Theft trial for former Frog Pond Fire Chief continued again

The case against a man accused of embezzling more than $16,000 from the Frog Pond Volunteer Fire Department has again been rescheduled for a third time at the defendant’s request.

Jamie Russell Bingham, 37, was indicted by a Franklin County Grand Jury in April 2024 on one felony charge of Theft of Property 1st Degree.

Bingham was charged after an investigation by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office that allegedly showed Bingham, from 2022-2023, had misappropriated approximately $16,000 of the volunteer fire department’s funds.

Sheriff’s investigator Clint Holcombe was contacted by officers with the Frog Pond VFD in January 2024 concerned about Bingham misusing funds while he served as Frog Pond VFD Fire Chief.

“He is accused of misappropriating funds belonging to the fire department by using them for personal expenses unrelated to his duties as fire chief,” Holcombe said.

“We found some discrepancies in their records and bookkeeping that support the allegations. The fire department had a treasurer but Bingham was accessing the funds without going through any channels,” Holcombe added.

One FPVFD member told the FFP the department continues to face financial difficulty in paying its bills almost two years after the Sheriff’s Office began its investigation.

If convicted, Bingham faces a sentence of 2-20 years, a fine and an order of restitution.

As with all defendants charged with a crime, Bingham is presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Bingham is represented by Florence attorney Tim Case.