A Nowata County volunteer fire chief has been charged with embezzling more than $60,000 from a fire department.

Delaware Fire Chief Jared Collins embezzled thousands of dollars a year from 2017 to 2022, investigators said.

The affidavit for Collins said he was taking money from the city that was supposed to be used for the fire department. It said he was using the money to pay his phone bill, electric bill, pay off his credit card, and other personal use.

Collins withdrew thousands of dollars from the department's bank account each year, with no explanation of how the money was used, investigators said.

The affidavit said Collins took more than $17,000 in cash in 2017, and more than 16,000 in 2019. It said Collins took between $5,000 and $6,000 each of the other four years.

Investigators said Collins paid nearly $2,000 in personal phone bills using the department's bank account.

He used the account to pay his home's electric bill and spent around $900 to pay off his personal Lowes’ Credit Card, according to investigators.

Collins has bonded out of jail. News On 6 called his attorney and left a message but we haven't heard back.