Former Little River-Academy Fire Chief, Son Indicted

Father's Day will be here before you know it, and if you planned on getting together with dad for some family fun, try to keep it legal.

A father and son duo were indicted in Bell County Wednesday in connection to the alleged theft of thousands of dollars from the Little-River Academy Volunteer Fire Department.

Our partners at News 10 report that former chief of the department, 48-year-old David Borders, and his 28-year-old son, William Borders, were arrested in December of 2018. David was charged with theft of property more than $30,000, but less than $150,000. William was named in an indictment charging debit card abuse.

The charges stemmed from an investigation that began in June of 2018 after a representative of the department reported some issues with financial records.

It was reportedly learned that several cash advances were drawn from the department's checking account without justification. Investigators say surveillance footage from ATMs showed David and William using the department's debit card to make withdrawals having nothing to do with department activities.

If the allegations are true, those withdrawals ranged from $1,000 to $4,000 per month.

Ouch.

Sadly, the financial fiasco has continued to cause tension in Little River-Academy. At a May 9 City Council meeting, Mayor Drew Lenham requested increased transparency concerning the volunteer fire department's finances. Fire Chief Dennis Fastzkie said the department has nothing to hide, and seemed to resent a perceived implication that it might.

It probably wasn't the mayor's intention to imply anything, but it's sad to see a town divided in the wake of alleged selfish behavior.