Felony theft and misconduct charges have been filed against the former assistant chief of the Big Sky Fire Department.
Seth A. Barker who is accused of stealing about $80,000 from the department for personal profit and sexual activities, NBC Montana reported.
Barker, who resigned from the department, is accused of falsifying timecards and making unauthorized purchases on a credit card.
An internal probe started in October 2024, about Barker’s travel activities while teaching national fire training classes.
"Barker was registered for a USFA Summit on Fire Control and Prevention during this time, which he did not attend, although he paid for his expenses by charging them to the BSFD," according to court documents.
Also, investigators determined "Barker paid expenses at least 14 times with his fire department issued credit card and was also submitting the receipts to agencies and companies who were sponsoring training or events."
"Barker charged expenses to his BSFD credit card for attendance at the Congressional Fire Service Institute. He then submitted the same expenses to the International Society of the Fire Service Instructors for reimbursement in the amount of $1,965.88."
Big Sky fire officials issued a statement following Barker's arrest" “The actions described in the charging documents violate the standards and ethics of the fire service and of the organization. All members of the Big Sky Fire Department are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability.”
