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Calif. firefighter charged with embezzling $25K from toy-drive

Holly Kaye Nelson allegedly stole the money from the San Bruno Professional Firefighters Association over a two-year period

By Michael Bodley
San Francisco Chronicle

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — A former San Bruno firefighter was arrested on suspicion of embezzling more than $25,000 from a community toy drive that serves disadvantaged children, police said Tuesday.

Holly Kaye Nelson, 53, who lives in Cloverdale, allegedly stole the money from the San Bruno Professional Firefighters Association over a two-year period, according to the San Bruno Police Department.

Nelson ran the program on her own for 10 years, according to the association. In a statement, the association said members discovered starting in December 2016 checks made payable to Nelson and ATM withdrawals by her from the organization’s account.

Nelson was arrested Monday on two felony counts of grand theft, police said.

Detectives started investigating Nelson in December 2016 after members of the association reported the matter to police, authorities said.

Nelson had quit her job with the San Bruno Fire Department in October 2016, before the investigation started, police said.

“We have taken numerous steps to ensure nothing like this ever happens again, including updating our policies and procedures to require greater oversight and accountability when handling and managing funds,” the association said in a statement.

Copyright 2017 the San Francisco Chronicle

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