Document text
Since You Asked: Former District 3 firefighter got prison time in Virginia Wednesday Mar 1, 2017 at 12:01 AM I remember stories about a former fire chief who was charged with fraud. Whatever happened to him? — No name given Local court records show that former Fire District No. 3 Battalion Chief Brandon Boyd Mitchell has a warrant out for his arrest after he failed to make a Jackson County Circuit Court appearance Jan. 23, but he's got a good excuse when he finally turns up: He's in a Virginia prison. Mitchell pleaded no-contest in Virginia to six counts of forgery and fraud in September. On Jan. 5, Mitchell was sentenced to 12 years, according to an article in the Roanoke Times, though the sentence may be suspended after he serves two years. He could be eligible for work release down the line, but Virginia Department of Corrections records show that Mitchell is lodged in the Rockbridge Regional Jail. For those just tuning in, Mitchell faces local charges of first-degree theft, fraudulent use of a credit card and computer crime, alleging he fraudulently used a District 3 credit card to make more than $2,000 in purchases between September 2013 and February 2014, and falsified invoices from Sears and Lithia Nissan to justify the purchases, previous reports and court records show. In Virginia court, his defense lawyer said he was facing financial pressure from a child suffering from mental illness and a wife diagnosed with cancer. Mitchell began work at District 3 in July 2012 and resigned in June 2014; he was hired on as a battalion chief and reached the title of interim operations chief. In October 2014, he moved to Virginia, where he became the Rockbridge County director of Fire and Emergency Medical Services before facing fraud charges there that began when his $70,000 Porsche Cayenne SUV went missing. The Cayenne had been used as collateral for a $30,000 loan, but at the time he signed for the loan, Mitchell had already sold the vehicle to his uncle, a car salesman in Georgia. Further investigation showed that he falsified District 3 pay stubs and professional certifications, though Virginia prosecutors ultimately dropped the charge that he fabricated a Jackson County court document. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.