Indictment: Fire chief stole polygamous town funds
 
by Dennis Wagner
The Arizona Republic
 
The fire chief in a polygamist community on the Arizona-Utah border has been indicted by a Mohave County grand jury on 30 felony counts related to the alleged looting of public funds.

Jacob "Jake" Barlow, who oversees the Colorado City Fire District, is accused of violating his custodial duty to oversee public funds in 27 felony counts, according to the Mohave County Attorney's Office. He also is charged with three counts related to the operation of a criminal syndicate.

A search-warrant affidavit issued in April said investigators discovered that Fire District credit cards had been used to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of computers, food, furniture and other items unrelated to firefighting operations. The affidavit alleges that Barlow and David W. Darger, secretary-treasurer of the district, also periodically withdrew "large check warrants" for themselves.

Barlow was not arrested but is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday in Mohave County Superior Court. He could not be reached for comment.

Barlow's attorney, Michael Piccarreta, said he offered to explain to prosecutors that "each and every dollar was spent with a fire department purpose, but they chose to bring an indictment instead. So now we'll have to explain that in the courtroom," he added.

Prosecutors would not disclose whether any other suspects are charged in the indictment. Authorities are legally constrained from divulging names of defendants until they have been served.

Darger, who also is town manager, did not respond to a phone message.

Colorado City and the adjacent town of Hildale, Utah, are largely controlled by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a polygamous sect that has been targeted in numerous criminal investigations. Earlier this month, the church's prophet and president, Warren Jeffs, was sentenced in Texas to life in prison for sexually abusing girls.

Barlow was the elected chief of the Colorado City Fire District during the time the embezzlement is alleged to have occurred - from 2004 to 2010. The district is now overseen by a five-member board.
 
azcentral.com
Originally published August 17, 2011
 
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