Treasurer Pleads Guilty To Stealing From Carle Place FD: DA

A former treasurer of the Carle Place Fire Department pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges connected using his department-issued credit card to spending more than $50,000 for his personal benefit, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced.

William Weingarten, 65, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny charges. He is expected to be sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $54,053.33 in restitution.

“We rely on our fire departments to keep our communities safe, but this unscrupulous treasurer used funds meant for emergency services to pay for NASCAR and iTunes,” Singas said in a press release.

The DA says Weingarten used his department-issued credit card to make $54,053.33 worth of unauthorized purchases from Jan. 1, 2014 to Sept. 24, 2017. Purchases included iTunes payments, a NASCAR membership, automobile parts, gasoline, electronics and meals at restaurants, the DA said.

Weingarten's duties as treasurer were to maintain the books, issue checks and make deposits for the department. He served 22 years with the department before resigning as treasurer.

The fire department's board referred this case to the NCDA on Sept. 21 following an external audit of the department's finances. He was arrested in October.

“Anyone entrusted with the protection of public funds has an important responsibility, and we take betrayals of that trust very seriously," Singas said. "I thank the Carle Place Fire Department for bringing this matter to our attention.”

Image via NCDA