Seaford man arrested for impersonating veteran

BLADES, Del. – Delaware State Police arrested a Seaford man Tuesday evening after learning that he had impersonated a vet in order to solicit donations.

At around 5:30 p.m., troopers were called to the 100 block of Meadows Drive in Blades for a report of a suspicious person going door to door soliciting money. It was learned that the suspicious person, identified as 44-year-old Rodney Hearn, made contact with five residents, telling them that he was a Marine Veteran with multiple sclerosis and affiliated with the local VFW. He reportedly told the residents that he was soliciting donations for an alleged Valentine’s Day 5k for M.S. He received several monetary donations and provided the victims with a handwritten receipt.

After seeing Hearn in the neighborhood, a trooper made contact with him, and learned through a computer inquiry that he had an active warrant for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was arrested and found to be in possession of a receipt booklet and drug paraphernalia.

All of the money that Hearn collected was returned to the victims.

Hearn was charged with four counts of theft by false pretense where the victim is 62 years or older, five counts of criminal impersonation by pretending to represent some person or organization, theft by false pretense, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was later released on his own recognizance.