TOWN OF VERNON – The former financial secretary of the Cambridge Springs Firefighters Carnival is expected to stand trial next year in district court for allegedly stealing money from the organization.
In September, Christian French, 47, of Cambridge Springs, was charged by the Cambridge Springs Police Department with stealing more than $7,000 from the Cambridge Springs Volunteer Fire Department’s carnival account. The police claim that the theft took place between 2017 and 2021.
On Tuesday, French waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Lincoln Zilhaver on a total of 18 charges filed by police. By waiving his right to a hearing, French was automatically ordered to stand trial in Crawford County Court of Common Pleas on all charges.
The criminal complaint and arrest affidavit alleges French made $7,243.37 in debit card transactions for his own benefit. He is accused of receiving $1,100.02 via debit card in 2017; $4,049.15 in 2018; $486.49 in 2019; $49.07 in 2020; and $1,558.64 in 2021. French was the carnival’s financial secretary at the time, the statement said. He is also a former fire department chief.
Police filed charges Sept. 21 after receiving a forensic audit of the carnival’s finances from the fire department.
The fire department first contacted borough police in April about unauthorized transactions using the Carnival account’s debit card, which was issued in French, the affidavit said.
On March 17, French was confronted by the fire department’s board of directors about the unauthorized transactions, and French admitted to making them, the affidavit said. French’s membership with the fire department was terminated at that point, the statement said.
HBK Valuation Group LLC then conducted a forensic audit of the account at the request of the fire department, the statement said. That audit was completed on August 23, the statement said.
In a Sept. 15 interview with Cambridge Springs police, French admitted to making unauthorized transactions on the account, the affidavit said.
French was then charged by police with two counts each of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and theft by deception, all third-degree felonies; and four counts each of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and theft by deception, all first-degree misdemeanors.
French remains free on non-monetary bond pending trial. His trial is scheduled for the March 2023 term of the district criminal court.
