Northpinellas: Pinellas digest

LARGO -- Police have charged a Largo man with impersonating an elderly man's nephew so he could receive his Social Security checks. Edward W. Varin, 42, was charged this week with elderly exploitation. Police said his victim is a 74-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease. Police began investigating Varin this week after a woman reported her rings were stolen from her home. She thought Varin might be responsible. She also told police that Varin had told her he had pretended to be the elderly man's nephew at the Social Security office. Police said they learned that Varin and the victim went to the Social Security office together on April 5, and that Varin said he was the man's nephew. Police don't believe Varin received any money. Varin and the victim met in a bar about 10 years ago and became friends. Varin then moved in with the man, police said.

Fifth-grader charged with felonies

EAST LAKE -- A fifth-grader at Brooker Creek Elementary School was arrested and suspended this week after threatening a fellow student with a pocket tool that contained three knife blades, according to arrest reports. The 11-year-old boy, whose name is withheld here because of his age, brought the tool to school, pulled it out of his pocket Wednesday morning and told another child, "Don't make me use this," a Pinellas County school district campus police investigator wrote in a report. The boy was charged with two felonies -- having a weapon on school grounds and aggravated assault. He was suspended for five days, school district officials said Friday.

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