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A former Bartlesville, Okla., firefighter who is a member of the Bartlesville Professional Firefighters Association is accused of embezzling $166,653 from the firefighters insurance fund, the Associated Press reported.

Lloyd Douglas Lay, 39, was arrested on 35 complaints of forgery, 34 complaints of embezzlement and one count of attempted embezzlement, according to police Lt. Mike Richardson.

Lay was in charge of handling the insurance fund and is accused of writing checks to himself from the fund account and forging signatures of other members on the checks, Richardson said.

Police began investigating after members of the executive board of the Firefighters Association reported the suspected embezzlement, Richardson said.

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Topics Oklahoma