HAMILTON — Hamilton residents have been chafing at the prospect of police Chief Walter Cullen collecting a pension as a Christmas present. Well, he's not going to.

The Essex Regional Retirement Board said yesterday it is withholding consideration of Cullen's retirement request, "pending the outcome of the present criminal investigation and any ensuing court action," according to a letter to the chief the board made public yesterday.

The embattled Cullen, who turns 64 this month, originally announced his intention to retire in February, but recently moved the date up to Dec. 31.

According to a calculator on the retirement board's Web site, Cullen stands to collect about $81,000 a year if his pension is approved. He has served on the department since 1968, and his base salary last year was $102,633.

Various law enforcement agencies are looking into allegations that Cullen and Hamilton police Sgt. Donald Dupray falsified invoices for computer equipment paid for with a state grant. Only some of the gear was ever bought, and even that didn't happen until an independent investigator began probing recently.

The alleged fraud occurred six years ago.

Cullen and Dupray were placed on paid administrative leave on Friday, after the investigator issued his report.

Cullen, along with 18 other members of his force, was also recently accused by a state board of falsifying medical training records to maintain his EMT certification. Cullen and nine other officers, plus four Danvers officers accused of the same thing, had their EMT certifications stripped for a year and could face further legal sanctions.

The letter to Cullen states that Massachusetts laws allow the retirement board to deny a pension to anyone found guilty of a crime committed in connection with their job.

A call to Cullen's home for comment was not returned.