Colo. Firefighter Charged in Sugar in Tank Prank

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Sept. 06--A former Greeley firefighter is facing a felony charge of criminal mischief after he was said to have put a cup of sugar down a fellow firefighter's pickup gas tank.

Kevin Adler, 38, and a 13-year veteran of the Greeley Fire Department bonded out of jail Aug. 24 after spending a night in jail. He told police he put about a cup of sugar in the gas tank of a fellow firefighter earlier in August as a practical joke, according to police affidavits. The other firefighter, however, told police that Adler may have been jealous of his friendship with a female firefighter.

The Weld District Attorney filed the one charge against Adler this afternoon. He is due in Weld District Court at 9 a.m. Sept. 23 for a formal advisement of the charge. If convicted, he could face at most up to two to four years in prison.

Firefighter Greg Holmes, 37, of Eaton, told police Adler had caused roughly $2,000-$3,000 in damage to his truck with the alleged prank.

Holmes told police that he was working an extra shift Aug. 14 at Station No. 1, at 919 7th St., when Adler put sugar down his gas tank. Holmes said he noticed the problem three days later when he tried to fill his gas tank and it was blocked.

Holmes showed police a text-message conversation he had with Adler. Holmes bluffed in the beginning, telling Adler that his new truck came with a video camera on the back end. In his texts, Adler immediately offered to pay for the damages.

Adler resigned from the Greeley Fire Department last week, said department spokesman Dale Lyman.