Grant G. Gaspard, 51, faces about three years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 30

Grant G. Gaspard, 51, faces about three years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 30.
former assistant chief for South King Fire and Rescue who took hundreds of thousands of dollars from the department pleaded guilty to mail fraud in federal court in Seattle.It was just expensive phone calls and a mystery high-definition television that raised the initial suspicions, but federal agents say their investigation found that Gaspard bilked his department out more than $500,000.In a federal complaint, Gaspard was accused of multiple counts of mail and wire fraud related to thefts spread out over a period of several years.Gaspard was so efficient with the fraud, the complaint said, that even state auditors missed the thefts in the their regular inspections and, as recently as July 9, 2008, noted that the fire district's "internal controls were adequate to safeguard public assets."When confronted in July by the department chief about the questionable phone bills and TV purchase, Gaspard was placed on paid leave and a private law firm was hired to check the stations finances.The law firm brought in the FBI, whose agents believe Gaspard used phony invoices, fake work orders, and improper department credit card purchases to obtain cash and personal items.Gaspard, 51, was the department's chief financial officer, and oversaw business operations and the department computer system.
Writing in the federal complaint, FBI Special Agent Glenn Conca said Gaspard obtained about $330,000 from the department by approving purchase orders for nonexistent communications equipment from a company called Atwrx.The payments were mailed to a private mailbox rented by Gaspard at a UPS store in Tumwater, and most of the checks were deposited into a bank account controlled by Gaspard.In addition to the fake orders, investigators say Gaspard purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of personal property with his department credit card and submitted falsified expense reports.When he was confronted by the chief in mid-July, Gaspard allegedly destroyed large volumes of e-mail that contained documentation he submitted to justify the fraudulent purchases. Gaspard resigned from the department July 31