By EMS1 Staff
BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. — A former ambulance squad chief was sentenced Monday for stealing more than $30,000 from the squad over a span of seven years.
The Intelligencer reported that Brian Eckert will be on house arrest after being sentenced to four to 23 months in county prison. He was also ordered to serve 100 hours of community service.
Along with Eckert, Ruth Roxy Rookstool, Morrisville Ambulance Squad’s former operations manager, was charged with using agency credit cards and checks to make multiple unauthorized payments. Between 2011 and 2018, the payments totaled $132,000.
With the money, the two split the cost of a squad member’s honeymoon, and Eckert made payments on an Amazon Prime membership, veterinary care and a dishwasher, according to the report. Meanwhile, Rookstool enrolled in various health and dental insurance plans.
Eckert pleaded guilty in July and paid a restitution of $30,785.44. Rookstool is in county prison on $100,000 bail, where she awaits her sentencing hearing in November. Eckert testified against her during his hearing.
Morrisville Ambulance Squad disbanded in 2018 after struggling financially and dealing with constant staffing shortages, according to the report.