Former Gregg Township Fire Chief Accused of Stealing More Than $25,000 from Relief Association

The former chief of a Centre County fire company is facing charges after an audit discovered thousands of dollars were missing from a fireman’s relief fund.

Darin Bressler, 50, told investigators the $25,910 was withdrawn from the Gregg Township Fireman’s Relief Association Account to pay for a new fire engine, but later admitted he took the money for personal use, according to a criminal complaint filed on Monday by the Centre County District Attorney’s Office.

The case was referred to county investigators after a compliance audit conducted by the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s Office uncovered 18 unexplained withdrawals from the relief associations’s savings account between March 14, 2019 and Nov. 3, 2020.

Bressler, who was treasurer of the relief association, “was given ample opportunities” to provide records for the transactions in question to an auditor, but “he kept giving excuses for why he wasn’t able to meet with a bank official for the documentation,” County Detective Ralph Ralston wrote.

A bank representative provided the requested information to the state auditor, who found that only Bressler’s signature was on the cash withdrawal slips, even though the signatures of two association officers are required under the Volunteer Fireman’s Relief Association Act, according to the complaint.

“The Auditor General’s office made numerous attempts to get Bressler to comply with the audit, however he failed to,” Ralston wrote.

Bressler allegedly told Ralston during an Oct. 17 interview that he withdrew the money and gave it to a former fire company member who put it in another account for the purchase of a fire engine. He would not provide the former member’s name and said he did not know where the account was located, but claimed he could get the money back and return it to the relief association, according to the complaint.

Three days later, Bressler allegedly called the detective to admit he took the money and spent it. During a formal statement at the DA’s office on Oct. 24, Bressler said that he took the funds to pay off credit cards and other bills, according to the complaint.

Bressler is charged with third-degree felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property.

He was arraigned on Monday by District Judge Gregory Koehle and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 16.