Adam Richard Walker, the former secretary for the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, is now facing felony charges after authorities say he quietly siphoned nearly $83,000 from the union’s charitable foundation. Prosecutors allege he masked the transfers with forged receipts and bogus reimbursements, turning a nonprofit meant to help others into a personal cash stream.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, investigators say Walker moved roughly $83,000 out of the UFLAC Fire Foundation between December 2022 and January 2024. He allegedly opened a bank account listing himself as the sole signer, then redirected foundation money into his own accounts. Prosecutors say he covered his tracks with fabricated credit card reimbursements and forged receipts. An arrest-warrant document from the California attorney general’s office shows he was booked with bail set at $50,000.
Audit Flags Missing Receipts, Top Brass Suspended
A forensic audit by the International Association of Fire Fighters last spring found more than $800,000 in undocumented credit card spending at UFLAC, a discovery that led the IAFF to suspend the local’s top officers and place the union under conservatorship. The audit questioned thousands of purchases and transfers that lacked receipts or explanations required by auditors, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Associated Press reported that investigators say some of the foundation transfers were routed to mortgage and RV loan payments and to cash withdrawals from ATMs at casinos, expenses that fall far outside the nonprofit’s stated mission. AP coverage also noted that auditors could not fully reconcile large batches of credit card charges because receipts were missing or incomplete.
Criminal Counts and What Comes Next
Prosecutors have charged Walker with grand theft by an employee or agent and forgery involving items exceeding $950, and they cited aggravating factors that the alleged theft involved a substantial amount of money and an abuse of trust, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. Officials say the broader investigation into UFLAC’s finances and former officers is still active as prosecutors comb through audit findings and bank records.
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City represents thousands of Los Angeles Fire Department members, and its charitable arm is detailed in public tax filings that donors and firefighters reasonably expect to be tightly watched. ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer lists the foundation’s recent filings and officers, one reason auditors and union members pushed for clarity on where the money actually went. The IAFF conservatorship and any future civil recovery efforts are aimed at restoring transparency and, if possible, clawing back missing funds.
With criminal charges now filed, the case moves into the courts. Prosecutors and union representatives have so far stuck to what appears in charging documents and audit letters, leaving many questions still hanging. Union members and donors will be watching to see how quickly stronger financial controls are put in place and whether this is the last set of charges or just the opening round.
