By VDC staff
A longtime bookkeeper for the Tunbridge Fire Department has been charged with embezzling more than $180,000 from the volunteer department over a 10-year period, Vermont State Police said Wednesday.
Detective Trooper Mengbei Wang of the Royalton Barracks said the department contacted state police on Aug. 11, after discovering possible financial irregularities. An investigation and review of department financial records revealed that approximately $186,000 had been taken between 2014 and 2025.
Police identified the suspect as Jacqueline Higgins, 63, of Vershire, who had worked as the department’s bookkeeper since 1994. Investigators said discrepancies were uncovered during an audit, after which Higgins resigned from her position.
Higgins was arrested Wednesday, Nov. 5, and processed at the Berlin Barracks. She was released with a citation to appear at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 31, in Vermont Superior Court, Criminal Division, in Chelsea.
The affidavit of probable cause will be made public following Higgins’ arraignment.
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Categories: Crime, Uncategorized
Looks like she burned the fire department.
😂🤣
You’re on a roll tonight, Richard Day…
The numbers of these cases of embezzling from public entities seems to have backed off recently, but they were a chronic problem for a while. Those with the opportunity still know that IF you get caught, you MAY have to pay back SOME of the money. Vermont’s pathetic criminal justice system does not offer much deterrence to engage in that kind of activity.
Jail, beans and maybe a hotdog or two period!! Don’t you think 🤔!!
more like suspended sentence and a stern look from the judge while saying “dont do it again”…