Jim Brooker is now on paid administrative leave while the Mohawk Valley Fire District board investigates the allegations. So far they say they've been able to track back four years and find receipts proving Brooker spent nearly nine thousand dollars on personal medical expenses.
Tipped off by an anonymous caller, board president Terry Connolly says he found out Brooker was charging his wife's prescriptions as well as his eye exams and glasses to the department's account. Connolly says he got away with it for so long because he was the district's chief budget operator.
"He knew when he made the budget and went over it a line item at a time how much he could spend," says Connolly.
We went to Brooker's Marcola home to ask him about the allegations on Thursday, but no one was there. In a small community like Marcola, most people know the fire chief and one man says he's shocked to hear the charges.
"I hope that in Jim's case it's just some misunderstanding and the money can be reimbursed. If it's true he should be disciplined and then go on with is career," says Norm Ziolkowski.
The fire district board president gave Brooker ten days from their last meeting to repay the district but he failed to do so. The board will continue their investigation before filing official charges. Their next meeting is scheduled for November 10th at 7:30 PM.
