The former fire chief in Trussville, Alabama has been arrested and charged with two counts of first degree auto theft and sale, and three counts of ethics violations. Chief Russell Ledbetter was reportedly arrested, processed and released on bond yesterday.
As Trussville’s Fire Chief, Ledbetter oversaw Trussville’s independent volunteer fire department. In September of 2016, the city placed him on administrative leave while asking the Alabama Ethics Commission to investigate fire department spending.
In September, 2017, Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat announced that the investigation had been turned over to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and that the city had taken over the volunteer department. Here is news coverage of that press conference:
Chief Ledbetter opted to retire in February, 2017. More on the story.
