Bluffton Fire District under criminal inquiry for alleged embezzlement, SLED confirms
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is actively investigating allegations of embezzlement involving the Bluffton Township Fire District.
On March 14, the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office requested that SLED investigate these allegations, said Renee Wunderlich, a spokesperson for the state law enforcement agency. The criminal investigation is active and ongoing.
SLED’s investigation was first reported Wednesday night by Mitchell Black of The Post and Courier. The Island Packet independently verified the information with SLED.
SLED’s investigation comes after months of secretive probes into the fire district’s leadership. It started in February when Paul Boulware, the district’s former chief, was replaced suddenly and Beaufort County opened an investigation. Despite questions about the nature of the county’s probe, the trigger and scope of the investigation have not been disclosed.
Since then, the investigation has also been referred to the South Carolina Ethics Commission.
On April 29, the board’s Chairman, Rick Krob, was suspended from actions he took in relation to the pending investigation involving the former chief. Krob’s suspension will last until the investigation is over and when a permanent new chief is hired by the county administrator.
On Tuesday, the district’s board of commissioners agreed to advertise the position for a permanent chief and for the interim chief to research possible recruitment agencies.
