Christopher Chapman, a former fire chief of the Blackberry Volunteer Fire Department in Pike County, has been sentenced to one year in prison. U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell delivered the sentence on Monday. Chapman, 36, was found guilty of theft of public funds.
In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act allocated emergency funds to communities to help sustain essential services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In Spring 2022, Pike County authorized $50,000 in grants for purchasing safety equipment and maintaining facilities. Chapman applied for and received these funds on behalf of his department.
Chapman established a company called Rural Public Safety Equipment, LLC, but concealed his ownership. He claimed to procure fire safety gear at discounted rates for his department, securing a prepayment of $76,854.50. However, the equipment was never delivered, and Chapman misused the funds for personal expenses, withdrawing $61,500 in cash.
Chapman is required to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay $76,854.50 in restitution.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Paul McCaffrey, FBI Special Agent Michael E. Stansbury, and Bruce Roberts from the Kentucky Fire Commission. The investigation involved the FBI and the Kentucky Fire Commission, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Dunn-Pirio handled the prosecution.
The public is encouraged to report any suspected COVID-19 fraud to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud.
