Thinking about ditching work for a late-year vacation? If you're a soldier or a cop, think again.
If you're both, think some more.
Police in Stamford, Connecticut, on Tuesday arrested Donald Chen on a larceny charge after the then-police officer allegedly took two weeks off in early December to attend Army Reserve training but went on a Hawaiian vacation instead.
Chen requested the time off in October, according to a news release from the Stamford Police Department, and received it with full pay, per department policy. He'd been gone about a week on Dec. 8 when the Army asked his employer for help finding him.
Police initiated a missing person investigation but were tipped that Chen was taking a vacation. He initially denied it, saying he was in Taiwan with a family medical emergency, but later admitted he was in Hawaii, according to the release.
The department suspended Chen without pay Dec. 11 for abusing the military leave policy. He resigned Dec. 14 after joining the force in April 2014.
Details on his military service weren't immediately available.
Chen's actions allegedly cost the department more than $2,000, the release said. He faces first-degree larceny charges, with a court date set for Jan. 11.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
