Police arrested a firefighter Monday, charging him with having swindled a 95-year-old Fair haven Heights woman out of $125,000 over three years.
The case went back three years. The firefighter met the woman on a call and offered to help her with her finances. That help, according to police, involved assuming power of attorney and draining her bank accounts.
Police took the firefighter into custody Monday on charges of first-degree larceny and tampering with a witness.
The woman finally told firefighters about it earlier this year, when they showed up at her house for a medical call. Police launched an investigation. In September, they raided the firefighter’s locker at the Woodward Avenue firehouse. (Read about that here.) After the Independent inquired about the investigation, the fire chief suspended the firefighter.
Detective Rosalie Reid and supervising Detective Sgt. Elisa Tuozzoli led the investigation.
In September, Probate Judge Jack Keyes transferred power of attorney to a lawyer in order to protect the woman from further losses. (Read about that here.)
Assistant Police Chief Achilles Generoso credited firefighters for forwarding the information to cops to launch the investigation. “This type of crime is particularly upsetting. When someone abuses their authority to take advantage of someone so vulnerable, we are all shaken,” Generoso was quoted saying in a department release.
It makes me a little sick to the stomach that they waited MONTHS to arrest him.