'Bizarre set of facts': Former Scituate school official arraigned

BROCKTON – A former Scituate School Committee member has pleaded innocent to stealing money from a relative, who doesn't want him prosecuted.

Michael Long was arrested by Scituate police in February on charges he stole about $30,000 from his wife’s 77-year-old great-aunt over a nine-month period in 2022 and early 2023. He was indicted on charges of larceny from a person over 65, forgery and credit card fraud.

The great-aunt arrived at the arraignment with Long.

Brockton Superior Court Judge William F. Sullivan rejected the prosecution’s request for $1,000 bail out of concern that Long would pay it with the great-aunt's money.

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“To ask her basically to fund his bail is madness, so I’m not going to do that,” Sullivan said.

“Right now, they’re living in the same household, the victim’s house that she allows him to live in rent-free,” Sullivan said. “Wow. … There are many situations like this where I would hold him on a high bail, but I don’t want to take that out of the victim’s pocket, as it was alleged in this case.”

Sullivan released Long on personal recognizance.

Assistant District Attorney Alex Zane acknowledged the great-aunt's anger toward the district attorney’s office for prosecuting the case.

“We don’t require her cooperation,” Zane said, but he assured Sullivan that he wouldn’t require her to testify against her will.

“It’s a bizarre set of facts,” Zane said. “The defendant’s behavior is problematic aside from the facts (of the alleged thefts).”

Zane said Long used the great-aunt’s debit card to pay off loans and for personal expenses such as car repairs, a family vacation and dental work. As Long witnessed the anxiety his thefts were causing the great-aunt, who grew fearful of using ATMs, he pretended to help her recover the lost money, Zane said.

“This is cruel,” Sullivan said of the allegations. “It’s selfish. It’s ungrateful. And now to hide behind this woman wanting not to prosecute.”

When Long was originally arraigned in Hingham District Court, he was released on the condition that he stay away from the great-aunt. However, because Long and his family live with the great-aunt in her Scituate home, Zane said she became so distraught that the order would split up the family that she left her own home and moved to New York.

Zane said the condition was amended to provide relief to the great-aunt, who was moving back and forth between New York and Scituate.

Sullivan decided not to impose a no-contact order so as not to heighten the great-aunt’s anxiety about her great-niece’s children.

Defense attorney John McLaughlin said Long has no criminal record and noted the great-aunt's presence in support of the defendant.

The next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 6.

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Reach Peter Blandino at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Former Scituate School Committee member arraigned on larceny charges