Monica Hernandez / Eyewitness News
HARVEY, La. -- Out of town trips with family members, lavish dinners, and expensive bar tabs, all on the taxpayer dime.
A series of 4 Investigates reports revealed top officials in the Harvey Volunteer Fire Department #2 were making questionable purchases with public funds. Now one of those officials has been arrested.
Eyewitness News has confirmed President and Deputy Chief Mike Reason was booked Wednesday morning on two counts of filing false public records and one count of felony theft. He has been released on $10,000 bond.
President and Deputy Chief Mike Reason was booked Wednesday morning on two counts of filing false public records and one count of felony theft over $1,500. He has been released on $10,000 bond.
A spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said investigation continues into Harvey Volunteer Fire Company #2.
"This is taxpayer money. These people should be the stewards of that money, and somehow they crossed over to believing this money could be theirs," said Anthony Radosti, vice president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission.
The MCC spent hours pouring over thousands of pages of financial records to help bring potential wrongdoing to light. It reported its findings to the JPSO, the legislative auditor and the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office.
"Oh, it sends a message. As we've progressed, we're seeing law enforcement being more diligent going after public corruption. That's something we need here," said Radosti.
Harvey Volunteer Fire Company #2 recieves nearly $3 million each year. And since 4 Investigates first reported on the non-profit contractor, the Jefferson Parish council limited travel for volunteer fire departments and banned the use of parish money for alcohol.
"What we're finding is the contracts we had with volunteer fire companies conflicted with parish law and state law, so we've worked to bring those in line," said Jefferson Parish Councilman At Large Chris Roberts. "The disappointment, unfortunately, is this has certainly cast a black cloud over our fire service. We've got a lot of dedicated men and women that do the right job ever day."
Officials with the MCC said authorities are reviewing at least one other top official with the volunteer fire department. Radosti anticipates more arrests.
Parish President John Young said he would not comment on personnel issues or the investigation. But when the reports first came to light, Young asked the legislative auditor to investigate. According to Roberts, the Jefferson Parish Suditor is now reviewing expenditures for all parish fire departments to make sure there aren't other questionnable cases.
