The Evening Sun
ADAMS COUNTY, Pa. — The former chief accused of stealing about $44,000 from his fire company was sentenced Thursday to seven years of probation.
Robert E. Warner, 43, had pleaded guilty July 25 to one count of theft by unlawful taking, which is a felony of the third degree.
His sentence was reached through a plea agreement with the Adams County District Attorney’s Office.
His wife, Brenda J. Warner, 50, had been scheduled for sentencing the same day. But her attorney, Katrina Luedtke, was not present, so Judge Thomas R. Campbell continued her sentencing to Sept. 29.
She had pleaded guilty to the same charge as her husband, and had an agreement for seven years of probation, as well.
Robert Warner had been the chief, and Brenda Warner had been the treasurer at Midway Fire Co. Between January 2008 and January 2010, when the two held those offices, they failed to deposit proceeds from bingo games, and wrote out personal checks from the fire company, court documents state.
Fire company officials found in March 2010 that $35,000 in bingo money was missing, and told police.
Officials also found that Robert Warner had charged $1,816 on the fire company’s gas card, which is normally used for fire company vehicles. And, 26 checks totaling about $26,000 had been written for cash or to Robert Warner, court documents state. Pennsylvania State Police at Gettysburg interviewed Brenda Warner in January, and she admitted to taking cash from bingo, and putting in the safe, but she did not deposit it, as was company procedure. Her husband then took the cash for personal use, she told police.
Robert Warner was interviewed the next day, and said he and his wife were both responsible for taking the money without permission.
The two were also originally charged with three counts of theft, and two counts of criminal conspiracy.
They are to pay $44,483.66 in restitution.
Midway Fire Co. is located in Conewago Township. Though it has been denied being responders in McSherrystown and Conewago Township, it still runs bingo games, and maintains its fleet. The company had been invited to join Southeastern Adams Volunteer Emergency Services, or SAVES, when it formed in 2005, but chose not to.
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