Lincolnton fire official investigated in missing money case

The State Bureau of Investigation has launched an inquiry into allegations that Lincolnton Fire Department assistant chief Bill Fortenberry committed financial crimes related to his duties as treasurer of the Lincoln County chapter of the North Carolina Firefighters’ Burned Children Fund, the Lincoln Times-News reported Friday.

Bryan Lynch, a Boger City firefighter and vice president of the local Firefighters’ Burned Children Fund, confirmed the investigation was related to a misappropriation of money. The newspaper reported that about $30,000 is missing from the fund.

A city official said Friday afternoon that Fortenberry had resigned, reported WBTV, a news partner of the Observer.

The SBI’s Harrisburg-based Southern Piedmont district office received a request Thursday to conduct the inquiry, SBI spokeswoman Shannon O’Toole said in an email.

“The request was to look into the possibility of financial crimes,” O’Toole said. “We didn’t get specifics, but Mr. Fortenberry was mentioned.”

The request came from the Lincoln County District Attorney’s office, O’Toole said, but originated with the Lincolnton Police Department.

“Based on how we work cases, we initially do not list individuals as suspects, subjects, etc, as local departments do with their ... reports,” O’Toole said. “During an inquiry and investigation, we can change the status of an individual as evidence comes to light.” Staff Reports

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Lincolnton fire official investigated in missing money case."