Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
The president of a volunteer fire company in Ohio has been arrested and accused of stealing as much as $1.5 million from his department.
Adam L. Siddle, who served as president of the Washington Township Fire Department, was indicted last week by a Muskingum County grand jury on 16 theft-related charges related. Police believe the funds were stolen over a five year period from April 19, 2009 and Sept. 29, 2014.
Siddle stands accused of:
- two counts of theft, second-degree felonies,
- nine counts of telecommunications fraud, second-degree felonies,
- one count of money laundering, a third-degree felony,
- one count of forgery, a fourth-degree felony, and
- three counts of forgery, fifth-degree felonies.
Police are not disclosing the details of how the thefts were perpetrated but the indictment indicated that over $60,000 worth of the funds were written on fire department checks that Siddle forged to his business, Siddle Transport Inc.
Siddle was also an assistant chief with Washington Township and had joined the department in 2004. The Times Recorder reports that Siddle remains in custody, unable to make $500,000 bond.
More on the story, including video news coverage.
