Ex-Wayne County, NY, Fire Chief Arrested for Taking $100K from Department

Newark, N.Y. — A former fire chief was arrested Friday and charged with stealing over $100,000 from his volunteer fire department.

Williams Storrs is accused of using his position as treasurer and fire chief in the Marbletown Fire Department to steal money over four years, according to a news release from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

The Marbletown Fire Department, in Wayne County, was established in 1971 and has three engines, according to the department’s website.

In 2024, a fire department member tried to make a purchase with the department’s debit card but it was declined due to lack of funds, DiNapoli said in the release.

The department then reported potential theft to State Police.

Troopers found that between January 2020 and July 2024, Storrs stole $101,000, DiNapoli said.

He used fire department debit cards to make personal purchases and made direct payments from the department’s accounts, DiNapoli said.

Storrs allegedly used the money to pay off his wife’s credit card and purchase items from various retailers.

Storrs is charged with second-degree grand larceny.

Storrs was replaced as chief and suspended from the department in 2024 after the theft allegations.

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