The Hartford Courant
MIDDLEBURY, Conn. — A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging the fire chief with stealing more than $70,000 of fire department money, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The indictment charges Paul Perrotti, 47, of Middlebury with three counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, said spokesman Thomas Carson. He is accused of using fire department money to pay for unauthorized personal expenses and expenses from his business — including electrical supplies from The Home Depot, he said.
Perrotti was arrested Thursday morning at his home and appeared before Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport. He was released on a $250,000 bond, Carson said.
He has been chief of the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. since 1997. He also is a licensed electrical contractor and owner of Paul Perrotti Electric, LLC.
According to the indictment, between 2011 and 2013, Perrotti used fire department accounts to pay for unauthorized personal expenses and for expenses associated with his business. The payments included checks paid directly to Perrotti, to his business, to employees of his business, to his business’ vendors and to third parties as reimbursement for Perrotti’s personal loans, it said.
Perrotti also is accused of submitting invoices to the town of Middlebury for expenses he falsely claimed were incurred by the fire department; they actually were business expenses, according to the indictment.
In addition, the indictment alleges Perrotti opened a Home Depot credit card account in the name of the fire department and used it to buy items related to his business, including electrical wires and circuit breakers. In addition, he used a fire department debit card to withdraw cash for himself and to make purchases not related to the department, including food and gas.
If convicted, he faces a prison term of up to 10 years, Carson said.
The FBI is investigating the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Karwan..
In May, Perrotti — who runs a volunteer department — told the Courant that he was aware that he was the target of some type of financial investigation. He said agents called on the morning of May 15 and said they were at the fire station at 65 Tucker Hill Road.
They seized computers, documents and other items, he said. He said he allowed the agents, who were looking for information about payroll, full access.
“I figured, by no means have I done anything wrong,” he said in a telephone interview. “I gave them full transparency.”
Perrotti said the department has about 100 members and that he earns a stipend that adds up to about $600 a month.
“I think somebody’s got an ax to grind,” he said at the time. Perrotti said he didn’t know who that would be.
He could not be reached for comment Thursday.
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