July 22, 2008
Arrest of Former Arnoldsville Volunteer Fire Chief
On Monday, July 21, 2008, Agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in Athens arrested former Arnoldsville Volunteer Fire Chief Albert “Joe” Siegert, age 33, presently of an Athens address. Siegert was arrested and charged with three (3) felony counts of Theft by Conversion, one for taking in excess of $39,000.00 of federal grant funds awarded to the Arnoldsville Fire Department, one for taking in excess of $10,000.00 of federal grant funds awarded to the fire department and one for taking in excess of $3,000.00 from the Arnoldsville Fire Department account. All the charges are for official government funds that were converted for personal use.
The GBI Athens Office was requested by Oglethorpe County Sheriff Mike Smith earlier this month to look into allegations of missing grant funds from the Arnoldsville Fire Department. Investigation revealed the Fire Department received a grant for fire personnel turn-out gear for approximately $39,000.00 in July 2007. The turn-out gear was ordered and received but never paid for. Another federal grant was received in January 2008 for $251,000.00 for a new fire truck. The truck was purchased the following month for approximately $240,000.00 but the difference was not used for the fire department.
Mr. Siegert had been with the Arnoldsville Fire dept from September 2006 to May 2008. He was named Chief in January 2007.
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