Ex-Hamilton Township fire chief, wife accused of stealing department funds

MUNCIE, Ind. — The former chief of the Hamilton Township Volunteer Fire Department and his wife were formally charged on Thursday with stealing department funds.

Douglas A. Firestone, 43, and Kerri L. Firestone, 42, of rural Muncie, were each charged in Delaware Circuit Court 3 with conspiracy to commit theft, theft, fraud and official misconduct.

According to an affidavit, the money was stolen after Douglas Firestone was appointed as the department's chief and Kerri Firestone was named the department's secretary-treasurer, both in 2021.

After Kerri Firestone's appointment, the department's "financial bookkeeping measures and records were abandoned," according to the affidavit, which is based on a report by Ron Halbert Jr., an Indiana State Police investigator.

"Douglas Firestone and Kerri Firestone each assumed control and possession of the fire department's multiple credit cards and bank accounts as part of their duties," the court document said.

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The affidavit alleges the Firestones used those credit cards and bank accounts "for expenses and expenditures for their personal vehicles, including gasoline purchases and repair charges."

Those charges were made "under the guise of personal vehicle 'leases," which appear to be "either non-existent or fraudulent," the document said.

Past and current fire department members told Halbert that personal vehicles were not "leased" to the department. The department owned a Dodge Durango for the chief's use.

The Firestones are also accused of using department funds to pay $16,269 in college tuition payments for their son "under the guise of a 'scholarship' award that appears to be obviously fraudulent," the affidavit said.

Firefighters interviewed by Halbert reportedly told the detective their department had no "scholarship fund."

The affidavit said several items with no apparent connection to the two Hamilton Township fire stations were purchased with department funds, including a refrigerator, swimming pool supplies, multiple tools, dog treats and personal hygiene products.

Department funds were also allegedly used to pay about $19,000 on a Firestone family member's credit card account.

Halbert reported that when he interviewed the Firestones, they "admitted to making many of the purchases and expenditures."

However, Douglas Firestone reportedly maintained many of the expenditures were for "fire department business," and also said he "did not have anything to do with fire department finances."

"When confronted with specifics, many of Kerri's answers and/or rationales were illogical," the affidavit said.

According to the document, the Firestones were removed from their positions with the department in late December following the discovery of the "personal expenditures."

The Firestones were arrested on Friday, and were each being held in the Delaware County Jail under $20,000 cash bonds.

The four charges each face are all Level 6 felonies carrying maximum 30-month sentences.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ex-Hamilton Township chief, wife face official misconduct, theft counts