An employee of the Storm Lake Firefighters Association has been charged with theft.
On Thursday, September 14th, 2023, the Storm Lake Police Department was notified of discrepancies in financial records regarding the Storm Lake Firefighters Association.
Police allege that a Treasurer for the Firefighters Association, identified as 28-year-old Jesus Rojo, of Storm Lake, misappropriated approximately $7,770 in association funds for his own personal use from January to July of 2023.
Rojo was taken into custody without incident on Thursday being charged with Theft 2nd Degree, a Class D Felony. Rojo was transported to the Buena Vista County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
Below is a statement from Storm Lake Firefighters Association President Adam Kutz…
“This week, a volunteer firefighter was charged with theft of funds from the Storm Lake Firefighters Association. That member of the fire department has been placed on leave pending investigation into the case.”This week, a volunteer firefighter was charged with theft of funds from the Storm Lake Firefighters Association. That member of the fire department has been placed on leave pending investigation into the case.
The missing funds are not part of the city or SLFD accounts, but a separate fund that comes from public donations. It is administrated by the association for the needs of the volunteers. The funds assist with such things as uniforms, personal equipment and fire safety education materials.
On behalf of the Association, we are disheartened to see such an incident occur. Your fire department works hard to earn the public’s trust, and will continue to do so. The actions of one individual should not detract from the good work our volunteer firefighters perform to keep their community safe.
We will arrange for an outside audit of the association’s funds to determine the full impact of the losses, and will be making certain changes in policies for handling of funds to ensure that an incident like this will not be repeated.”
