Wednesday, Sep. 01, 2010

Probe begins in case of missing money

A Wake County prosecutor will soon begin sifting through evidence collected in a case in which more than $300,000 is missing from the independent Garner Fire Department.

David Saacks, an assistant prosecutor in the Wake County District Attorney's office, said he was assigned the case last week. He said the evidence collected by the State Bureau of Investigation is contained in two thick binders, so it could take weeks for officials to decide whether to file charges in the case.

"I'll be reviewing it," Saacks said.

In January, the SBI took over the investigation into money missing from the department. Officials have said that Amy Moore, a former bookkeeper for the fire department, is the focus of the probe.

Moore resigned from her job with the department, which is independent of the town and run by a board of directors.

Six months after allegations surfaced, and amid pressure from Garner elected officials, Phil Mitchell resigned from his post as fire chief. Town leaders have said they do not suspect Mitchell of criminal wrongdoing, but they blamed him for not keeping a close eye on the department's finances. The fire department receives tax dollars from Garner and Wake County.