Former Treasurer Sentenced For Stealing $45K From Glenwood Fire Company

A former treasurer for the Glenwood Landing Fire Company was sentenced Thursday to 5 years probation for embezzling more than $45,000 from the department’s membership fund as well as stealing money from an arcade machine, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said.

Robert Brown, 50, of Farmingdale, was also sentenced to pay $45,144.85 in restitution. Brown was arrested in October 2016 and pleaded guilty in February to third-degree grand larceny.

“Robert Brown abused the trust given to him by the members of the Glenwood Landing Fire Department and stole more than $45,000 that was supposed to go to worthy causes,” Singas said in a press release.

According to the DA, Brown would skim funds from parties, parades and fundraisers that should have gone to support the lifesaving work of the Glenwood Fire Company.

From January 2011 to March 2015, the DA says Brown stole $45,144 by embezzling cash from the fire company’s “Membership Fund” account. As treasurer, he would write checks from this account to the chairperson for fire company events. Instead of re-depositing the money into the account once the leftover cash was returned to him, Brown would pocket the cash, the DA said.

The DA says Brown also received large sums of cash from the fire company's arcade machine and safe, but never deposited the money into the bank account. These alleged thefts were discovered by fire company trustees when they realized $856 was left over from the 2014 annual children’s Christmas party and the sum was never re-deposited into the account.

Image via NCDA