By Erik German
Newsday (New York)
Copyright 2007 Newsday, Inc.
Five members of Selden’s Board of Fire Commissioners are expected to be arrested today in connection with a probe of the fire district’s spending practices over the past several years, District Attorney Thomas Spota’s office said last night.
In addition to the commissioners, a former member of the Terryville Fire Department, a former Montauk fire official and an official with the East Moriches Ambulance District are expected to surrender to authorities to face “charges related to mismanagement of taxpayer funds,” said Spota’s spokesman, Robert Clifford.
The Selden, Terryville and East Moriches officials are expected to be arraigned in First District Court in Central Islip, where grand jury indictments are expected to be unsealed, Clifford said. The Montauk official is expected to be arraigned in East Hampton Town Justice Court.
Newsday disclosed on Nov. 1 that Selden commissioners spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars at dozens of conferences in Las Vegas, Orlando, Fla., and other cities over the last decade.