(TN Comptroller of the Treasury/Peg Broadcasting News)
An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has resulted in the indictments of former Cookeville Fire Captain Marvin Montgomery and current Cookeville Fire Captain Joseph Shawn Roberson.
Both Montgomery and Roberson not only worked at the Cookeville Fire Department, but they also worked as part-time instructors at the Tennessee Fire and Codes Enforcement Academy in Bell Buckle, Tennessee.
Investigators determined that Montgomery and Roberson effectively double dipped on their paychecks between January 1, 2017 and February 28, 2019. They were each paid by both the city and the Academy for working the same hours at both locations.
Officials say Montgomery obtained more than $32,000 in compensation that he was not entitled to. After the investigation began, Captain Montgomery retired from the fire department.
Roberson allegedly obtained over $2,600 from the Cookeville Fire Department for hours he did not work when he was serving as a lieutenant.
In May 2021, the Putnam County Grand Jury indicted Marvin Montgomery on one count of theft over $10,000, and Joseph Shawn Roberson on one count of theft over $2,500.