NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city's former veterans services administrative assistant was arraigned Friday on larceny charges related to the theft of gift cards donated for local veterans.

 

Tina Samson, 65, pleaded not guilty, was released on personal recognizance and given a pretrial hearing date of Sept. 4.

 

According to a report by Police Detective Matthew Meranti, city officials became suspicious when they learned that Samson had been stopped in Walmart for allegedly trying to shoplift about $200 worth of merchandise. According to the police report, Samson told the store management she worked in Veteran Services and was taking items to support them. Walmart trespassed her from the property but did not press charges.

 

The report does not indicate when the Walmart incident happened but notes that Samson was first queried about the gift cards in October.

 

According to the report, city officials noticed discrepancies in accounting for gift cards donated to or purchased for the Veterans Service Office and contacted Walmart Asset Protection was contacted about four e-gift cards totaling $575 mailed to Samson's city account last year.

 

The cards were loaded into Samson's personal Walmart account, according to the police, and used for clothing, groceries and cash. In one instance, clothing ordered online was shipped to Samson's home address.

 

The police investigation was launched Jan. 13 into the Veterans Services Office, where Samson had worked for 12 years before retiring in December, and a search warrant was issued for her Walmart account connected to her personal email.

 

In investigating other donations, the detective found five gift cards purchased at Walmart totaling $804.82, including activation fees. These were purportedly for donations to Remedy Hall in Williamstown, the Carlson family and the veterans' annual lunch. Remedy Hall reported it did not receive a donation from the office in 2025.

 

Six individuals were to have received $50 gift cards, according to Veterans Services' records; when contacted, they told Meranti they had not received any gift cards.

 

The office's records showed the purchases of a $250 debit card and a $150 gift card for a North Adams resident on March 18, 2025; that person died on April 25, 2025. The gift card was used on March 29 and the balance loaded onto Samson's online account on March 31, according to police. Two items — a men's pair of pants and a ring — were purchased using the card and delivered to the home Samson shares with her husband.

 

Samson was interviewed by police on April 15 and told them she would use donated cash or city-issued checks to buy gift cards for veterans, which were then given to the veterans agent. They would be doled out as needed but kept under the agent's control, she said.

 

She could not give police details about who got the gift cards and said no ledger was kept to record cards being purchased or distributed. (Reportedly this has since changed.) At times, she told police, she would use the cards to purchase items for veterans and have them sent to her address because deliveries to City Hall had gone missing.

 

According to police, she did state there may have been a mix-up between veterans' gift cards and ones her husband gave her that were used for her hairdresser. Meranti said investigators didn't disclose the amount of the card but Samson identified it as the "$100 card." She then allegedly admitted to using gift cards twice at the hairdresser during the pandemic.

 

At a second interview on May 22, Samson was informed she would be charged with larceny over $1,200 and was read her Miranda rights. She asked for a lawyer at that point.

 

If found guilty, she faces up to five years in prison or up to two years and jail and not more than $25,000 in fines. 

 

Meranti states in the report that he has requested more information from Walmart and refers to other cards.

 

"Based on still being early in the investigation and not having the full information back from Walmart at this point, there may be further fraudulent activity uncovered," he wrote.