Michael Dennis McDonnell, 34, resigned from the Charlotte Fire Department on Sept. 23, less than a week after the northeast Charlotte woman called fire officials to say she thought a fireman had taken a bottle of prescription narcotics from her home.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police charged McDonnell on Nov. 1 with felony possession of narcotics and misdemeanor larceny. Former Deputy Chief Jim Burke, who recently retired, said firefighters had been to the woman's home Sept. 17 because of a small electrical fire.
He said the department began an internal investigation immediately after she reported the theft. He said McDonnell, who'd worked for the department since November 1996, resigned in connection with the investigation. McDonnell could not be reached on Friday.
