By Phil Parker
The Albuquerque Journal
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — Police said a sting operation involving invisible powder on planted cash has led to charges against an 18-year veteran of the Los Alamos Fire Department for allegedly stealing from his fellow firefighters over several months.
Driver Engineer Steven Fierro, 46, has been charged with two counts of larceny, one count of receiving stolen property and one count of tampering with evidence, according to Los Alamos police Lt. Reggie Briggle.
Briggle said a string of thefts had been reported over the past three or four months at LAFD fire stations, with small amounts of money being lifted from lockers or from personal property.
To determine the culprit, investigators put thief detection powder on a small amount of money and planted it in a firefighter’s effects at one of Los Alamos’s five fire stations, Briggle said. The powder is invisible to the naked eye, but can be detected using ultraviolet light.
Once the money was taken, firefighters at that station were scanned with the light, and Fierro was identified, Briggle said.
Fierro faces up to a year in jail for each count.
Los Alamos Fire Chief Doug Tucker declined to comment, except to say Fierro has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Copyright 2010 Albuquerque Journal