Maine Chief Remains in Office Despite Admitting to Theft
A fire chief who has been charged with stealing from a fire department account will be keeping his position for the time being. George Russell, the fire chief in Thorndike, has been charged with stealing $5,100 from the Thorndike firemen’s account.
Chief Russell, 27, was charged on May 21, 2015 with theft by deception by Maine State Police. According to the Free Press, Thorndike Selectman Jim Bennett met with Chief Russell about the charges, where he admitted to the theft and agreed to repay the money.
The funds were reportedly taken from a “firemen’s account” that is separate from the town and funded by the membership through fund-raising.
According to the Free Press, this is not the first time Chief Russell has been accused of stealing from a fire department. He reportedly has two theft convictions dating back to 2007, one for taking a radio from the Frankfort Fire Department and another related to forging checks. Chief Russell reportedly returned the radio, made restitution for the forged checks, and served a combined total of nine days in jail.
According to Selectman Bennett, “I asked him if he would step aside as fire chief until the matter was settled. I thought it would be better for everybody if he did. He said no.” Bennett said the fire department voted to keep him despite the theft charges.
More on the story from the Free Press, which goes on to discuss the connection of the case to the shortage of volunteer firefighters.
I live about 30 miles from Thorndike, which is a fairly rural community. Yes, we have a critical shortage of volunteer firefighters AND EMS staff — to the extent that one of our local auto dealers, Adam Lee of Lee Auto Mall, has donated about HALF his TV advertising time to working with the Maine State Federation of Firefighters to recruit volunteers — but we really don’t need a convicted thief on the FD, no matter how short-handed we are.
I’m sure the Chief is “hail fellow, well met,” but no matter how nice he is, no matter how much he has done for the department and community, he is putting his department and town at risk. What happens after the next house fire, when the homeowner reports thousands of dollars in cash missing? Who’s going to get blamed? And will anyone believe his “yeah, I did it before, but I didn’t do it this time”?
Sorry, I live right across the street from the Thorndike Fire Dept. I help to raise funds for them through an active auxiliary. Yes, George screwed up big time, but he has the support of his fellow volunteers. He has already paid back half. Several people are mentoring him, because maybe he didn’t have that growing up. Btw, IF you believe the poorly written and researched article in the Free Press, then there is nothing I can do for you. The whole company is backing Russell against this vendetta for good reasons.
If he took money to which he was not entitled, how is that a vendetta? How much do you want to bet that, probably, 99% of that department would condemn that kind of theft if it occurred in some inner city, and would think a jail sentence is appropriate? I applaud your progressive thinking, though; that, lack of proper mentorship as a child should allow low grade felons to avoid jail.
It’s not so much that I believe the news story, as I believe the TWO prior convictions.
If there are good reasons for this alleged theft, how about sharing them?
Or are the “good reasons” that he’s a good Mainer who just had some bad luck getting caught?
Actually, it was ONE prior conviction, and if you look into it, you’ll see that charges were dropped. I don’t know what makes kids do what they do. I don’t know why people have kids they can’t afford or are incapable of bringing up. I have ridden his ass through this – the meanest member of the group who is trying to work with him. Rural Maine kids with marginal upbringing and education are hampered by circumstance. I will just say that the entire fire department is backing him, working with him and trying to set him straight. And the b__tard selectman who publicized this is where he belongs now.
Okay, since you’re closer to the situation, and seem to have known him quite a while, I will believe your assessment of him.