Firefighter paid while 'away' in Iraq arrested

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/195183,CST-NWS-orland03.article

BY ISAAC WOLF Daily Southtown

Last Friday, fellow firefighters praised Lt. Lawrence T. Masa as a warrior, describing his fortitude in Iraq and his bravery for serving multiple tours of duty in the war-torn region. On Tuesday, Orland Park police arrested Masa at fire district headquarters.

For almost two years Masa received his salary while his co-workers and employer, the Orland Fire Protection District, thought he was in the military fighting the war on terror.

'It was a big surprise'

Police accuse Masa, 42, of Morris, of stealing more than $100,000. The state's attorney's office expects to charge him today, Orland Park police spokesman Chuck Doll said.

"The suspect said he had been called up to service when, in fact, he had not," Doll said. "He was paid by the fire department while he was away."

[datadiva]

1. This guy's sentence should be served in Irag. n/t

[madokie]

4. I don't know if I would have wanted someone like him for me to maybe have to depend on

I know I wouldn't want to if I had a child in Iraq so I say throw his sorry ass in jail where he belongs, leave the military men and their lives out of it, they didn't do anything to deserve it. As a Soldier one must be honest first

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. As much as I oppose the war, I have to agree

In lieu of repayment, make his lies reality.

[Lurking Dem]

2. That takes serious balls.

During Vietnam they used to give arrestees the option of doing time or going. I'm not sure this guy should GET an option.

[denverbill]

3. How much you wanna bet he was a pro-war blowhard Republican too? n/t

[gratuitous]

9. Considering the state of the Illinois GOP

They might just run this guy for governor.

[Wcross]

6. They didn't ASK to see his orders?

If I claimed to have been called up, my employer would insist on seeing some type of documentation.

[jilln]

7. I don't get it, why would they still be paying him?

If they thought he was with the military, not the national guard, are they required to pay him while he's getting paid by the military too?

[Xithras]

8. Lots of employers do continue to pay.

Mostly government agencies, but there are many employers who will continue to pay for X number of months while an employee is actively deployed. This is usually done because military pay is shite, and many of those deployed still have rent, mortgages, and bills to pay, along with spouses and children to feed. Other employers do "partial pays". When my brother-in-law was in Iraq, his employer not only held his job for him for two years, they paid a $1000 a month "deployment salary" to him and everyone else deployed. It's not a huge amount of money, but it helped to close the gap between his regular pay and what the military paid him. Without that extra check, my sister and niece would have been ruined financially.