Former Ware fire chief indicted for embezzling $28K

NORTHAMPTON — A former Ware fire chief was indicted by a Hampshire County grand jury for allegedly embezzling more than $28,000 from the town and three regional fire associations, according to the state’s Office of the Inspector General.

The indictment against Thomas Coulombe, the fire chief for 17 years before being suspended by the Select Board and demoted in 2019 for showing favoritism toward his son, was handed up in Hampshire Superior Court Thursday.

Coulombe will be arraigned on four counts of larceny over $1,200 at a future date. He is accused of submitting false and inflated reimbursement requests to the town of Ware and for allegedly stealing funds from the nonprofit fire associations, for which he served as treasurer.

The case followed an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General based on a tip, with the results of the investigation shared with the Northwestern district attorney’s office for prosecution. The Northwestern DA’s office then referred the matter to the Worcester district attorney’s office to avoid any appearance of conflict.

A 38-year-member of the department before his retirement in 2021, Coulombe was Ware’s fire chief from 2002 to 2019. The indictments allege that between 2014 and 2019, he submitted reimbursement requests to the town for expenses that he did not incur and that he overstated his expenses with false or altered receipts. Using this scheme, he allegedly stole more than $3,700 from the town.

Overlapping with his service as fire chief, Coulombe served as treasurer of the nonprofit fire associations that are funded by area communities. Those associations are not being identified by the Worcester district attorney’s office because the case remains active. The indictments allege that between 2013 and 2020, Coulombe embezzled more than $24,000 from those associations.

— Scott Merzbach]]>