NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. --
The former chief of a volunteer fire department in Nassau County was recently arrested after police said he was pocketing taxpayers' money.
Authorities said that by writing checks to himself, Richard Demick, former chief of the Gray Gable Volunteer Fire Department, was stealing the county's money.
"It's sad to have to report these kind of issues, because it's a part of our local public safety," Nassau Sheriff Tommy Seagraves said.
He said Demick was using his position to forge checks.
Demick allegedly forged at least eight checks, totaling about $4,400. Among the bogus checks, two were written to Demick, three were written to a company Demick owns and another check was made out to cash, police said.
According to an audit done by Nassau County, other people within the fire department notified police about Demick's alleged criminal activity.
The audit report states that during an April meeting, Demick admitted forging signatures on checks and even stated, "Basically, we're bankrupt."
"It's kind of shocking. I would never have thought he would do that," said Raymond Cobb, who used to be part of the Gray Gables department and lives across the street from Demick. "I was surprised to see the investigators come up here and talked to him for about 30 minutes and walked back out to the car and handcuffed him right before he got in. They hauled him off."
"It is huge to the effect of he's not using funds appropriately, especially being there to help save the community, not for his own personal gain," Seagraves said.
The audit states some of the station's financial procedures, which have since been taken care of, led to part of the problem.
Demick is charged with grand theft and is being held on $5,000 bond.
