Cop charged with misuse of volunteer firefighter funds in Bucks County

Brian Walter, 33, of Feasterville, allegedly used part of the money to buy a Wave Runner and pay for his own wedding and his brother's.

Walter held the positions of vice president, treasurer, and secretary of the executive board of the Feasterville Volunteer Firefighters Relief Association.

The grand jury presentment stated that the executive board "was perverted into a secret society for Brian Walter to pay himself, his family, and a privileged few."

Walter, who is listed as an assistant fire chief on the Feasterville Fire Company's website, was charged with theft by failing to make required disposition of funds, a third-degree felony, and three counts of tampering with public documents, also a third-degree felony. He also was charged with related misdemeanor offenses.

The payments were described as loans and were mostly repaid after January 2015, when the state auditors issued a report identifying $51,486 in unauthorized loans.

"If not for the tenacity of auditors from the Pennsylvania Department of Auditor General, it is questionable whether these checks would have ever been discovered," the presentment said.

Walter created fraudulent, backdated, and altered loan documents that he submitted to the state auditors, making it appear he was carefully tracking loan payments and collecting them in a timely fashion, prosecutors said.

The Auditor General's Office distributes millions of dollars to volunteer firefighter associations across the state. The money is designated by statute to provide for the safety and protection of volunteer firefighters, including benefits for on-duty deaths and injuries.

Besides himself, Walter provided funds to five others. He was the only person charged because he had a duty in his role on the executive board to follow the law, prosecutors said.

The charges do not involve Walter's role as a police officer.

Walter was arraigned Tuesday afternoon and released on $100,000 unsecured bail. His preliminary hearing was set for Tuesday.