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Promotional Opportunities in Texas

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"Moving Out So That Others Can Move Up …"

THE FIRE CHIEF OF KATY (Texas) FIRE DEPARTMENT Marc Jordan, 58, was indicted yesterday (Tuesday) by a Harris County Grand Jury on felony charges of diversion of a controlled substance and tampering with a government record.

KTRK-TV

This results from an investigation triggered by anonymous tips and conducted by several law enforcement agencis.  Specifically, Jordan is accused of stealing several vials of valium from a department ambulance and injecting them in his cousin's ex-wife to alleviate a severe back pain before her surgery.  In an attempt to cover up the crime, he fabricated a memo describing an accidental destruction of the vials.

KUHF-FM radio reports:

Sara Marie Kinney with the Harris County DA's office says the incident reportedly happened in January.

"We received at the DA's office, and some other law enforcement agencies received anonymous tips from several sources. And the tampering charge comes from his cover-up into how those were taken. It's a very well-documented process for any type of controlled substance to be taken out of an ambulance."

Jordan became the director of Katy's emergency medical services in 2002. He became fire chief in 2005.

When the DEA began looking into the missing drugs, Jordan prepared a bogus memo that read:  "On January 11, 2013, I inadvertently dropped a box of Diazapam(sic). In an effort to catch the box I jammed [it] between my leg and the refrigerator stand breaking the…cartridges. I disposed of the broken cartridges in the sharps container on the lead medic unit."

KTRK-TV filed this video report:

 

Jordan has been suspended and Assistant Chief Warner Preston has been named acting fire chief to fulfill the functions of the office during the interim.

KTRK-TV has the full STORY.
Katy Fire Department WEBSITE.

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Promotional Opportunities – Another Treasurer Goes Dipping

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"Moving Out So That Others Can Move Up …."

THE NOW-FORMER TREASURER of the Hershey (Pennsylvania) Volunteer Fire Department was arrested today (Friday) and charged with stealing over $128,000 from the department.

Thaddeus Lee Austin, 30, began his life of crime in January 2012 immediately after taking office and continued until March of this year when his activities were exposed.

The Derry Township Police issued the following statement this morning:  On March 6, 2013, a member of the Hershey Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD) contacted the Derry Township Police Department to report a theft of funds from the organization’s financial accounts.

Bank investigators alerted the HVFD President in March that unusual activity with the Fire Department’s accounts was detected. The president then immediately confronted the department treasurer about the activity and also notified police.

A subsequent forensic audit of the accounts revealed that department treasurer THADDEUS LEE AUSTIN, age 30 of Hershey, began extracting funds for personal use shortly after being elected to the treasurer position in January 2012. Evidence suggests that AUSTIN wrote organization checks to himself as well as opened a personal debit card account and also manipulated services for personal benefit from department vendors. It was also determined that AUSTIN satisfied several personal debts and opened new credit accounts for himself during this period.

The loss totals $129,863.67.

The bank reports that written notification of the suspicious activity was previously sent to the fire department prior to March; however, it was determined that AUSTIN received and concealed these notifications from organization leaders.

The Patriot-News adds:

Hershey Volunteer Fire Company President Dave Stough said after Austin was confronted about the allegations he resigned and then the next day was expelled from the fire company.

Stough said the board of supervisors also was notified.

"We would like to ensure the public that we have taken steps to secure our finances, and have implemented, and will continue to implement, more stringent financial controls. In the past, we have been a close-knit organization and extended trust to our officers as our brothers.

"We are fully insured for this loss, and will be working with our carrier to recover the missing sums in the near-term. We thank the community for their continued support or our operations and fund raising efforts."

AUSTIN was arraigned before District Justice Dominic Pelino on May 10th, 2013 having been charged by the Derry Township Police Criminal Investigation Unit with Theft by Deception and Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition of Funds Received. He was remanded to Dauphin County Prison upon failing to post the $60,000 bail levied on him.

Hershey Fire Department WEBSITE.

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Arrest Made In 5-Yr.-Old Arson

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Insurance Fraud Charged

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA, FIRE MARSHAL'S office has arrested a couple and charged them with setting their house on fire in June, 2008.

In a press release issued Monday, the Fire & Rescue Department announced:

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department fire investigators charged German Balladares, 56, and Sandra Balladares, 41, of Springfield, Virginia, Friday, April 19, 2013, with intentionally setting a house fire that occurred in the Springfield area in 2008. Both have been charged with Virginia Code 18.2-77, burning or destroying a house or dwelling; and 18.2-80, with intent to defraud an insurance company or other person.

The fire occurred at approximately 12:20 p.m., June 7, 2008, at 7209 Neuman Street. Damage to the single family home was estimated at $75,000.

One firefighter was transported to INOVA Fairfax Hospital with a non-life threatening injury.

The fire marshal did not say what evidence had been obtained that led to the delayed charges.

This Google satellite view of the property shows a completely cleared lot now:

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Fatal Fire Setters Sentenced

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Justice Dole Out For Killers

A BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, MAN was sentenced yesterday to 25-years-to-life in prison for setting a fire in his apartment building that killed five residents.

NY Daily News / Marino

NY1 reports that Daniel Ignacio, 31, was convicted last month on multiple counts, including second-degree murder and arson. Ignacio was apparently drunk in January 2010 when he doused a roll of toilet paper with paint thinner and lit it near the front entrance of his Bensonhurst apartment building. Five of his neighbors died in the fire.

The New York Times describes the act:

Mr. Ignacio, who lived on the second floor, arrived home in the early hours of Jan. 30, 2010, according to evidence presented at trial. Prosecutors showed surveillance video of him pacing in front of the building moments before the fire started.

In the video, Mr. Ignacio can be seen with a white tissue in his hand before ducking into the building. The prosecution said he doused the tissue in paint thinner, ignited it and tossed it in a baby stroller that was in the entryway.

The surveillance video showed smoke billowing from the windows minutes later, and then people pouring out of the building.

Ignacio was heavily drunk at the time and claims that he still does not remember doing the deed.  Investigators concluded that the fatalities were partially the result of inadequate exits from the building that had been illegally subdivided into sub-standard living units.

The owners of the building are currently facing manslaughter charges for their illegal constructions.

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IN DERBYSHIRE, ENGLAND, Mick Philpott, 56, was sentenced to life in prison for starting the fire that killed his six children resulting from a convoluted plot to frame his ex-girlfriend for arson.

His wife Mairead, 32, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for conspiring with her husband and their friend Paul Mosley, 46, who joined the pair in sexual encounters and helped start the blaze in which the children perished, was also jailed for 17 years.

The Guardian reports:

The Crown alleged the fire was started with Philpott as the prime organiser in a plan to frame his former lover, Lisa Willis, who had walked out with their four children three months earlier.

Philpott had lived in the property with Willis and Mairead, who was the mother of the six children who were killed. He had sexual relationships with both women, alternating between the two. But Willis – who said she was kept a virtual prisoner by Philpott – walked out on him, taking her five children with her in February last year. She had one child from a previous relationship.

The fire at the council house in Victory Road took place hours before Philpott was due to face Willis in court for a custody hearing. The jury heard how Philpott had spread rumours after Willis left that she wanted to firebomb the house, all part of his attempt to frame her for the fire.

The plan was for Philpott to rescue his children and for Willis to be prosecuted for arson, the court heard. But it went horribly wrong when the blaze took hold fast. The adults escaped the house but the six children died as they slept.

All of the news reports pointed out that the trio never displayed any remorse over the horrible deaths of their children throughout the trial and sentencing.

The crime has started a political firestorm in UK because of Philpott's lifestyle and actions, primarily fathering 14 children without ever holding a job.  All of his bizarre activities as well as his housing and subsistance were supported by welfare payments without any restriction on how they were earned or used.

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Arrests Made in Virginia Eastern Shore Arsons

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Major Breakthrough Monday Night
3:30 Press Conference Tuesday

A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN THE four-month arson spree in Accomack County, Virginia, was made Monday night when a police surveillance team camera recorded a woman letting a man out of her car in front of a vacant building.  She drove off and then returned in a few minutes and picked him back up just as a fire was starting inside the building.

Moments after they left the scene they were pulled over in a traffic stop and arrested.

This morning they were identified as Charles R. Smith III, 38, who goes by the alias Charlie Applegate, a (former) volunteer firefighter and reportedly a captain in his department, along with his fiancee Tonya Bundick, 40.

Tonya Bundick

See the earlier Firegeezer postings on the arson spree HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Updates:  The following are being added as information is being made public at the Virginia State Police press briefing that began shortly after 3:30pm and being relayed by WTKR-TV:

* WTKR-TV reports Tonya Bundick actually 'was involved in more fires than just this one.

*  State police have received more than 1,200 tips related to these crimes. "We are confident that Bundick and Smith are responsible for the majority of the fires." –State Police.

*  Bundick and Smith have been charged with one count each of arson and one count of conspiracy to commit arson. State Police expect to file charges in the other arson cases soon.

*  Of the 79 arsons, there are a handful of fires that have been set for other motives that are not connected to Smith and Bundick.

*  Arrest warrants show that Charlie Smith/Applegate has admitted to a majority of the arsons since November and that Bundick helped him.

*  Smith was not a member of any fire department in the county while the arsons were set.

*  "This is the beginning of the end. We're shifting now to analysis of evidence" -VSP

Charlie Smith (Applegate) & Tonya Bundick
in happier times.  Facebook photo.

In an updated report, WTKR-TV is also reporting:

Smith’s aunt tells NewsChannel 3 the two live together (in Parksley) with Bundick’s two children from a previous relationship and planned to get married in May.

She says Applegate owns Charlie’s Auto Body off Daugherty Road in Tasley and is a former fire captain with the Tasley fire department. State police say Smith was not a member of any fire department during the times the fires were set.

Several of the fires were set on the same street as the couple’s home.

Bundick's home in Parksley where the couple live
with her two children.  (WAVY-TV photo)

Bundick and Smith are both being held in the Accomack County jail with no bond.

WVBT-TV has filed a video of this afternoon's press briefing:

 

VSP news conference on arson arrests

WTKR-TV has filed a recent video report with some background on the story:

 

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Another Dirty Treasurer Goes Down

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Couldn't Gamble Her Way Back

AMANDA STUMBRIS, 41, WAS SENTENCED Friday to serve 8 years in plus 12 years of extended supervision for embezzling more than $132,000 over a 3-year period from the Wausaukee (Wisconsin) Rescue Squad.

Amanda Stumbris  (WLUK-TV)

Stumbris was arrested this past September when she was found to have used a rescue squad debit card to make cash withdrawals. She also allegedly purchased satellite television services and movies. Investigators said that she also used the money to cover gambling expenses. Stumbris was also accused of writing and cashing payroll checks for amounts greater than what she was owed.

NBC26 filed this video report from the squad building last September:

 

(See WLUK-TV story of Sept. 18 HERE.)

On January 24th, as part of a plea bargain agreement, she entered guilty pleas to four felony counts of Theft from a Business Setting.

Yesterday's sentencing was documented by WLUK-TV HERE.

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Submarine Arsonist Sentenced

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17+ Years in Plea Bargain

THE CIVILIAN PAINTER WHO WAS charged and convicted for setting a costly fire on a dry-docked submarine last year was sentenced this morning (Friday) to 17 years and 1 month in prison plus $400 million in retribution.  The judged waived including interest in the fee and said that the arsonist could make monthly payments after he gets out of prison.

Casey Fury

Casey Fury, now 25, arrested for setting a fire inside the USS Miami submarine that was in drydock for an overhaul at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, last May.

The fire that was inside the living quarters of the boat caused over $400 million in damages and caused the Navy to consider whether to scrap the sub or repair it.  They later opted to repair it.

Fury was caught through a stroke of luck two months later in July when he was being questioned about another arson in the shipyard on June 16 that he later confessed to setting.  The questioning led to interrogating him about the sub fire the in May and he eventually admitted that he had set that one, too.  His motive for setting the sub fire was that he wanted to get off work early to go and confront his girlfriend who was seeing another man.

At his trial in November following a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to the two arsons.

For more details, see the Firegeezer reports on the USS Miami fire HERE, and the later report on Fury's arrest on July 23 HERE.

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Ambulance Crasher Gets 15 Years

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Plea Bargain Agreement

AN ILLINOIS WOMAN WHO was drunk when she crashed into an ambulance 16 months ago pleaded guilty in court Thursday to negotiated charges of Aggravated DUI.  In October 2010 she had driven her truck into the ambulance on a rural road near West Union, destroying the ambulance and killing EMT Richard Poorman along with her passenger Stephen Daugherty.

WTHI-TV

Dottie Bright, 39, was originally charged with Reckless Homicide and the three counts of Aggravated DUI, but reached the agreement before entering the court.  She was sentenced to 15 years in the state prison.

WTHI-TV posted this video report:

 

Woman sentenced for ambulance crash

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Firefighter Arrested on Multiple Arson Charges

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Son of the Assistant Fire Chief

BRETT GRAHAM, 19, OF STOREY, IOWA, is behind bars this weekend after being caught at the scene of barn fire near Kelley, Iowa.

Graham was already a suspect of several other arsons that have been committed in Boone and Story Counties over the past year.  A task force of state and local fire marshals and investigators has been working on the string of 20 -30 arsons and had narrowed their suspect list down to include Graham who is a volunteer firefighter.  The task force concentrated on following his movements and on Thursday night a witness saw him leaving the scene of a barn fire.

KCCI-TV is reporting:

He's been charged with three counts of second-degree arson in connection with fires at the ISU Golf Performance Center, the Uthe Party Barn and another rural barn.

State Fire Marshal Ray Reynolds said he also confessed to a Boone County fire that killed 12 horses on Jan. 28. Boone County officials confirmed Friday afternoon that Graham was also charged in connection with the horse barn fire.Graham is the son of Kelley's assistant fire chief, Reynolds said. However, Reynolds said, "The actions of one firefighter shouldn't reflect negatively on their community."

Reynolds said detectives have suspected Graham for some time. He said a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies on the state level, right down to the detective who left Valentine's Day dinner with his wife to question Graham, helped solve this case.

The Kelley Fire Department also cooperated with the task force in closing this case.

WHO-TV Ch. 13 posted this video report:

 

KCCI-TV has more plus additional video HERE.

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EMT Attacker Skates Out of Jail Term

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Plea Bargain Avoids Jail, Gets "Slap on Wrist"

MICHAEL JACCARINO, THE BOOZY BROOKLYN PROSECUTOR who nearly killed an FDNY EMT last November was sentenced to 10 grueling days of community service yesterday (Wednesday) after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor reckless assault charge for assaulting EMT Theresa Soler in the back of an ambulance while she was attempting to treat him.  At a pre-settled plea bargaining agreement, the sentencing hearing yesterday was perfunctory as the judge ordered Jaccarino to perform the community service, complete an alcohol program and submit a dna sample.

Michael Jaccarino at Wednesday's hearing
(New York Times / Watts photo)

Jaccarino, 30, gained notoriety in the fire/ems community after he was found wandering drunk and in a stuporous condition on the Brooklyn Bridge.  Firegeezer reported at the time:

The ambulance had been dispatched around 1 am for a "highly-intoxicated man" on the Brooklyn Bridge. The ambulance crew found Jaccarino weaving along the pedestrian walkway near the Manhattan side and stopped to talk to him. After getting his agreement to transport him to the hospital for care, they put him in the back of the ambulance where the EMT Teresa Charry-Soler, 46, secured him to the bench seat with the safety belt. The New York Times continues:

As the ambulance was taking Mr. Jaccarino to Beth Israel Medical Center, the police said, he began unstrapping a belt that secured him inside the vehicle. When an emergency medical technician tried to restrain him, a police spokesman said, he struck her "in the right side of the face." A moment later, the police spokesman added, "he holds her down by choking her."

The technician suffered bruises to her right cheek, right wrist and chest, the police said.

Mr. Jaccarino, 30, was charged with assault, criminal obstruction of breathing, menacing and harassment.

Read the entire Firegeezer report HERE.

EMT Soler suffered serious injury to her throat and at the time of the attack she genuinely thought she was going to be killed.  At yesterday's hearing an assistant district attorney explained the plea bargain to the judge.  The New York Times relates the exchange:

Mr. Jaccarino was initially charged with second-degree assault, a felony, but the assistant district attorney, Sherita Walton, told a judge in Manhattan Criminal Court that her office had decided to charge Mr. Jaccarino with reckless assault, a misdemeanor and allow him to resolve the case by pleading guilty to that charge rather than to a felony.

Mr. Jaccarino was so drunk, Ms. Walton told Judge Melissa A. Crane, that it would have been difficult to prove that he meant to assault Ms. Soler. She added that if Mr. Jaccarino’s "intoxication was of such an extent and nature to render him incapable of forming the particular criminal intent, then he would not be criminally responsible for committing this crime."

Jaccarino was immediately suspended without pay after his arrest and following yesterday's sentencing the D. A.'s office announced that he would be dismissed from his job.

WCBS-TV filed this video report from the courthouse:

 

Recommended reading:
New York Times
NY Daily News

Read earlier reports from Firegeezer HERE and HERE.

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Thieving Fire Chief Decides to Plead Guilty

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Putting an End To a Nasty Tenure

THE FORMER ST. CLAIR FIRE PROTECTION District Fire Chief, Eric Hinson, 43, pleaded guilty this morning (Wednesday) to one felony count of fraud and five felony counts of tax evasion.  The former volunteer chief and treasurer of the department was indicted January 9 on fraud and multiple tax evasion charges involving his alleged misuse of about $593,236 of district funds between January 2006 and September 2011.  (See the Firegeezer video report from January 10 HERE.) 

The indictment said that Hinson used the money for a variety of things including vacations in Hawaii and Florida, tickets to Six Flags, payments for a pick-up truck, and furniture at Macy’s.   "He took it for family vacations, luxury goods, credit card charges," said U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan. "Basically each year between $100,000 and $130,000 was taken from the fire district."

The Ladue-Frontenac Patch adds:

In order to conceal his scheme Hinson accessed the District's QuickBooks to alter reported general ledger activity by backdating certain of his fraudulent transactions and by changing the payee in order to manipulate the District's accounting records so as to hide the existence of his fraudulent transactions. Through his fraudulent conduct, Hinson obtained approximately $593,236 from the St. Clair Fire Protection District.

He had pleaded not guilty at last month's indictment, but decided to change his plea and was scheduled for today's hearing where he did so. When he is sentenced, Hinson could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the fraud charge. Each count of tax evasion carries a maximum penalty of five years and a fine of up to $100,000.

In addition to his volunteer duties, he was a full-time paid firefighter in the Ladue FD for 19 years and retired suddenly in September after learning of the IRS investigation of his finances.  For additional background on this case, see the Firegeezer video report on September 13 Two-Hatter Under Investigation HERE.

The Ladue-Frontenac Patch has more details HERE.

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Promotional Opportunities Update

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Former Fire Chief Plea Bargains From Felonies to Misdemeanors

THE FORMER COLORADO CITY, ARIZONA, FIRE CHIEF Jacob Barlow was sentenced Friday following a complicated plea-bargain settlement with the Mohave County Attorney's office.  Barlow was indicted along with the now-former town manager 18 months ago for misuse of public funds.  At the time, Firegeezer reported:

FIRE CHIEF JACOB BARLOW OF THE COLORADO CITY / HILDALE Fire Department in Arizona was arrested Tuesday on an indictment issued August 4 charging him with 27 counts of violating the duties as custodian of public funds, two counts of participating in a criminal syndicate and one count of assisting in a criminal syndicate. Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, are twin cities that straddle the border and are infamous for being the settlement for a religious cult that openly practices polygamy. The community has been in the news constantly over the past several years, most recently when the cult's leader, Warren Jeffs was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for child rape connected with the cult's practices.

Law officers from both states jointly raided the FD in 2011 after a lengthy investigation that began in 2010.  Read the full Firegeezer report HERE.

Fire Station 3  (News-Herald)

In Friday's court appearance Barlow pleaded guilty to reduced charges of "solicitation of misuse of public money" and conditional probation.  His co-hort in the crimes, former town manager David Darger who also served as the fire district's secretary/treasurer, is still bargaining with the prosecutor.

The Kingman (Arizona) Daily Miner reports today:

As part of the plea agreement, Barlow will be sentenced to probation and required to pay $5,000 to the Mohave County Attorney's Office and $2,000 to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office to cover the costs of the investigation and prosecution. Jail time remains a possibility as well.  All other charges against Barlow have been dismissed as part of the agreement.

If Barlow can successfully complete his probation, the two counts will be lowered to misdemeanors, but until then they will be considered felonies, said Mohave County Superior Court Judge Steven Conn.

If Barlow is unable to meet the terms of his probation, he could face two years apiece for the felony convictions.

Read the full story in The Daily Miner HERE.

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Arson Charges Against Ohio Firefighter

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Has Been a Volunteer FF For 12 Months

A LANCASTER, OHIO, VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER, Robert N. Steiner was indicted Thursday by a grand jury on several arson-related felonies.

Steiner, 35, is accused of setting a fire in a local restaurant on January 5 while it was occupied by staff and customers.  The Columbus Dispatch reports that Steiner is accused of starting a fire in a vent in the men’s room of the Fiesta Tropicana Restaurant at 1236 N. Memorial Drive.

The fire was reported at 7:52 p.m. and was minor, resulting in a lot of smoke, but it was a serious matter because customers and employees were inside the restaurant at the time, Lancaster Police Sgt. William C. Tolley said.

Steiner was charged with aggravated arson (a first-degree felony), tampering with evidence, attempt to commit tampering with evidence and two counts of vandalism.

According to Hocking Township Fire Chief Curtis Golden, Steiner has been a volunteer firefighter with the Hocking Township Fire Department since January of 2012.

Hocking Township Fire Department Facebook PAGE.

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Angry Medics Flock to Court Hearing for Attacker

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Is the District Attorney Protecting a Colleague?

MORE THAN TWO DOZEN angry New York City medics crowded into a tiny courtroom Tuesday when the man accused of viciously attacking one of their co-workers was arraigned.  The accused is a city assistant district attorney, Michael Jaccarino, 30.

The incident took place back in November and was covered by Firegeezer HERE, when Jaccarino who was excessively drunk, was picked up by an FDNY ambulance and during transport he violently attacked the female medic in the back of the ambulance, severely injuring her.  (Read the earlier report for the details of the attack.)

Jaccarino during November arrest
(NY Post / Farrington)

The New York Post reported on yesterday's hearing:

Some two dozen angry, uniformed emergency workers came to Manhattan Criminal Court this morning to support a female fellow worker who'd been repeatedly choked in an ambulance — allegedly by a drunken Brooklyn assistant district attorney.  The EMT workers — and the victim herself — said they were furious that Manhattan prosecutors have yet to seek a felony indictment against Michael Jaccarino, 30, who came to court today to learn his next court date, March 18.

"They told me basically that they can't prove intent because he was drunk," victim EMT Teresa Soler, 46, of Yonkers, told The Post after a sharply-suited Jaccarino left court without commenting to reporters.  "They say he can argue that he was so drunk, he didn't know what he was doing," she said. "I don't know what was on his mind, but when he was in the ambulance with me he flashed his ADA [Assistant District Attorney] badge," she said.

"In my opinion that means he knew what he was doing — and thought he was going to get a free pass."

DNAinfo reports that the victim, Soler said that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office told her that the felony charges against Jaccarino, 30, would likely not go before a grand jury because prosecutors did not believe that Jaccarino intended to harm her. (Read our report form November and judge for yourself.)

Jaccarino has been suspended from his job, but it hasn't been disclosed whether he continues to get paid or not.

DNAinfo has a good report on yesterday's activities and more background HERE.
Read the full article in yesterday's Post HERE.

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Another Pres. Uses the Wrong Credit Card

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And It's So Easy to Catch Them When They Do That

THE NOW-FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH SENECA Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Richard Heichel was arrested and charged with 15 counts of petit larceny for using squad credit cards to make purchases for his personal use.

Heichel, 44, was also charged by the Seneca County, New York, sheriff with grand larceny for stealing money generated from a fund-raiser for the ambulance company.  He has also been accused of withdrawing cash through an ATM from the squad's bank account.

He has been released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to return to court on January 15.

YNN Rochester had the early REPORT.

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Murder Indictments for Indy Bombers

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Insurance Fraud Probable Motive

THE THREE RESIDENTS OF THE HOUSE that blew up and destroyed an entire neighborhood in Indianapolis November 10, were arrested today (Friday) and charged with murder and felony arson.  The massive explosion immediately leveled four houses and killed a young couple who lived in the house next door.  A total of 33 houses were damaged beyond repair and are being demolished with total damages of $4.4 million.  See Firegeezer report from Nov. 11 HERE.

WTHR-TV

The Chicago Tribune and the AP reported:

Monserrate Shirley and Mark Leonard, who lived in the home that exploded, and Leonard's brother, Bob Leonard Jr., were charged on Thursday in connection with the explosion and arrested on Friday, authorities said.

The personal property insurance on the home had been raised recently to $304,000 and photographs and personal financial records removed before the explosion, prosecutors allege.

The three face murder charges in the deaths of neighbors Jennifer and John Longworth and multiple other charges for the injuries to 12 other area residents in the blast and for the 33 neighborhood homes that had to be demolished, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry told a news conference.

Investigators believe a programmable microwave that exploded from the inside out was the source of ignition and valves that regulate natural gas into the home and to a fireplace were removed, allowing gas to build up over hours, Curry said. Authorities told Fox 59 in Indianapolis that the home was filled with natural gas for six to eight hours prior to the explosion.

Attorney Randall Cables has said Shirley and Leonard were away at a southern Indiana casino when the explosion happened. Shirley's daughter was staying with a friend, and the family's cat was being boarded.

Curry also said that Shirley and Leonard attempted to cause damage to their home the weekend prior to the explosion but their attempt failed. Curry stated their actions the weekend before mirrored the actions taken the weekend of Nov. 10, including going to a casino for the night, boarding their pet cat and leaving their daughter at a babysitter’s house.

Authorities are still working to determine whether others were involved.

The three suspects are expected to appear in court Monday morning.

The prosecutor also said that he is considering asking for the death penalty with the charges.

Read the full article in the Chicago Tribune HERE.
WANE-TV has MORE.

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No Merit Raise This Year

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Stealing From Your Captain is Frowned Upon

AN ORANGE COUNTY (Calif.) FIRE AUTHORITY firefighter has been arrested on charges that he stole cash from his captain's wallet that was stored in a closet in the officer's bunk room.  Surveillance video taken from a hidden camera placed by the Irvine Police Department showed the firefighter dipping into the captain's wallet and on one occasion even removing it from the room and then returning it.

Scene of the crime:  Fire Station 38 – Irvine

The Orange County Register reports today:

Irvine Police detectives conducted surveillance in the case after the captain reported an "ongoing issue" of someone taking small denominations from his wallet over a period of one to one-and-a-half years. The incidents occurred when his wallet was in the closet of his non-shared bedroom at the station while he exercised, the captain said.

The suspect is Gregory Mark Konishi, 49, a Rancho Santa Margarita resident who has worked at Orange County Fire Authority for 25 years.

The District Attorney's office has received the case from Irvine Police but has not yet made a decision on whether to prosecute, spokeswoman Farrah Emami said Monday. She declined to comment further, citing department policy on cases without charges.

The arrest warrant was requested and issued Nov. 6 at Harbor Justice Center. Konishi was arrested Nov. 8 on suspicion of burglary. The bail amount stated in the records is $25,000, and Konishi is not listed as being in custody in the county jail's online database.

He remains on paid administrative leave pending the legal process as well as an internal investigation, Fire Authority spokesman Kris Concepcion said Monday. The internal investigation will take into account police and district Attorney's findings and decisions.

Captain Mark Ledford was provided with marked/recorded bills that were used to further implicate Konishi.

Read the full account in The OC Register HERE.

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Promotional Opportunities in Missouri

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Moving Out So That Others Can Move Up…

Two-Hatter Under Investigation

THE LADUE, MISSOURI, FIRE CHIEF, Eric Hinson resigned his position this past Friday after just over one year on the job.  Hinson, 43, had worked for the Ladue FD for 19 years and advised the city officials on August 24 that he intended to retire in two weeks (Sept. 7).  He gave no explanation or reason for his decision.

Eric Hinson

However, it was disclosed this past Tuesday that Hinson is under investigation for financial irregularities involving his volunteer career at the St. Clair Fire Protection District.  When he was promoted to Ladue Fire Chief, Hinson resigned from the St. Clair FPD where he had been a member for 25 years, most recently serving as Treasurer from April 1997 to January 2011.  Following his resignation as treasurer, the St. Clair FPD hired a private accounting firm to audit the financial records of the department.

The Missourian reports:

During the Sept. 28, 2011, fire board meeting, the directors again voted to go into executive session "to discuss personnel matters." When the meeting returned to open session, Berkel read Hinson's letter of resignation, which unanimously was accepted by the board.

In January of this year, St. Clair Police Chief Bill Hammack and Berkel both confirmed the investigation to The Missourian, but would provide little additional information, including the names of any individuals potentially involved. They did say the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were involved.

"We are going through and looking into irregularities in financials of the fire district," Berkel said in January. "These occurred from 2011 and before. We're going through some questionable transactions."

(This past Tuesday) a statement read by St. Clair Fire Protection District board of directors treasurer Dave Berkel has linked former Fire Chief Eric Hinson to the ongoing investigation into the local department's financial irregularities.

Berkel read the statement making the connection during a fire board meeting Tuesday night.

"We received a check from VFIS/Glatfelter Claim Service for $100,000, and it has been deposited in our account," Berkel said in reading the statement at St. Clair Fire House 1 on North Street. "This check is due to an ongoing investigation concerning Eric R. Hinson about his duties with the St. Clair Fire Protection District as board treasurer."

KMOV-TV Ch. 4 St. Louis filed this video report Wednesday:

 

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Ex-FF Arsonist Avoids Jail Time

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Sentence Suspended For Continued Counseling Program

TEN MONTHS AFTER HE PLEADED GUILTY to setting a fire in July 2010 in a Mechanic Falls, Maine, restaurant that caused $30,000 in damage, Joshua Michaud was sentenced Monday to a six-years in prison with all jail time suspended. In addition, Justice Robert Clifford sentenced Michaud to four years’ probation and ordered him to continue residential rehabilitation treatment at Second Nature in Utah, a wilderness therapy center where Michaud has been for over a year.  He was also ordered to pay $16,000 restitution. 

Michaud  (WMTW-TV)

Michaud was a volunteer member of the Minot Fire Department at the time and witnesses said that they saw Michaud near the restaurant dressed in his turnout gear before the fire alarm was sounded. After determining that the fire had been deliberately set, the fire marshal arrested him following an interview where Michaud admitted setting the fire.  See the Firegeezer reports HERE on the fire and HERE on his guilty plea in December.

The Bangor Daily News has the full story HERE.

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Pennsylvania Attorney General Goes After Officers of Defunct Volunteer Companies

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Adams County Miscreants Charged
For Continuing to Run Games of Chance.

THE PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S Charitable Trusts and Organization Section filed civil legal actions against several former officers and directors of three Adams County fire/rescue agencies that lost their certificates to operate in 2010.

Recent Gettysburg Times photo of the shuttered  fire station.

Legal Newsline is reporting:

Aspers Fire Company, Aspers Volunteer Ambulance Inc. and the Aspers Volunteer Firefighters' Relief Association, as well as their officers, allegedly mismanaged the organizations, redirected official funds for personal use and wasted charitable assets.

Also named as defendants are board members Clair Showers and Barry Shealer; membership secretary Joyce Kuntz; secretary Edward Kuntz; president and fire chief Donald Haines; president Sherrie Haines; treasurer George Acevedo; vice president and treasurer Alberta Alexander; and president, fire chief and EMS captain Lewis J. Alexander.

Aspers Ambulance and Aspers Fire Company were founded to provide basic life support and fire protection services to residents in north central Adams County. The companies lost the authorization of their sponsoring municipalities in April 2010 and stopped providing protective services.

Lewis Alexander and his associates allegedly diverted funds away from the purchase of a new fire truck, wasted charitable assets by paying and then abandoning a $10,000 down payment on a pump truck, applied for grant money to subsidize a personal boat, paid an individual's medical bills, signed at least 32 blank checks, co-mingled corporate assets and converted non-profit assets from the sale of an ambulance.

The officials also allegedly violated a cease and desist order issued by the Pennsylvania Secretary of State in August 2010 by continuing to operate raffles, bingo and other small games of chance and soliciting charitable contributions after the organization stopped providing services.

The citation is requiring a full accounting for all funds received and spent in the past three years and is seeking $1,000 fine for each violation of the cease and desist order.  The AG is also moving to abolish the corporate franchises and liquidating all assets of the three former emergency services.  Any equipment and vehicles will be disbursed among the surrounding fire and ambulance companies that have assumed coverage of the Aspers area.

WPMT-TV has MORE.

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Slain Fire Chief’s Widow Arraigned – Trial Date Set

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Pleads "Not Guilty"

REBECCA "BECKY" BRYAN WAS FORMALLY ARRAIGNED ON MURDER charges Tuesday, accused of killing her husband Fire Chief Keith Bryan last September 20.  The Nichols Hills, Oklahoma, fire chief was shot in his own home and Rebecca reported to the police that a man intruded into the house and said something about not being hired before killing him.

Her story quickly fell apart when detectives found the gun, ammunition and gloves inside the clothes dryer.  Several witness statements also refuted her story and she was arrested two days later and charged with first-degree murder.  Firegeezer reported on the crime and following activities at the time and you can read the story and following events HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.  She has been held without bail since then.

At yesterday's appearance Bryan, 53, pleaded not guilty to the charges.  The judge set a motion hearing for June 26 and ordered her to remain jailed.  He also set a tentative trial date for September 10.

The Oklahoman has this latest REPORT.

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Case Closed on Topless Coffee Shop Arson

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Thursday Sentencing Concludes the Case

RAYMOND BELLAVANCE, PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED for setting the fire that destroyed the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Vassalboro, Maine, was sentenced yesterday (Thursday) to serve 30 years in prison for the deed.  The Kennebec Journal is reporting this morning:

Justice Michaela Murphy imposed the maximum sentence in Kennebec County Superior Court on Thursday.

Raymond Bellavance, 51, listens to his
sentence being handed down.  (Kennebec Journal)

"In the view of this court, the defendant presents a profound threat to public safety and has demonstrated that on multiple occasions," said Murphy, who presided over the 10-day jury trial that resulted in Bellavance's conviction Dec. 30 on two counts of arson. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, but they will be served concurrently.

Acting District Attorney Alan Kelley characterized Bellavance as incorrigible and recommended the 30-year sentence. "He is a very bad man who committed a very bad crime completely in character with what he has been and done his entire life," Kelley said.

Bellavance set the fire on June 9, 2009, at the small-town business located in a former motel.  The coffee shop's owner and his family along with two others resided in the living spaces of the motel and had to flee for their lives from the fire.  Fortuitously, the fire was discovered by a passing ambulance crew that just happened to be going by on their way back from a call.

AP / Joel

Firegeezer covered this story from the beginning with a report on the FIRE HERE. This was followed by a report HERE on the re-opening of the business under a tent while the former motel dining room was being rebuilt.

Later in the following December it was announced that the fire was an arson and that a warrant was issued for Raymond Bellavance. But he immediately beat feet to South Carolina where the U. S. Marshals found him in May 2010 (see Firegeezer report HERE). After being extradited back to Maine he had been held without bail since then.

In the trial several witnesses said that Bellavance was always hanging around the shop vying for the favors of one of the waitresses who was a former girl friend of his. He became angry when she rebuffed him while she was having a sexual affair with the owner whose wife and another two girlfriends of his also lived there. It gets complicated.  The prosecution's key witness was a man who was with Bellavance that night and witnessed him setting the blaze.

WCSH-TV had a camera in the courtroom yesterday and filed this informative video report:

 

At his sentencing, Bellavance did not speak but did issue a written statement:

You can read the entire statement (.pdf) HERE.  Bellavance has a lengthy criminal record already.

Crabtree gave up trying to re-establish the business last year and sold the property while moving to another community in Maine.

Read the detailed report on yesterday's court activity in the Kennebec Journal HERE.

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Another Bent Treasurer Goes Down

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Easy Money Leads to Easy Arrest

THE FORMER CHIEF AND TREASURER OF A NEW JERSEY volunteer ambulance squad was arrested Monday and charged with hindering apprehension, third- and fourth-degree theft, witness tampering, obstruction and unsworn falsification. The case will be presented to a Burlington County grand jury for indictment.

James Daly, 42, was the Chief of the Beverly-Edgewater Park Emergency Medical Squad when, in May 2011, the treasurer became gravely ill and Daly took over the duties of the treasurer.  The Beverly-Edgewater Park Squad is a volunteer organization that has paid administrative officers and 15 part-time employees.  Within a few weeks of taking over the books, Daly phoned the accounting firm that handles their payroll and told them that he had just been given a $15,000 yr. raise above his current salary of $53,560 to $68,500.  Next he began using the Squad's credit account to purchase gasoline for his personal cars.

When the county prosecutor's office began investigating Daly, he produced a letter purportedly written by another member stating that Daly had been given the go-ahead to use the county gas by the ill, and since deceased former treasurer.  That letter was soon determined to be a forgery.

Following his arrest, Daly was released on $25,000 bond.  He was dismissed from the squad's rolls in November 2011.

The Burlington County Times has  more details HERE.

Hat tip:  Ron Y.

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Rooming House Owner Charged With Manslaughter in Fatal Blaze

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Four Perished in 2010 Fire

A PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, WOMAN was arraigned in state court Monday following an indictment handed down in January by a grand jury charging her with four counts of manslaughter.  Florence Brown, 63, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was given until May 11 to post a $25,000 cash bond or be incarcerated until her trial.

Florence Brown  (The Record)

On June 10, 2010, a fire swept through her 3-story home that had been divided into separate rental units housing nine people.  Firegeezer posted a video report at the time HERE where we reported:

When firefighters arrived the wood-frame house was already well involved with many residents outside the house. The fire was spreading to the house next door and threatening the home on the other side. Before the fire was fully contained, the house of origin collapsed, completely destroyed. The second house suffered severe damages and the third house only superficial fire damage.

Two people leapt from 3rd-floor windows to escape the flames, with one of them dying immediately from the fall and the second in critical condition from multi-trauma injuries as a result of the plunge. Later, three bodies were recovered from the ruins of the house. It was not immediately known how many residents lived in the several rooms that were rented out. The owner escaped, and it was disclosed that she had been issued several fire code violations in recent months.

AP

Reporting on yesterday's court action, John Petrick of the North Jersey Record writes:

The charges arise out of an investigation conducted by the Arson Unit of the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, as well as the Paterson Police Department and the Paterson Fire Department. The fire occurred about 4 a.m. in the basement of the three-story house Brown owned. The fire was caused by an electrical overload because of faulty wiring, authorities have said.

Two outlets and two power strips supplied electricity to three floors of the rooming house, residents of the building had said at the time.

The building had been cited for code violations in January 2010 — six months before the fatal fire — when firefighters who were dispatched to investigate a defective boiler found exposed wires and uncovered electrical panels in the basement. A fire inspector warned in a report that unless the violations were corrected, a "future mishap" could ensue. A follow-up inspection on May 20 of that year found some of the same problems.

Read the full story in The Record HERE.
Review the Firegeezer video report from June 2010 HERE.

Hat tip:  Rick G.

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Airport Firetruck Driver Charged in Fatal Crash While Responding

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Driving Through a Red Light

A DARWIN, AUSTRALIA, AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER WAS CHARGED yesterday for a highway crash that killed three people back in August 2011.

ABC News

At the time, Firegeezer reported HERE on August 7:

A major fire broke out in a warehouse in the suburb of Berrimah around 7 am Sunday and the fire officers on the scene requested a foam unit from the airport for assistance. The responding fire-rescue-crash truck was en route to the fire when it collided with an SUV at an intersection with a side road. Four people were in the car and two of them died on the scene, a man and a woman. A third passenger was seriously injured and the fourth had only minor injuries.

After that posting the third injured person died in the hospital.  All of the passengers were architects.  Two of them, Greg McNamara, 45, and his wife Lena Yali, 43, were the principals of Troppo Architects in the Northern Territory.

Jack David Norris appeared in court Monday where the charges were placed against him for entering an intersection against a red light, driving negligently and driving dangerously, causing harm or death.  Davis will return to court in June.  Via:  7News.

Thanks to Mark D. for the update.

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