WHITE CLOUD, Mich. — A deputy fire chief in Michigan is being charged with two counts of attempted embezzlement for putting down on-call hours when he was hours away from the area.
WZZM.com reported Newaygo Deputy Fire Chief Robert VanDyke is charged with one count of attempted embezzlement by a public official over $50 and another charge for attempted embezzlement from a non-profit organization.
According to Police Sergeant Scott Rios, VanDyke was in three different locations, all at least 45 minutes away from his fire district, when he was supposed to be on-call in Newaygo.
In one case, VanDyke was allegedly more than three hours away from Newaygo when he was supposed to be on-call. Court records show VanDyke submitted those hours for payment.
Sgt. Rios said VanDyke was in charge of payroll and scheduling at the department. VanDyke told detectives the on-call incidents were accidental.
If convicted, VanDyke could face a maximum of five years in prison.