Anderson fire captain arrested on charges of forgery and embezzlement, say police

JASON TAYLOR BELLINGER

Anderson Fire Protection District Captain Jason Taylor Bellinger was arrested Tuesday, Dec. 29, on a felony count of forgery and a misdemeanor count of embezzlement involving $350 allegedly taken from the Anderson Volunteer Firefighters association, according to an Anderson Police Department press release issued by Captain Robert Kirvin.

Bellinger, 36, of Anderson was booked into Shasta County Jail, Kirvin stated in the release. Bellinger was released Wednesday on his own recognizance, jail officials said.

On Oct. 9, Bellinger allegedly wrote out a $350 check payable to Cash from an account held by the Anderson Volunteer Firefighters association, according to Shasta County Deputy District Attorney Erin Dervin.

The association entrusted Bellinger with the funds on an understanding that Bellinger would purchase a newspaper advertisement backing certain candidates for the fire district’s board of directors election, Dervin said.

The Valley Post has no record of such an advertisement, according to General Manager Bill Dawson.

The plan to place an advertisement with the newspaper then allegedly evolved into purchasing fliers from Kinko’s with that money, Dervin said.

“That never happened either,” Dervin alleged. “He pocketed (the money) is what it comes down to.” Bellinger later told police that he used some of the money for gas and cigarettes, Dervin told the Record Searchlight.

In early December, Bellinger allegedly handed over to an association member a forged Kinko’s receipt dated Oct. 22, 2009, that detailed purchases amounting to $294.94, said Dervin, who called the receipt “a bad forgery.”

The only such store in Shasta County is a FedEx-Kinko's located on Churn Creek Road in Redding, but store officials noted the name difference and said the receipt was not theirs, Dervin added.

The association reported the alleged forgery of that receipt to Anderson Fire Chief Andy Nichols, who in turn contacted Anderson police on Dec. 9, Dervin said. Nichols also placed Bellinger on paid administrative leave at that time, Nichols told the Valley Post in a Dec. 29 phone interview.

Bellinger eventually returned $350 to the association “only after allegations were brought forward,” Nichols said. “It baffled me. I was shocked that he would do this.”

Nichols added that the fire district is also investigating whether the allegations are true.

“If they’re true, we’ll look into (reprimanding him), Nichols said. “Bellinger has been an outstanding firefighter with no (past) issues. He’s well respected by other firefighters and he’s very talented.”

Bellinger has no prior criminal record, Dervin said, but the felony charge for forgery could, if he is convicted, result in a state prison term of up to three years.

Following an investigation, Anderson police submitted their case to the district attorney’s office. The district attorney’s office issued a warrant for Bellinger’s arrest on Dec. 29, and police subsequently arrested and booked Bellinger at the county jail that same day, Kirvin’s release stated.

Fire district board member Paul Bosetti said during a phone interview Tuesday that the charges, if true, are a breach of public trust.

“That’s against the code of the firemen. You’re going into people’s houses,” Bosetti said.

One of the district’s longest-tenured firefighters and one of three captains, Bellinger was also at one time the district’s union representative with International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Since November, Bellinger has received disability payments from the district following a herniated disc injury, according to a report at the Nov. 10 fire district meeting.

The firefighters association supports the fire district with fund raisers. The association provided for equipment such as a $5,000 metal cutters and toys for children at the annual Christmas tree lighting.

Ironically, the organization could have violated their non-profit status had Bellinger placed the advertisement or if the association distributed election campaign fliers.

The association carries the Internal Revenue Service tax-exempt status of Section 501(c)3, Nichols said.

Organizations with that status "... may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates," according to the IRS Web site.

The association also attempted to make direct campaign contributions to Don Matheson's campaign contribution on Oct. 16, but Matheson's committee realized that the volunteer organization was ineligible to make those contributions considering their non-profit status.