Investigation: Money Missing from Jeremy Tighe Memorial Fund
By: Jordan Vandenberge
Updated: February 18, 2013
We're just a few days short of a year since the death of volunteer McCutchanville Firefighters Jeremy Tighe. Now, Eyewitness News has learned some money from a memorial fund set up in Tighe's honor has gone missing.
Jeremy Tighe died last February when the fire truck he was riding in crashed along St. Joseph Avenue just a few hundred yards from the fire station.
Since the tragedy, the fire department and community have been raising money as part of the Jeremy Tighe Memorial Scholarship Fund. But now some questionable activity in the fund's account has prompted an investigation.
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It will soon be one year.
It will soon be one year since the volunteer McCutchanville firefighter went on an emergency run and died on the way back. It will soon be a year since the procession, the funeral and the tears. It will soon be a year since a memorial fund was set up in the name of Jeremy Tighe.
But in the last few weeks, Eyewitness News has learned some of the money as part of that fund has gone missing.
McCutchanville Fire Captain Brad Burgdorf says a member of the board for the scholarship fund noticed the account was missing a large amount of money in excess of $4000.
Through t-shirts and other events, members of the McCutchanville Fire Department had raised money for the memorial fund. That money would then be given as a scholarship to a student who makes a difference in the community. But officials say bank statements of the fund's account show 15 to 20 Paypal transactions that withdrew some of the donations.
Captain Burgdorf says a report was then filed with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office. Since then, there has been more than $4000 placed back in the account. Furthermore, Burgdorf said in a statement, 'We felt due to the amount of publicity this fund has received, it was not up to us to decide if the money was intentionally taken. Therefore we turned it over to the sheriff's office to investigate.
Burgdorf says he will provide additional comment whenever the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office reviews the case and decides whether charges are necessary.
We'll keep you updated.
Jeremy Tighe died last February when the fire truck he was riding in crashed along St. Joseph Avenue just a few hundred yards from the fire station.
Since the tragedy, the fire department and community have been raising money as part of the Jeremy Tighe Memorial Scholarship Fund. But now some questionable activity in the fund's account has prompted an investigation.
***
It will soon be one year.
It will soon be one year since the volunteer McCutchanville firefighter went on an emergency run and died on the way back. It will soon be a year since the procession, the funeral and the tears. It will soon be a year since a memorial fund was set up in the name of Jeremy Tighe.
But in the last few weeks, Eyewitness News has learned some of the money as part of that fund has gone missing.
McCutchanville Fire Captain Brad Burgdorf says a member of the board for the scholarship fund noticed the account was missing a large amount of money in excess of $4000.
Through t-shirts and other events, members of the McCutchanville Fire Department had raised money for the memorial fund. That money would then be given as a scholarship to a student who makes a difference in the community. But officials say bank statements of the fund's account show 15 to 20 Paypal transactions that withdrew some of the donations.
Captain Burgdorf says a report was then filed with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office. Since then, there has been more than $4000 placed back in the account. Furthermore, Burgdorf said in a statement, 'We felt due to the amount of publicity this fund has received, it was not up to us to decide if the money was intentionally taken. Therefore we turned it over to the sheriff's office to investigate.
Burgdorf says he will provide additional comment whenever the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office reviews the case and decides whether charges are necessary.
We'll keep you updated.
