ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (Tribune News Service) — The vice president of a nonprofit that raises money to provide service dogs to military veterans has been charged with stealing from the organization after authorities say he embezzled more than $36,000 to pay personal debts.

Brett Aaron Leary, vice president of the Des Peres-based Gateway Warrior Foundation, was charged Dec. 21 in St. Louis County Circuit Court with a felony count of stealing.

Leary, 42, of Eureka, admitted to taking money from the nonprofit from March through October, according to charging documents. He tried to repay the organization, but his $36,000 check bounced.

Leary’s father, Denny Leary, was the longtime president of the foundation. He resigned after his son was charged.

Neither Brett Leary nor his father could be reached for comment on Friday. An attorney for Leary was not listed in court documents.

The nonprofit said in a written statement that the board of directors immediately reported the theft to the police and cooperated fully with the investigation.

The board was “deeply saddened” by Leary’s actions and “thankful for the thoughtful and thorough investigation by law enforcement,” the organization said.

“We remain committed to helping Veterans recover from the wounds they received while serving our nation.”

The Gateway Warrior Foundation was founded in 2010 by Master Gunnery Sgt. Leonard “Lennie” P. Miller, a veteran of the Marine Corps and Vietnam War. Miller died in 2014. A relative of Miller said Friday the family has not been involved with the foundation since then.

The nonprofit had about $25,700 in assets in 2021 when it last reported a tax filing. It previously reported raising between $100,000 to $200,000 each year in donations — and spending nearly that much in expenses, including grants to other veterans’ support nonprofits that provide counseling, job training, rehabilitation and other services.

Leary, who was described in charging documents as the son of one of the nonprofit’s co-founders, was named vice president earlier this year. He was previously the organization’s secretary for about six years, according to state records.

Soon after Leary became vice president, the foundation closed its previous bank account and opened a new one with Leary as the account’s sole administrator, according to charging documents. As part of the move, Leary was given a debit card and checks for the bank account.

Months later, the foundation’s treasurer requested bank statements and saw that Leary had written multiple checks to himself totaling “several thousand dollars,” without listing a reason for the expenses, according to charging documents. The treasurer was not named in the probable cause statement.

Leary later admitted to the nonprofit’s board that he stole from the foundation to pay off loans and debts from his credit card, according to charging documents.

Leary wrote a check to the foundation for $36,716.44 to try to pay back the money he stole, but a bank denied the transaction because Leary didn’t have enough money to see it through, according to charging documents. Leary eventually turned himself in to police, but insisted he had paid back all the stolen money.

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