Fraud allegations aim at Goshen's fire fund

GOSHEN — An investigation into alleged fraudulent activities in the volunteer fire department is continuing, but no charges are being considered at the moment, officials say.

Findings from an Utah County Sheriff's Office investigation into activities by former fire chief Jason Keddington and assistant fire chief Richard Wolf were recently referred to the Utah County Attorney's Office.

Goshen's prosecuting attorney, Brett Rich, also is reviewing them.

The Deseret Morning News filed a Government Records Access and Management Act request for information with the Utah County Attorney's Office, which responded that charges are not being considered "right now" because the allegations are still under investigation.

The accusations involve alleged misappropriation of money in a special fund the fire department used for incidental expenses, Utah County Sheriff Lt. Jaron Durfey said. There's nothing illegal about such funds, Durfey said, but acknowledged, "The town manager may not have been aware of its legality."

Town manager Bruce Sutton was hired in March and has been systematically going through the town records.

Special funds, which many city fire departments in Utah use to buy incidentals, are a common practice. Investigating detectives thought the town had oversight over the fund, but Sutton said city officials were unaware of the account.

Sutton questioned the purpose of the fund after learning of it. No town invoices were used for items purchased with the money and it was never audited, he said.

"It wasn't that they had (a fund); it was the use of it," Goshen Councilman Steven Staheli said.

The fund was reportedly used for fire department parties, wedding presents and similar items for firefighters.

The money was placed in a bank account under the names of Keddington and Wolf. When fire officials changed, the name of the new officials were placed on the account, Keddington said. It never had more than a few hundred dollars in it, he added.

"It was a regular business account," he said. "It wasn't a slush fund. It was a kitty."

Sutton said it was not an official town account and that funds placed in it should have been directed to the town, Sutton said.

Keddington said some former mayors often diverted funds to the account that were received specifically for the fire department.