The former chief of a Pike County volunteer fire department is under federal indictment and accused of embezzling money intended for safety equipment. 35-year-old Christopher Chapman, of Ransom, was arrested Friday morning after being charged with one count of federal program theft. Chapman served as chief of the Blackberry Volunteer Fire Department, when the indictment alleges, he informed the department in April of 2022 that they could get safety equipment at cost from a company called Rural Public Safety Equipment LLC.

But Rural Public Safety Equipment was actually a company that he had formed himself that same month. Over the next few months, the fire department received two grants totaling $50,000 from the fiscal court and used that money to prepay for equipment from his company. However, instead of using the money to fulfill the orders, the indictment alleges Chapman withdrew cash on several occasions for his own personal use.

If convicted, Chapman could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and up to 25-thousand dollars in fines. Prosecutors are also asking that he be ordered to repay the missing money.