WHITMAN, Mass. — A former police officer with checkered past is charged in new federal case for defrauding disabled vets out of their VA benefits.
After being fired from the police force a decade ago, Glenn Pearson began working as a fiduciary with the Office of Veteran’s Affairs. Prosecutors said Pearson used his position to withdraw and transfer tens of thousands of dollars from disabled veterans' accounts
"It is the fiduciary's responsibility then to manage that money over the monthly period so that the veteran is well taken care of," Dan Stack with the Massachusetts nonprofit Disabled American Veterans told FOX25.
Pearson allegedly used the money to make payments toward his home mortgage.
As reported on FOX25 News at 5, veterans advocates say Pearson targeted the most vulnerable members of that community
"You feel you could be trusting of him, that's the saddest part," said Stack.
Trust was an issue while Pearson was working as a Whitman officer, according to the city.
"We found several instances where his version of events did not match fact," said Frank Lynam, the Whitman Town administrator.
In 2001, city officials fired Pearson from his police sergeant job, amidst allegations he was double dipping on his time card between police duty - and his second job, as a teacher as Massasoit Community College.
Investigators hired by the city also outlined in this report another incident at the college - where Pearson hired a topless dancer to perform a strip tease in the criminology course he was teaching.
The vote to fire Pearson from the force was unanimous.
Glenn Pearson was charged federally with embezzling money from disabled veterans. He’s also been charged with tax fraud, involving false tax returns he allegedly filed on behalf of his clients, overinflating their refunds.
After repeated attempts to reach Pearson for comment, he told FOX25 News he was too busy with a telephone call to address the allegations.