FBI examination according to Tonawanda bank account, NY, the fire brigade wiped out

Stephen T. Watson

The Buffalo News, NY

(TNS)

The Sheridan Park volunteer company has been collecting money from the community for almost a century to support its business in the city of Tonawanda.

Now the company fears a lot – if not everyone – from this money is gone.

The Sheridan Park officers reported on their findings by the city police and the authorities are now examining whether theft, according to the police, the public prosecutor and the fire brigade, took place.

“Based on our accounting, the missing funds are regrettably collected over 96 years about various funds and donations,” said the company in a Buffalo News explanation.

The police of the city of Tonawanda asked FBI experts for financial pollution to take over the case.

“On January 22, 2025, we began to investigate the theft of the Sheridan Park volunteer fires,” said police chief James Stauffiger. “Due to the complexity of the case, we transferred it to the FBI investigators in the Buffalo Field Office of the FBI on January 27th.”

This is not unusual, since the laws on the law enforcement authorities have more experience and more staff available in order to examine alleged financial uninvitation. Vogel said the value of the loss was a factor whether federal agents will record the probe.

“I mean, if it is $ 500, it won't be a federal problem,” she said. “The old expression” this is not a federal case “, isn't it that you couldn't do it. But you will probably not be interested.”

The US law firm in Buffalo informed the news that it does not confirm or denied the existence of investigations.

The police from Tonawanda, the office of the DA and the fire brigade refused to say how much money the organization could not be taken into account.

The Sheridan Park volunteer fire achieved almost 342,000 US dollars of savings at the end of 2023 after his latest publicly accessible IRS registration.

The authorities have published little information about the situation, including the refinement of company members that the money had disappeared.

The police of the city of Tonawanda said it received a walk -in complaint on January 22. Due to the ongoing investigation, the department rejected an application for information rights for the report.

Kait Munro, a spokesman for the district prosecutor of Erie County, Michael Keane, gave a brief explanation in response to questions from the news.

“Our office examines a complaint with a reported theft of the Sheridan Park Fire Company,” said Munro.

Ultimately, said Vogel, the prosecutors will testify which charges, if at all, are best applies and where it makes most sense to pursue the case.

“The Federal Supreme Court will cope with larger cases than we do,” she said of local, district and state courts. “But for the most part it has to do with where they get the greatest bang for their money. And that will depend on who has the tools to work on it. “

The reported theft raises the questions whether it was the tax revenue of the Sheridan Park Fire District or whether this could affect the company's fire -fighting skills.

The company tried to dispel these concerns in his explanation.

“We want [assure] The public that there was no money tax, ”said Sheridan Park. “Please know that this is our ability to serve our district and our community, not to fight and to react to emergencies.”

Paul Palaltrant, the President of the fire brigade company, refused an additional comment after he had made the explanation of the news early Wednesday evening.

The news initially contacted the Palalentrant on Tuesday and he agreed to speak to a reporter on Wednesday morning before canceled the interview. Later he spoke to WIVB TV.

Sheridan Park is both a voluntary fire brigade company and a fire brigade district, said Robert Lutz, coordinator of the city's emergency services.

The fire brigade district is a political subdivision that brings the income from property tax for the fire trucks, the equipment, the turnout, maintenance and the supply companies in its hall and other fire protection costs, said Lutz.

Fire brigade districts in New York are monitored by the State Competroller office. Your finances are subject to an annual review and you are subject to a chosen board of fire commissioners.

The compatroller office has not checked the Sheridan Park Fire District in the past 25 years, said a spokesman.

Fire Districts such as Sheridan Park in Tonawanda in detail their expenses in the budgets submitted every year to the city.

The Sheridan Park Fire District planned to issue a little more than $ 1 million for fire services in 2025. This is based on his budget on the city website with 905,000 US dollars through property taxes and 108,000 US dollars through a fire protection contract.

These income is kept separated by the volunteer fire brigade, essentially the fire brigade of the district, which works as a non -profit organization, from a money.

Firefighters collect money from fish dumbbells, chicken grill dinner, competitions, rental renters and other sources, he said.

This money is used to cover the department costs that are not directly related to fire protection, said Lutz, such as social activities or pressure t-shirts for members and their families.

The non -profit voluntary company Sheridan Park generated sales of $ 105,000 in 2023 and had $ 73,000 in the amount of $ 73,000. After the financial disclosure form of the company submitted in November, the organization was left with $ 342,000.

“This is money that the members accept to support the social side of the department,” said Lutz. “So, Fire Districts, you know, cannot go out and just organize a party. But the fire brigade can use its donations to say: “Hey, we will have a big Christmas party.” “

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