LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police said five people tried to defraud a defunct southeastern Indiana fire department by filing fake paperwork and holding a fake public meeting to appoint one another as executives, including fire chief.
Indiana State Police have arrested all five on charges including conspiracy to commit theft and conspiracy to defraud a financial institution.
ISP said that in March, Christopher See, 37, filed fraudulent paperwork with the state of Indiana to take control of the Patriot Volunteer Fire Department, which had not been operational since 2017.
The agency said that See and four others -- Christopher Miller, 32; Caitlyn Staat, 19; Jacob Parker, 35; and Lewis Fritter, 42 -- held a meeting without notifying the public and remaining members of the fire department. The five then chose See as president, Miller as new fire chief, Parker as assistant chief and Staat as treasurer.
Police said on Facebook that the group then gained access to the building that stored the department’s equipment, and See contacted a bank to gain access to the department’s remaining money.
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