The former Conover Fire Chief has been indicted on 17 counts accusing him of falsifying reports and making false statements.
James Mark Hinson, 57, is charged with 10 felony counts of accessing a government computer, five felony counts of common-law forgery and two felony counts of providing false statements.
Hinson was processed at the Catawba County Detention Center on Tuesday and released.
According to a press release, Hinson resigned his position on August 14th.
Conover City Manager Tom Hart released the following statement: “The city has been cooperating with an N.C. Department of Insurance investigation and the DOI has charged the former fire chief with several crimes related to providing false information on fire incident reports. The city of Conover and the personnel of the Conover Fire Department remain committed to providing the best fire protection services to our community.”
Assistant Chief Mark Stafford of Taylorsville is acting as interim chief.