Welcome to Arrest Stories. A fifty-nine-year-old volunteer fire department treasurer stands accused of embezzling ninety-five thousand dollars from his department's general account, allegedly using the stolen funds for personal gambling and deposits while leaving utility bills unpaid. Here's what may have happened.
Robert Evans, the former treasurer of a Kanawha County volunteer fire department, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on embezzlement charges after an investigation revealed systematic theft from departmental funds. According to police reports, Evans allegedly used an unauthorized debit card to drain nearly the entire general account over an eighteen-month period.
The investigation uncovered a troubling financial timeline. In January of twenty twenty-three, the fire department's general account maintained a balance of approximately twenty-two thousand dollars. However, by June of this year, that same account contained only one hundred forty-two dollars.
Officials discovered that Evans had allegedly withdrawn ninety-five thousand dollars from multiple ATMs using the unauthorized debit card, with withdrawals beginning in January twenty twenty-three. Investigators noted that during this period, the Kanawha County Commission had issued checks to the fire department exceeding one hundred twenty thousand dollars in January twenty twenty-two alone.
The stolen funds allegedly went toward personal use rather than departmental needs. Officials stated, "It was learned through the investigation that Mr. Evans had deposited cash into his personal bank account and gambled approximately thirty-seven thousand dollars using Fan Duel during this time."
The impact on the fire department was significant. Investigators reported, "During this time, multiple utilities for the fire department were not being paid consistently from this account." They also noted, "During this time, no major purchases were made from this account and a majority of the money was withdrawn from ATMs."
The investigation revealed no legitimate transfers of funds were made from the account during the withdrawal period, suggesting the money was systematically removed through ATM transactions.
Evans faces embezzlement charges with bond set at one hundred thousand dollars or ten percent cash.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.