Joseph C . Carter Joseph C . Carter is a retired Brigadier General ( BG ) who was The Adjutant General ( TAG ) of the Massachusetts National Guard from 2007 - 2012 . He is the former chief of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police . He currently lives in Oak Bluffs , Massachusetts with his wife Rae , an Oak Bluffs School teacher , and his daughter Emily . Law enforcement career . Joseph C . Carter began his career in law enforcement in 1974 working for the City of Boston Penal Institutions Department from 1975 through 1978 . In 1978 he joined the Boston Police Department where his positions including patrol officer , detective , patrol supervisor , Deputy Superintendent , Superintendent , Chief of Staff of the department and Chief Administrative Hearing Officer , presiding over all departmental disciplinary trial boards . In 1998 he took the position of Chief of Police in his home town of Oak Bluffs , Massachusetts , and held the position for 5 years . From 2003 through 2007 he served as the head of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police , leaving the job in September 2007 to take the full - time Adjutant General ' s position in the state ' s National Guard . Military career . Carter served in the United States Army Reserve and the National Guard from 1974 through 2012 . In the Guard , he has held numerous positions including : In August 2007 it was announced that he had been selected by Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick to succeed Brigadier General Oliver Mason and become the first African - American TAG in the 370 - year history the state ' s Guard . He took over the position on September 21 , 2007 , but was officially sworn into the job on October 26 , 2007 by Governor Patrick at a ceremony conducted at the Massachusetts State House . During the ceremony Carter received a 13 gun from the 101st Field Artillery Regiment , and was awarded the Legion of Merit . During his tenure as TAG he received a state ( but not federal ) promotion to Major General and Massachusetts has been twice recognized for excellence in Diversity and Equal Opportunity . Suspension and retirement . On March 29 , 2012 he was suspended with pay from the National Guard by Governor Patrick pending the outcome of an investigation into an allegation that he raped a servicewoman in his unit in 1984 during training at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida . The accusations resurfaced in 2010 during court martial proceedings against Lt . Col . Mark Murray who serves as the Massachusetts National Guard ’ s quartermaster . Carter initiated court martial proceedings against Murray " after state and federal investigations uncovered a range of alleged improprieties , including misusing federal money , hiring a convicted felon to do legal work , and threatening a whistleblower " and after Murray refused to resign in lieu of court martial . During the court martial , Murray alleged that the charges against him were retaliation by Carter for his role as investigating officer when the charges were first raised two years after the alleged attack . The court martial found that Murray had " failed to comply with federal law in managing Guard funds " , but they voted 3 to 2 to allow Murray to retain his job . After the verdict , Murray was stripped of most of his responsibilities . It was alleged that Carter also retaliated against two of the judges in that court martial by trying to have them forced out because he was not happy with the verdict . Further investigation into the rape accusations was in part the result of a background check required for Carter ' s federal promotion to Major General . The promotion " must be approved by the Army and confirmed by the US Senate " . During the investigation , Carter alleged that the rape charges against him are part of a long running smear campaign against him . He states that the accusations are the result of his efforts to change a law that that made firing certain state military division employees impossible without a court martial . He also claims senior officials were also angry with him for changing the National Guard ' s work week from a ten hour a day four days a week work schedule to an eight hour a day five days a week work schedule . Carter claimed he did not remember the soldier who made the accusations and had " categorically denied the allegation " . Carter also claimed to have not known of the allegations until they were raised during the 2010 court martial . This is in contrast to a statement by Murray who claims Carter was questioned during the investigation about the incident and stated “ Well I hope this doesn ’ t impact me some time in my future . ” Part of Carter ' s denial was also contradicted by his former company commander who stated he recalled the night in question and remembered Carter helping the woman after a night of socializing . He stated that Carter and the victim got out of a car near the beach , and that Carter later returned alone . On April 3 , 2012 , Governor Patrick selected Massachusetts Air National Guard Major General L . Scott Rice to serve as acting Adjutant General during Carter ' s suspension . On September 19 , 2012 BG Carter agreed to retire from the Massachusetts National Guard after a report from military investigators that " found probable cause that he indecently assaulted a subordinate while the two were on a training exercise in Florida in 1984 " . Investigators stated that they did not find evidence to substantiate a charge of rape , but concluded that " he probably touched her inappropriately , engaged in conduct unbecoming of an officer , and later made false claims about the incident " . Carter released a statement stating that he " vindicated because the Army did not deem the most serious allegation against me to be credible " but was " disappointed that the Army has found probable cause for other alleged offenses . I never assaulted anyone , and I cooperated fully with CID ’ s investigation and told the truth " . He further stated that he was retiring to prevent the " unfounded allegations " from becoming a distraction to the National Guard . Education . Civilian . Carter holds a Bachelors degree in Organizational Behavior and Management from Lesley College and Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration from Atlanta University . Military . Carter is a 1992 graduate of the U . S . Army Command and General Staff College and a 2002 graduate of US Army War College obtaining a Master of Strategic studies degree . Law Enforcement . Carter is a graduate of the FBI National Academy ' s 140th Session ; a 1986 graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum ' s Senior Management Institute for Police ; a 1991 graduate of the ABA ' s National Judicial College - Administrative Law Judge course ; as well as a graduate of numerous other federal , state and military law enforcement programs .