Former Muse fire chief pleads guilty for theft
The former Muse fire chief accused of stealing money from the department over several years pleaded guilty Tuesday and was sentenced to probation.
Alan William Zombeck, 39, pleaded guilty in Washington County Court to one count of felony theft and was ordered to pay $14,280 in restitution to the fire department before he was sentenced by Judge Valarie Costanzo to serve 12 months on probation.
“Alan took responsibility for his actions,” said Zombeck’s attorney, Sean Logue. “He’s already made 100% restitution in the case and he looks forward to moving on to the next chapter of his life, and he wishes the best for Cecil Township.”
Additional felony charges of theft, conspiracy and access device by an unauthorized user, along with a misdemeanor charge of misappropriating government funds were withdrawn in exchange for the plea deal.
Zombeck and his mother, Toni R. Zombeck, were charged in April with stealing more than $76,000 from the Cecil Township No. 2 Volunteer Fire Department in Muse from 2013 until late 2020 while both were officers in the department. Alan Zombeck served as fire chief while Toni Zombeck was treasurer and finance officer until they were removed by the fire department’s board in late 2020 following an internal investigation.
The department’s members became suspicious in September 2020 when they noticed drywall tools purchased on a debit card around the same time Alan Zombeck was performing renovations at his Cecil Township home. Other members also noticed Alan Zombeck selling power tools on social media pages that appeared to be equipment missing from the department. The department notified Cecil Township police about the situation in December 2020 and handed over information from its internal investigation.
Toni Zombeck, 67, of Cecil Township, is accused of using department-issued funds to withdraw cash, pay numerous utility bills and make car payments for her personal vehicle. She is set to appear before Costanzo in plea court at 10 a.m. Jan. 18.