Boston Firefighter Acquitted In Pension Fraud Case

A Boston firefighter charged with faking injuries to collect a disability pension was acquitted Friday.

The acquittal in the case of district fire Chief James Famolare comes without any input from a jury. The judge in the case says there are serious flaws with the Boston disability pension system.

But the judge ordered an acquittal, ruling the government failed to prove Famolare faked any injuries to take a disability retirement.

Defense lawyer Tom Drechsler says he's glad the judge believes Famolare did nothing wrong.

"He applied for pension benefits that doctors found that he was entitled to," Drechsler said. "He was simply following the law and system as it existed. My client and his family are very happy."

This is the second acquittal this year of a Boston firefighter charged with pension fraud. A federal jury found former firefighter and bodybuilder Albert Arroyo not guilty in august.