North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of a former fire chief in Caldwell County on charges of embezzling $155,299 from his volunteer fire department.
Brian Jason Edwards, 49, of 4262 Grace Chapel Road, Granite Falls, was charged with embezzlement, common law forgery and six counts of obtaining property by false pretense.
Special agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division accuse Edwards, a former chief at Grace Chapel Volunteer Fire Department, of obtaining the funds from the fire department by falsifying the hours he worked for the fire department on time sheets from 2019 to 2023.
The Department’s special agents worked with detectives from the Caldwell County Sheriff’s office in the investigation.
Caldwell County deputies assisted in arresting Edwards. He was given a $50,000 secured bond.
“Volunteer firefighters are dedicated public servants who sacrifice a lot to protect their community,” Commissioner Causey said. “While I understand that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty, these volunteers and members of the community need to know that the fire department’s money is being spent wisely. I commend our special agents and the deputies working on this case for their hard work in bringing these charges.”
If you suspect insurance fraud or other white-collar crimes, please report it. You may anonymously report fraud by calling the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840 or toll free from anywhere in North Carolina at 888-680-7684.
Information is also available at www.ncdoi.gov.