Tampa Fire Captain Plead Guilty To Charity Theft

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A Tampa fire captain has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges for embezzling more than $187,000 from a children’s charity that was founded by his father.

The Tampa Tribune (http://bit.ly/1IlZx4l ) reported Tuesday that 50-year-old Alfred Schaffer faces up to 20 years in prison under terms of the plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in Tampa.

Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman Jason Penny says Schaffer was suspended from his job Monday.

Officials say Schaffer took the money from Hope Children’s Home through access he had in his side job as the home’s business manager and chief financial officer. The plea agreement says the thefts began in 2007 and continued through October 2011.

Court documents show the scheme involved more than 100 checks Schaffer wrote to himself.