Ex-police chief, wife accused of pocketing $33K from Christmas gift fund for impoverished kids
A shocking betrayal has rocked Pearson, Georgia, as a local police chief and his wife are accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a charity meant for needy children.
Woodrow “Peewee” Wilson Burkhalter, 55, along with his wife Angela, 53, allegedly misappropriated roughly $33,000 annually from the Atkinson County Christmas Fund between 2019 and 2025, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The fund’s purpose is to provide holiday gifts for children who might otherwise go without.
Burkhalter held the position of Pearson’s police chief from 2020 until 2024 and was also entrusted with managing the Christmas fund. Authorities say the couple took advantage of their positions for personal gain.
The legal repercussions are significant: Burkhalter faces 28 counts of theft by conversion, while Angela Burkhalter is charged with one count of party to the crime by theft by taking and one count of party to the crime of theft by conversion.
Mayor Jason Joyner described the alleged theft as a devastating blow to the community. “It’s heartbreaking to learn that money meant for our children at Christmas never reached them,” he said. Joyner emphasized that the city would remain committed to transparency and doing right by its residents.
The controversy comes amid a series of other local legal issues. In January, Pearson’s deputy city clerk, who is also the daughter of a city council member, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. The previous year, she had reportedly fired a gun at a vehicle containing her child and the child’s father.
In 2025, a prior Pearson mayor and the former city clerk were arrested as part of a long-running Georgia Bureau of Investigation corruption probe, highlighting ongoing struggles with official misconduct in the town.
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