Former Fallston Fire Chief Faces Charges Involving Company's Finances

FALLSTON, MD — The former chief of the Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company has been indicted in connection to the theft of tens of thousands of dollars from the company.

Daniel J. McKinney, 37, faces five counts of felony theft and a single count of embezzlement. McKinney was arrested Wednesday and released on a $25,000 unsecured personal bond. Court records state that McKinney reportedly began stealing from the fire company in July 2019 and continued to make unofficial charges on a company credit card until at least Jan. 31, according to WMAR.

According to Fallston Volunteer Fire Company President Christopher Gibbons, the fire company's board of directors uncovered irregular purchases on a company credit card. The fire company released a statement about the situation.

"The Board of Directors discovered some irregular purchases on an issued company credit card. Further investigation revealed possible criminal activity which led to the incident being turned over to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. All information was turned over to detectives to utilize. The sheriff’s office worked diligently and turned over their findings to the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for disposition. Charges were subsequently filed via grand jury indictment, and the case is now in the hands of the State’s Attorney's Office. As this is still an active case, we would refer any questions to the State’s Attorney’s Office."

In 2024, McKinney had issued a public letter stating that the department was experiencing financial challenges, WBFF reported. It is unknown at this time if the financial challenges were related to the charges he faces.

McKinney is no longer a member of the fire and ambulance company as of Feb. 2.