Former Firefighter Treasurer Stole From Department: DA

A former Hempstead volunteer firefighter, who is also a member of the Hempstead Police Department and a Hempstead Board of Education member, was indicted on Wednesday for allegedly stealing from the department and also filing false documents to get his police job.

Randy Stith, 27, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, including stealing more than $6,500 from the fire department. But if he's convicted of the top charge, he could face up to seven years in prison.

“This defendant’s alleged theft of funds that were intended to buy emergency equipment and support the lifesaving work of volunteer firefighters is an outrageous betrayal of the trust placed in him as treasurer,” said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. “Anyone who steals from Nassau taxpayers will be held accountable by my office and I thank the Hempstead Volunteer Fire Department for bringing us this case.”

According to Singas, from February 2015 to January 2018, Stith served as the treasurer of the Hempstead Volunteer Fire Department. Singas said that during that time, Stith made 12 unauthorized cash withdrawals from the account of the fire department's Southside Hose 2.

In addition, the fire department received a refund for taxes charged when a Carnival Cruise vacation it booked for five members was cancelled. According to Singas, Stith cashed the refund check and then falsified expenses to cover it up.

Singas said that Stith, who is also a Hempstead Board of Education trustee, stole $6,503 from the Hempstead fire department.

In addition to the charges related to the fire department, Singas said that Stith, who is a probationary member of the Hempstead Village Police Department, submitted a forged recommendation later to the Nassau County Civil Service Commission in April 2015. Singas said that earlier that year, Stith was disqualified by the Civil Service Commission and filed a forged letter of recommendation from another fire department member in defense of his character.

Singas said that the commission used the letter as a factor in materials Stith submitted that rescinded his disqualification and allowed him to be sworn in as a police officer on June 8, 2017.

Stith was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, two counts each of first- and second-degree falsifying business records and two counts each of first- and second-degree offering a false instrument for filing, petty larceny and official misconduct.

Photo: Nassau County District Attorney's Office