WARRENTON, Ore. --
A volunteer firefighter in western Oregon stole more than $20,000 -- about $15,000 of which had been set aside for charity -- from his department's volunteer firefighting account, police said Tuesday.
Warrenton police arrested Chris Bartlett on Thanksgiving Day on charges of theft and forgery. Fire Chief Ted Ames said Bartlett stole money from the same accounts he was supposed to oversee.
"Unfortunately, it's like that trust has been violated," Ames said. "It kind of caught all of us off-guard and will have some pretty long-term effects on the department."
With only two paid employees, the Warrenton Fire Department relies on its 30 volunteers, including Bartlett. He has been with the Fire Department for eight years.
"(He has) worked hard, responded to calls, came to training," Ames said.
Chris Penno, another firefighter, said his friendship with Bartlett went beyond the department.
"He was a hunting partner of mine," he said. "That's what really hurts."
The $15,000 in cash was intended to buy food for the department's annual Christmas food drive. With the drive just weeks away, the firefighters have been forced to dig deeper to help fill the community's need.
"We did take a substantial hit," Penno said. "But we're going to be all right."
Warrenton Police Chief Matthew Workman said the department received word of suspicious activity with the Fire Department's volunteer association account last month. They followed up with the bank and determined money had been improperly withdrawn, police said.
Workman said Bartlett admitted to the crime. Bartlett was booked into the Clatsop County Jail but has since been released.
Firefighter Stole From 'Feed The Hungry' Charity, Police Say
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