EAST HARDWICK — David O’Brien, East Hardwick Fire District #1 (EHFD) chair of the Prudential Committee, said the organization has received reimbursement from Laurel Schoop of Wolcott for $8,043 she is alleged to have embezzled, saying, “We have been made whole.”
Recent meetings have involved fallout from the alleged embezzlement by now former bookkeeper Schoop, since the committee’s February 18 regular meeting. At that meeting, the committee entered an executive session to discuss a legal matter, after which Treasurer John Mandeville was authorized to contract with a new bookkeeping service.
A lien for $8,043 was filed with the Wolcott Town Clerk on Schoop’s Rte. 15 property in Wolcott that same day.
Soon after, a complaint was filed with the Hardwick Police Department alleging Shoop had embezzled $8,043 from the organization.
Similar liens and complaints were filed by NEKarts for $8,256.10 and the Hardwick Downtown Partnership for $610.09.
The latest balance sheet on the EHFD website showed a fund balance of almost $160,000; the amount alleged to have been embezzled was roughly five percent of the organization’s funds.
EHFD had acted swiftly in clearing up the issues, said East Hardwick Fire District #1 (EHFD) Prudential Committee Chair David O’Brien. He said he was glad the missing funds became apparent within a few months so that action could be taken.
Hardwick Police Chief Michael Henry said the case has now been referred to restorative justice by Caledonia County State’s Attorney Jessica Zaleski who has not been available for comment.
At an emergency meeting on February 27, the EHFD accepted Treasurer John Mandeville’s resignation after another executive session. Recently Board Chair David O’Brien said Mandeville had resigned for personal reasons and had not been asked to do so by the committee.
At that meeting Erich Stephens was appointed interim treasurer and he, along with O’Brien were authorized to have access to Community Bank accounts. Gary Michaels was authorized to contract with Momentum Consulting for accounting services.
O’Brien said later that the organization felt it would be safer to contract with an established firm for bookkeeping service instead of an individual, as had been the case with Schoop.
Minutes of that meeting note there was discussion of action to be taken regarding fraud and committee members “All agreed we should contact our insurance carrier to determine if we have coverage and file a claim as appropriate.”
During consideration of the treasurer’s report at the regular March 18 meeting, minutes note Stephens is now the signatory on the bank account, and was authorized to access an Edward Jones CD account. He had access to information to reconcile fraudulent checks, but needed some additional information. Additionally, Stephens has been contacted by Momentum Consulting and is meeting with them March 19 to initiate the agreement and start a conversion process.
Stephens reported he had spoken with Union Bank about the process for accepting electronic payments. After some discussion about switching banks there from Community Bank at an anticipated cost of $35 per month, there was general agreement to proceed with Stephens to provide details in a subsequent meeting.
Filling the vacancy created by Mandeville’s resignation was discussed, with members encouraged to consider who might be a candidate for appointment at a future meeting.
NEKArts and the Downtown Partnership do not share meeting minutes publicly and have not offered comments on the similar issues they have faced.
The first record of the EHFD is from 1912 when a petition signed by more than 20 voters established the Hardwick Fire District and fixed its boundaries to comprise the entire village of East Hardwick. In 1944 the organization carried a $2,730.84 debt, incurred 100 years ago, in 1925, to cover the cost of a cement dam built at the six foot deep 90 by 110 foot reservoir. It also covered repairs where pipes crossing the Lamoille River had twice been washed out.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story indicated Schoop’s Wolcott property is on Rte. 16.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
