Springfield man denies embezzlement charge

A former Rockingham town employee pleaded innocent Tuesday to a charge he had a family member steal close to 500 gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline belonging to the town to heat his own home.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120202/NEWS02/702029884

Published February 2, 2012 in the Rutland Herald
Springfield man denies embezzlement charge

By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer

BRATTLEBORO – A former Rockingham town employee pleaded innocent Tuesday to a charge he had a family member steal close to 500 gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline belonging to the town to heat his own home.

Michael C. Wheeler, 51, of Springfield, was arraigned in Brattleboro criminal court on the charge of embezzlement, a felony.

He had been discharged by the town of Rockingham in early January, after an investigation by the Bellows Falls Police Department, prompted by a tip from the town’s fuel dealer, uncovered the problem.

According to court records, Wheeler directed the family member to use fuel keys he had taken from the town highway garage in November to get 389 gallons of diesel fuel and 99 gallons of gasoline. The fuel was used to heat his home, Wheeler told detectives, and the gasoline was put in his family member’s vehicle to deliver the diesel fuel to his Springfield home. Total value of the fuel was $1,558, court records stated.

According to court records, the family member went daily to the Cota and Cota fuel depot in Bellows Falls and used fuel keys that he believed belonged to Wheeler.

Wheeler told police investigators that his family member didn’t know that he had stolen the town’s fuel keys until two days before police started investigating after a Cota and Cota employee reported “suspicious” activity to the town using its fuel keys.

The Cota and Cota employee said that the man, later identified as Wheeler’s family member, had put gasoline into a Chevy Trail Blazer and told the Cota employee the diesel fuel was for a skidder.

Windham County State’s Attorney Tracy Shriver declined to comment on why she hadn’t charged Wheeler’s family member in the scheme as well, but said she hadn’t ruled out additional charges or additional defendants in the case.

According to court records, Wheeler had injured his knee in October and was out on sick leave at the time of the alleged thefts.

Rockingham Town Manager Timothy Cullenen said he had “immediately” changed the method of the town getting fuel after the thefts were uncovered.

He declined to say what those changes were. According to court affidavits, the fuel keys were assigned to a dump truck no longer used by the town, and the town’s street sweeper.

Cullenen said that the town purchases fuel from the Cota & Cota Fuel Co. fuel depot in Bellows Falls, using a key system and that there were keys assigned to the town of Rockingham. He said that Wheeler worked for the town of Rockingham’s highway department. Court records stated that Wheeler’s family member had previously worked for the town as well.

If convicted, Michael Wheeler faces a possible 10 years in prison and a $1,000 fine.