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Former Mass. housing director's sentencing postponed

BOSTON (AP) — A judge has postponed the sentencing of the former executive director of the Chelsea Housing Authority on charges he tried to hide his inflated salary from state and federal authorities.

Michael McLaughlin was expected to be sentenced Friday in federal court in Boston after pleading guilty earlier this year, but Judge Douglas Woodlock postponed sentencing amid new allegations.

The Boston Globe reports prosecutors told Jude Woodlock that McLaughlin may have obstructed justice by telling a former employee to destroy time cards that could have been used to explain his pay. The allegations could add to his sentence.

McLaughlin's case sparked a call for statewide reform of Massachusetts housing authorities.

He admitted knowingly under-reporting his salary in annual housing authority budgets from 2008 to 2011 and submitting the false figures to state and federal regulators.

He resigned from his job in 2011 under pressure from Gov. Deval Patrick after The Boston Globe reported that his annual salary reached about $360,000.

A hearing has been scheduled for July 17 for the obstruction of justice allegations.

He faces from a year to 18 months in prison.