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Former Police Chief Charged with Stealing $33,000 from Charity

3/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

Woodrow "Peewee" Wilson Burkhalter, the former police chief of Pearson, Georgia, managed the Atkinson County Christmas Fund, intended to provide gifts for underprivileged children, and faces 28 theft counts for allegedly stealing over $33,000 from 2019 to 2025.
Angela faces two theft counts related to the same scheme.
Both were arrested and booked in Atkinson County Jail, and Pearson Mayor Jason Joyner expressed heartbreak while calling for transparency and community support.

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Story summary

Woodrow "Peewee" Wilson Burkhalter, the former police chief of Pearson, Georgia, managed the Atkinson County Christmas Fund, intended to provide gifts for underprivileged children, and faces 28 theft counts for allegedly stealing over $33,000 from 2019 to 2025.
Angela faces two theft counts related to the same scheme.
Both were arrested and booked in Atkinson County Jail, and Pearson Mayor Jason Joyner expressed heartbreak while calling for transparency and community support.