Copyright 2006 Anchorage Daily News
All Rights Reserved
By MEGAN HOLLAND
Anchorage Daily News (Alaska)
A senior captain and 25-year veteran of the Anchorage Fire Department has been accused of stealing department equipment, including axes, a generator, respirator masks — and even mop buckets, wringers and two “jaws of life” saws.
Chester “Chet” Lee Chiara, 47, was charged with one count of felony theft, accused of pilfering more than $10,000 worth of gear, according to documents filed by the prosecution in Anchorage Superior Court.
Chief Craig Goodrich said he could not recall the last time a firefighter was arrested for stealing in his more than 30 years with the department. He could remember one firefighter in the late 1970s who was severely reprimanded when he took a melted light bulb.
The allegation is a blow to the tight-knit Fire Department. When asked how firefighters were taking the news, Goodrich would not speak about the case.
Karen Moore, deputy director of employee relations for the city, said that Chiara no longer works for the Fire Department and that he left his position April 7. She would not say whether he was fired or quit.
The investigation began in mid-March, according to court documents. Chiara pleaded not guilty to the charge last week.
Chiara’s wife, Lori, told investigators about the equipment stored in the family’s South Anchorage garage, the charge says. The couple is engaged in a bitter divorce.
Anchorage police say Chiara stole items including medical supplies, a 35mm camera and fire hose nozzles. Chiara told police that the nozzles were no longer usable and he planned to polish them up and make them into retirement gifts for firefighters. The nozzles are commonly turned into lamps, he told police.
Chiara also used his department credit card to purchase for himself computer monitors, a printer and a $250 vacuum from Costco, the charge says. Very senior officials at the Fire Department have use of the department’s credit cards to make purchases for the firehouses, Goodrich said.
Only after the investigation began did the Fire Department notice the missing equipment. Goodrich said the department already had been reconsidering its methods of keeping track of its gear. The department takes inventory once every five years, he said. The last time the department’s possessions were cataloged was 2002.
Chiara was released on $5,000 bail in mid-April. He is scheduled for trial in July. His lawyer, John Murtagh, would not comment on the case.