WARDEN, Wash. — The former fire chief for Grant County Fire District 4 is facing theft and fraud charges accused of stealing county funds.
According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the district commissioners discovered discrepancies among its petty cash, bank, and credit card accounts in November of 2024.
Grant County Major Crimes detectives say Kevin Whitaker is accused of taking more than $30,000 intended for the district’s bank account and placing that money into a petty cash account.
Whitaker is then suspected of forging signatures and writing himself checks from the petty cash account for more than $30,000.
Detectives say between October 2022 and November 2024, Whitaker is suspected of forging signatures more than 150 times to write himself 102 checks.
GCSO says it’s suspected Whitaker used the funds to support a gambling addiction.
Whitaker was hired as fire chief in August 2022, placed on administrative leave November 2024, and no longer works as chief.
Travis Svilar is operating as interim fire chief.
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