Marion Town Clerk Ray Pickles One of two Men Indicted for Larceny against Regional Refuse Disposal District

MARION — Town Administrator Paul Dawson reports that the sitting Marion town clerk and another man have been indicted by a statewide grand jury for allegedly stealing funds from the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District.

In a statement earlier today, the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General announce indictments against Town Clerk Ray Pickles and Robert Tinkham, age 57, of Carver, two former top officials in the Disposal District. The indictment accuses Pickles of stealing more than $610,000 from the district over six years and Tinkham of stealing more than $65,000.

The investigation was conducted by the Inspector General, the Marion Police Department and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and all three towns cooperated fully in the investigation.

Pickles was removed from his position in the Refuse District in January 2018 after the alleged theft of funds was brought to light.

“The accusations constitute a staggering abuse of the public trust, and we are grateful to the Marion Police Department, the Inspector General’s Office, and Attorney General Maura Healey’s office for their diligence in bringing out the details of these alleged thefts,” Town Administrator Dawson said.

Pickles holds an elected position as Town Clerk through 2020, and the Town of Marion has no process for recalling elected officials, having defeated a warrant item to add such a process at a previous town meeting. The Town of Marion is weighing its legal options at this time.

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