The former fire chief of Ware, Massachusetts, has admitted to embezzling over $20,000 from the town and three regional nonprofit fire associations, according to an announcement from the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General. Thomas Coulombe, who served as the Ware's fire chief from 2002 to 2019, pleaded guilty to four counts of larceny over $1,200 in Hampshire County Superior Court on Tuesday.
In an intricate scheme of falsely inflated reimbursement requests, Coulombe swindled more than $3,700 from town funds. His deception didn't end there; as treasurer of three regional nonprofit fire associations, Coulombe managed to pilfer an excess of $24,000. The associations, financed by surrounding communities, aimed to provide essential training and services. The Office of the Inspector General took action after receiving a tip through their Fraud Hotline. This led to a shared investigation with the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office which subsequently passed the case to the Worcester County D.A.'s office due to potential conflicts of interest.
Judge Jane Mulqueen declared the case continued without a finding for 2 years. She ordered Coulombe to pay $20,000 in restitution and imposed several restrictions upon him. These include avoiding any contact with the victims, refraining from engaging in any financial affairs of a person or entity, and forbidding him from representing himself as a member of the fire department or other fire organizations.
"This individual held a position of trust and swore an oath to upheld the law and protect the safety of the public," Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro stated in the announcement. “Instead, he used that position to enrich himself and divert public funds from their intended purpose.” Assistant District Attorney Maureen K. McNally of the Worcester County District Attorney’s Financial Crimes Unit was responsible for prosecuting the case.
