A veteran Mobile police homicide detective has been indicted on federal tax charges, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office announced Monday.
Cpl. Donald Pears was relieved of duty Dec. 16 after a Mobile County grand jury returned an eight-count indictment presented by Attorney General Luther Strange’s Special Prosecutions Division. Pears, who has served the Mobile Police Department for more than 42 years, was reassigned to administrative duties pending an internal affairs investigation.
The indictment accuses Pears of four counts of willfully attempting to evade or defeat taxes and four counts of willful fraud and false statements. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $100,000 fine on each tax-evasion count, and up to three years and a $100,000 fine on each false-return count.
The Police Department said it is also reviewing separate allegations tied to spending on trips taken by its Police Explorers program, as well as an inquiry into Third Precinct Commander Carla Longmire over an alleged on-duty relationship with a subordinate officer.
Strange commended Assistant Attorney General Bill Lisenby and thanked Alabama Revenue Commissioner Julie P. Magee, Assistant Attorney General and Assistant Counsel Glen Powers, and agents of the Alabama Department of Revenue for their work on the case. The Attorney General’s Office said it would release no further information at this time.