Ex-Ga. Firefighter Admits to Stealing Grant Money

Angelia Curran, the former Smiths Station volunteer firefighter, pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing thousands of dollars in federal grant money. Curran, 45, inked a plea agreement that, if accepted by the court, could allow her to avoid prison time but would require her to pay more than $28,000 in restitution.

In exchange for the guilty plea to one count of embezzlement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment at Curran's sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but Curran is likely to get probation or a far lesser sentence under the the terms of her deal.

The plea agreement calls for Curran to pay $5,000 in restitution at sentencing and the balance in payments of $389 a month during probation.

Curran, who had been deputy chief of the Friendship Volunteer Fire Department, admitted to using for her personal expenses federal grant money intended for equipment and training at the department. A grand jury indicted her in June on three counts of embezzling money from Federal Emergency Management Agency grants.

She has resigned as deputy chief and from her position on the fire department's board. A former Smiths Station city councilwoman, Curran was with the fire department nearly 30 years.

She had been scheduled to stand trial next week.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service