California Union Treasurer Charged With Embezzlement of $63k
A career fire captain with the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District in Sonoma County, California has been charged with stealing more than $63,000 from the firefighters’ union. Michael Bechtold, 39, was arrested last Wednesday on charges of embezzlement.
Bechtold was the treasurer of the Rancho Adobe Firefighters Association, from whom the funds were stolen. Sheriff’s investigators claim he used the money on season tickets for the San Jose Sharks and a trip to Disney Land.
If you have been following this blog for a while, you no doubt realize the fire service is having a serious problem with theft in the volunteer service. Consider this story. We are not talking about theft from the homes and businesses of citizens we serve – but rather we are talking about the embezzlement of large sums of money from volunteer fire organizations.
The Rancho Adobe case is a reminder that the embezzlement problem is in no way limited to the volunteer service. However, the root cause is probably the same: the trust we put in a brother or sister firefighter. In the immortal words of President Ronald Reagan: “Trust, but verify”.
