Assistant fire chief accused of embezzlement, fraud involving departmental funds

RAEFORD — A former assistant chief is accused of stealing money from the Pinehill Fire Department in Hoke County, authorities said.

Christopher Martin Duffell, 32, of the 200 block of Falling Leaf Drive, is charged with 30 counts of embezzlement, four counts of obtaining property by false pretense and two counts of insurance fraud.

The offenses occurred from October 2016 to November 2017 and involved money from different department accounts, according to a release from the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office. It did not say how much money was taken.

The Sheriff’s Office learned of the theft on Dec. 1 and is being assisted in the investigation by the Hoke County District Attorney’s Office and the N.C. Department of Insurance.

Read more: http://www.fayobserver.com/news/20180123/assistant-fire-chief-accused-of-embezzlement-fraud-involving-departmental-funds