Given his situation, Scott Peterson didn’t have any other option. So, he admitted what he did and resigned. On February 19, Peterson, formerly treasurer and then president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2945, was arrested by Callaway County (Mo.) sheriff’s deputies for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the Fulton-based union. The prosecutor’s office in neighboring Boone County, Mo. filed a felony charge on February 24. Peterson already had admitted to his thefts. He resigned as union president during an internal investigation and then resigned from his regular job with the City of Fulton fire department following his arrest. He is set for arraignment this Friday.
According to court records, Peterson, now 47, a resident of Fulton, had been facing financial difficulties and turned to stealing. He admitted to conducting 130 fraudulent transactions totaling $22,622.47. The true total may have been more. Union officials told the Callaway County sheriff’s office that Peterson had embezzled $30,595.74 during May 2016-November 2020. That the money went for unauthorized purposes was evident with the discovery of Facebook posts by Peterson and his wife describing their out-of-town trips that matched the illegal transactions. In response to the investigation and arrest, Local 2945 President Justin Malone issued this statement: “We want to reassure our supportive community that this was an isolated and internal incident that impacted the members of our organization who remain committed to providing excellent Fire and Rescue services that Fulton residents have come to expect.”