Former Okla. Firefighter Sentenced for Embezzling Insurance Fund

A former Bartlesville, Okla., firefighter received a five-year prison term for embezzling $166,653 from the firefighters union insurance fund to use to pay for gambling, the Associated Press reported.

Washington County prosecutors had charged Lloyd Douglas Lay, 39, with embezzlement and forgery in September.

Lay was accused of taking money from the Bartlesville Professional Firefighters Insurance Fund. He had reportedly been with the insurance committee for the union for 12 years and was authorized, along with one other man, to handle funds and write checks on the account.

According to an affidavit, things went awry when a 66 Federal Credit Union employee contacted another credit union concerning a suspicious check. Lay was reportedly attempting to deposit the check, in the amount of $9,432, into his account.

When the bank contacted the signor on the check, the man reportedly said he did not sign any checks to the insurance fund and that he was not authorized to sign such checks.

When confronted about the check, Lay initially said he had not written any such check but then admitted that he had.

Lay pleaded guilty to embezzlement and to forging 35 checks on the account.

According to the affidavit, Lay reportedly told officers that he used the money for gambling.

He resigned his position with the Bartlesville Fire Department shortly before his arrest.