Agreement reached in former fire chief's case

HURLEY — It appears the criminal case against a former chief of the Hurley Volunteer Fire Department is nearing a conclusion after a deferred prosecution agreement was accepted in the case Monday.

Darrell J. Petrusha, 56, was charged with one count of identity theft related to his alleged improper use of a fire department credit card for personal expenses. Monday’s agreement means special prosecutor Allen Brey will dismiss the case if Petrusha meets certain requirements, including avoiding any new criminal charges for the next six months. It appears that most of the other conditions have already been met, according to information presented during a status conference in the case Monday.

“Part of the agreement was that Mr. Petrusha would file a statement concerning what happened and that has been filed … today, also a $500 restitution payment, which (Petrusha’s attorney) advised was made today,” Brey said during the conference he participated in via video.

In his statement, Petrusha said he and another fire department member obtained the credit card approximately 15 years ago to make department purchases more convenient. Over time he said he began to use the card for personal purchases that he then paid with his own funds.

“I now look back at these and realize it was a poor decision to do so, I should have just used the card for items related to the fire department,” Petrusha wrote.

Hurley City Clerk-Treasurer Stacey Wiercinski confirmed to the Daily Globe Tuesday that the city isn’t owed any money related to any of the credit card purchases.

If any of the agreement’s conditions aren’t met in the six-month period, Taylor County Judge Ann Knox-Bauer said the case would revert to where it was in the legal process prior to the agreement and the parties would set a date for trial.

“This is a deferred prosecution agreement and not a deferred acceptance of a guilty plea,” Knox-Bauer said, who has been hearing Petrusha’s case.

The current bond in the case was continued for the remainder of the six month period.

Petrusha was charged in the case almost three years ago, with electronic court records showing the original complaint was filed in May 2018.