Overview
- A Somerville firefighter, Robert Whelan, pleaded not guilty Monday in Somerville District Court to charges including larceny by false pretense, forgery, and uttering a false instrument.
- Authorities accuse Whelan of collecting more than $14,000 from roughly 30 buyers who paid for FIFA World Cup tickets that never arrived.
- Investigators say Whelan used forged confirmations featuring New England Patriots and Ticketmaster branding and circulated a fabricated pension email claiming a $157,000 withdrawal to reassure victims.
- Some buyers reported the losses to the FBI and local police, and the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office has an active criminal investigation into the scheme.
- Whelan’s lawyer says he acted only as an intermediary and blames a ticket broker while the City of Somerville has placed him on paid administrative leave and a judge released him on $250 cash bail with a return date in September.