By Dan O’Brien
The Union Leader
ALLENSTOWN, N.H. — A 27-year-old local firefighter is on paid administrative leave after being indicted in the theft of money from a non-profit organization run by the fire department, officials said.
Lee Cheney, of 3 Lubern Ave., was indicted by a grand jury last Thursday in Hillsborough County Superior Court on a single count of forgery.
Authorities say Cheney forged an authorized person’s signature on a check from the Allenstown Fire Explorer Post 50 account, then handed it to an unidentified man in Manchester, who cashed it.
The amount on the check was less than $1,000, according to Assistant County Attorney Michael Valentine, who said he could not release the exact amount.
“He didn’t have authority to sign the check and he put someone else’s name on it,” Valentine said.
Valentine said the second person involved in the incident has not been charged and Valentine could not comment on whether charges are pending.
“The investigation is ongoing,” he said.
Town Administrator Paul Apple and Fire Chief Dan Hart both confirmed Cheney has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of legal proceedings.
Cheney will be arraigned in the next few weeks, but an arraignment date has not been set, Valentine said.
The Allenstown Fire Explorers involves local firefighters who show teenagers the workings of firefighting. Hart said the program hasn’t been active for at least a year, when he began working in Allenstown, but he is trying to re-activate it.
Cheney declined comment when reached by phone yesterday and referred questions to his lawyer, former Grafton County Attorney Rick St. Hilaire.
St. Hilaire described the Fire Explorer’s fund as “an essentially a dormant account.”
Police Chief Shaun Mulholland confirmed his department launched the criminal investigation after someone with the group reported funds were missing.
Mulholland said the investigation was turned over to the Merrimack County Attorney’s Office because it involved a town employee and the department wanted to avoid a conflict of interest. The Merrimack County officials then handed the investigation to Hillsborough County because the alleged transaction occurred in that jurisdiction.
Cheney’s Facebook page indicates he’s married with at least one child. He is a 2001 graduate of Pembroke Academy high school.
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