By Neal P. Goswami
Bennington Banner
BENNINGTON, Vt. — Former Bennington Rural Fire Department Chief Joseph Hayes was arrested by Bennington Police on Friday for alleged fraudulent actions related to a department-sponsored raffle.
Hayes, who lost his bid to be re-elected as chief of the department last month, was cited for false pretenses and embezzlement, Bennington Police Chief Paul Doucette said Monday. Hayes, 43, was elected to the department’s Prudential Committee last month, but the alleged offenses took place while he was chief. Hayes’ wife, Angela, was also cited for being an accessory to Hayes’ false pretenses charge.
“This all stems from a raffle at the Bennington Rural Fire Department while he was the chief where, allegedly, people who won prizes as a result of the raffle never received them. There is an allegation that money that people paid for raffle tickets was never turned over to the department,” Doucette said.
Full story: Former Rural fire chief, wife charged