BOSTON -- Two snowplow drivers faced charges that they tried to cheat the state during Tuesday's snowstorm.

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Jorge Quiroga Reports On Plow Drivers

NewsCenter 5's Jorge Quiroga reported that a Massachusetts State Trooper allegedly saw plow driver Paul Gratta bury his global positioning device along the side of Route 3A and then go to a private job. The move would make it appear on the GPS system that his plow was idling on the side of the road.

Gratta, 50, of Cohasset, Mass., was being paid $105 an hour by the state to plow Route 3A from Hingham, Mass., to Cohasset during Tuesday's snowstorm.

Acting on a tip, Massachusetts State Police followed Gratta Tuesday evening.

"(They) followed Mr. Gratta and they followed him to a private job that he had at a nursing home in Cohasset, were he plowed that area," said Attorney General Tom Reilly.

Gratta was paid $120 an hour for plowing the nursing home.

"He then returned to Route 3A, and by then, he had a total of four trucks owned by him who were on (the Route 3A) job," said Reilly.

He then allegedly gave the GPS device to subcontractor, Frank Eddy, of Hull, Mass., making it look as if Gratta were plowing alongside Eddy on Route 3A while he was plowing another private job.

"They were being paid to plow and salt Route 3A. Instead, in Mr. Gratta's case, he was using the time that was being paid for by taxpayers and the materials that were paid for by taxpayers for his own private good," said Reilly.

Other plow drivers said since the state contractors opposed GPS devices, this was bound to happen.

"People accepted it but then tried to figure away to go around it," said plow owner Jody Keohoe.

"It tarnishes us a little bit. Everybody out there knows who does what and who doesn't," said plow driver Kevin Long.

Gratta and Eddy denied doing anything wrong and plead not guilty to charges including larceny, fraud and filing false claims.

Reilly warned other plow operators that the state will continue watching to make sure that taxpayers get the services they paid for.