Former Millville fire company treasurer gets six months in jail

A former treasurer of the Millville Volunteer Fire Company was sentenced to six months in prison plus six months of home confinement after pleading guilty to stealing company funds.

Justin Oakley, 37, of Dagsboro, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of more than $50,000 but less than $100,000 in October. Besides following his prison term and home confinement time, Oakley faces one year probation and must pay $5,000 restitution, Delaware Department of Justice spokesman Carl Kanefsky said.

Oakley was arrested in May 2016 after it was discovered that he was using company funds for personal expenses. In 2015, company officials noticed discrepencies in their financial statements and contacted the state Office of Auditor of Accounts. When confronted, Oakley admitted to using money for personal expenses and was immediately suspended.

The auditor’s review of the company’s accounts from 2012 to 2015 showed that Oakley used $190,000 of fire company funds for personal transactions. Among other things, he took $39,000 in ATM withdrawals and made $18,000 in personal purchases including items such as truck tires, a boat slip rental and guns.

After pleading guilty, Oakley faced up to eight years in prison.