Former NY Fire Captain Stole from VFD

June 22, 2019
Prosecutors say a now-former captain with the Manhasset-Lakeview Fire Department stole $10,000 from a bank account for the volunteer agency.

Nassau prosecutors say a now-former captain of the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department used a bank account of the volunteer organization “like a honey pot,” stealing more than $10,000 and spending it on himself.

Alex November, 30, of Glen Cove, is facing felony charges of grand larceny and falsifying business records, along with a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct, the Nassau district attorney’s office said Friday.

November pleaded not guilty Thursday during an arraignment in Hempstead District Court before a judge released him on his own recognizance, according to his attorney, George Michel.

The Mineola lawyer added Friday that the defense is awaiting paperwork “to see if information the DA has supports the charges” against November, who works as an electrician.

Prosecutors have alleged November stole the money from June 2014 until early 2017 from a department fund he managed that was used to buy beverages for firefighters. It was known as the "Refreshment Fund." 

November allegedly submitted forged bank statements to the department’s internal audit committee to cover up his crime.

Prosecutors allege that in one example, an actual bank statement showed an entry for a $204.50 withdrawal from an automated teller machine at “One Mohegan Sun Blvd., Montville, CT,” but November called it a “Debit Card Purch” on a forged statement.

“Volunteer fire departments provide lifesaving emergency services to our communities and anyone treating these organizations like a honey pot will be held accountable for their actions,” Nassau District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a statement.

The volunteer department’s president first learned of a problem in early 2017 when Citibank notified the organization that the account was overdrawn, according to Singas’ office.

Prosecutors say department members confronted November with evidence of theft after doing an investigation and he resigned from the organization in August 2017.

November spent the money on purchases from vendors including Amazon, Microsoft, Harbor Freight Tools, Wendy’s and Friendly’s, according to the allegations.

Prosecutors say November faces up to two to seven years behind bars if found guilty of the top count against him.

The statement that Singas’ office released said that officials of the volunteer department knew of the allegations and would cooperate with the law enforcement investigation “so justice is fully served.”

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©2019 Newsday

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