East Worcester Firefighter Charged

With Embezzling Department Funds

 EAST WORCESTER – Gregory B. Eager, 30, an officer in East Worcester Hose Company No. 1, was charged today with taking more than $83,000 from his fire department, the county District Attorney’s Office announced.

Acting on a complaint received last month from a hose company officer that funds were missing from the department’s bank accounts, D.A investigators with assistance from state Department of Financial Services investigators found $83,097.12 had been embezzled from the fire company between July 2013 and November 2105

Investigators allege that, over the two-plus years, Eager, the hose company’s second assistant fire chief, used a fire department debit card to withdraw cash from ATMs, some of which was used to pay electric bills.

Eager surrendered himself to investigators today and was arrested for grand larceny in the second degree, a class C felony.  He was arraigned by Worcester Judge William J. Fisher and will appear at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, in Worcester Town Court.  If convicted, Eager faces up to 15 years in state prison. 

District Attorney John M. Muehl and ADA Marvin D. Parshall, Jr are prosecuting the case.