Wife Of Late Virginia Fire Chief Pleads No Contest To Embezzling $250K

Deborah Lynne Shifflett, 39, of Hardy, Virginia, pleaded no contest to 10 counts of embezzlement for misappropriating at least $250,000 from the Hardy Volunteer Fire Co. where her husband, the late Jeffrey Lee Shifflett, 51 had served as its long-time fire chief. According to authorities, Jeffrey Shifflett, pictured here, committed suicide last year the day after he was indicted on 13 counts of embezzlement from the fire department. He had served there for 22 years. Their son, Cory Mitchell Shifflett, 24, was also indicted on 7 embezzlement charges and he pleaded guilty last November. Deborah Shifflett must give up several vehicles purchased with the misappropriated funds as well as pay back the department for unauthorized credit card charges. The misappropriations, which involved unauthorized checks, fuel charge cards and credit cards, spanned at least two years.

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