Former Treasurer of Aldie Fire Department Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Embezzling More Than $600,000

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Jerry Keith Cromer, Jr., 79, of Gainesville, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to theft from an organization receiving federal funds.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.

Cromer faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and full restitution when he is sentenced on October 11, 2013.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Cromer served as treasurer of the Aldie Volunteer Fire Department from 1995 through 2012. The members of the fire department elected Cromer to this post. In the statement of facts, Cromer admitted that from 2000 to 2012, he intentionally embezzled and converted to his own use approximately $645,000 that belonged to the Aldie Volunteer Fire Department. He used these fire department funds to satisfy his personal mortgage payments, pay personal credit card bills and repair his automobile and for other personal expenditures. In addition to local community donations, the Aldie Volunteer Fire Department receives funding from Loudoun County and the federal government.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Mark D. Lytle is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

The FBI encourages anyone with information regarding similar allegations of fraud or corruption to call the FBI’s Northern Virginia Public Corruption tip line at (703) 686-6225.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.