelations of inappropriate comments he made about Read in a private group chat with colleagues.



Schiffer, however, maintains that his actions were peaceful and lawful expressions of his belief that Read is innocent. "Charging innocent citizens with manufactured crimes is weaponizing our justice system to silence law-abiding citizens," Schiffer wrote in a second online fundraiser.



As Read’s retrial approaches, the case continues to gain national attention, and the community remains divided. Schiffer's criminal charges could carry serious consequences, with witness intimidation alone carrying a potential 10-year prison sentence. Despite this, Schiffer shows no signs of backing down, asserting that he will continue to advocate for Read’s innocence as she prepares to stand trial again in January.

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