Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
By ALFONSO A. CASTILLO
Newsday (New York)
When they handed over their keys to William Guichard, people thought they were donating their vehicles to be used for training firefighters.
Instead, the former Melville assistant fire chief sold or junked them and kept the money, prosecutors said yesterday, charging him with grand larceny.
Guichard, 50, of 51 Old East Neck Rd. in Melville, surrendered to authorities yesterday and later in a Central Islip courtroom pleaded not guilty to two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, and was released without bail. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
Neither Guichard nor his attorney, Thomas Teresky, of Huntington, returned calls for comment yesterday.
Guichard is a former second assistant chief with almost 30 years of service in the Melville Fire Department. Prosecutors say Guichard, who works at Lee Julian, a South Huntington auto body business, was responsible for securing donations of automobiles to the department.
Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Raymond Tierney said donors would receive a tax break and a letter from the department thanking them for their cars, which were supposed to be used for simulating auto accidents.
“We thought we could just do something good by giving it to them,” said Pat Coney of Melville who, in 2004 along with her husband Peter, decided to donate their 1990 Nissan to the department for a tax write-off, rather than sell it. Guichard transferred the car’s title to himself, then brokered its sale and collected $1,200, Tierney said.
“I was just totally shocked,” said Coney. “We did something in good faith, and they betrayed us.”
Guichard also allegedly hung onto a 1982 Mercedes donated to the department in 2004, and later sold it to a junkyard, pocketing about $100.
Prosecutors, who reviewed fire department records, suspect Guichard sold or junked several other donated cars, and are asking for anyone who gave a car to the department to contact the Suffolk district attorney’s office.
“We believe this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Tierney said.
Guichard left the Melville fire department in 2004. It was not clear yesterday why he left, and fire department officials did not return calls for comment.