The former Secretary-Treasurer of Richland Fire Department accused of the theft of department funds, has admitted guilt and been sentenced. Her sentence includes paying restitution to the department in the amount of $3,854.89.

Jamie Sherer, 34 at the time of the incident and her arrest last August, now 35, of Bloomfield, who had served as Richland Fire’s Secretary-Treasurer since April of 2017, allegedly used the department’s debit card to make unapproved cash withdrawals, make personal purchases and pay personal bills in an amount over $4,000.

Bloomfield Town Marshal Kenneth Tharp started investigating the case after Richland Fire’s board president reported the missing funds in early July of 2018.

Tharp reported that of the three members of the department that had access to the debit card, two were eliminated as suspects through polygraph examinations but the third, Sherer, retained legal counsel who told Tharp that Sherer would not be talking to him. Tharp also noted that Sherer was the only person who knew the PIN number for the card.

In August of 2018, as a result of Tharp’s investigation, Greene County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Keven McIntosh filed a criminal case against Sherer and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

Sherer was taken into custody and when she appeared in court for an initial hearing, she was charged with: Theft – where the value of the property is between $750 and $50,000, a Level 6 felony.

In March, a negotiated plea agreement was reached, signed by Sherer, Public Defender Alan Baughman who was appointed to represent her, and Chief Deputy Prosecutor Keven McIntosh.

During a hearing in Greene Superior Court last Wednesday morning, Sherer changed her plea to guilty of the Level 6 felony theft.

Sherer was sentenced to 1 ½ years in the Greene County Jail with all suspended except for 90 days which she can serve on home detention as long as she complies with the rules of the program administered by Greene County Community Corrections.

After she has served her time, she will be on supervised probation for 1 ½ years.

In addition, she was ordered to pay restitution to Richland Fire and pay various court costs, a fine and probation administrative and users fees.