In 2006, Webster Fire Chief Shawn Mitchell was put on Administrative leave in Webster, while he was under investigation for suspected theft charges at the Concord Fire Dept where he was Deputy Fire Chief. Later, after investigation, it was found that Mitchell had at his house over $3,000 worth of Webster computer equipment that he had neglected to turn over to the town upon being asked to return all Webster property.
Sullivan County Attorney Marc Hathaway dropped 23 theft-related charges against Mitchell in exchange for his guilty pleas on two charges: one felony count of theft by unauthorized taking for taking Concord’s fire equipment and giving it to Webster and one count of mis-using a Concord credit card to make $830 in purchases.
Town of Webster, NH credit card statements show that a town-owned card was used 17 times to buy pornography online.
But while he pleaded guilty to those charges, Mitchell didn’t commit the crimes he was accused of in Webster, said his attorney, Mark Sisti. Mitchell agreed to pay the town $394, Sisti likened that to a civil settlement and said it didn’t mean Mitchell was guilty of buying the pornography.
Mitchell’s six-month jail sentence began in March (out of a year sentence), but he was placed on administrative home confinement this summer after he flipped his truck in a work-release program and broke his back.
Atty Mark Sisti said yesterday that Mitchell is doing better but wouldn’t comment on whether he was working again or where he was living, apart from saying Mitchell no longer lives in Merrimack County. As part of the conditions of his first sentence, Mitchell is not allowed to work in firefighting, emergency medical care or law enforcement.
Mitchell was also under investigation at the time for possibly setting fire to a Webster building.
Hopefully the town of Webster has disputed the porn charges online and had the balance of funds returned to them!!!!!!!
Sources:
Concord Monitor article July 7, 2006
