A former volunteer fire chief from Alleghany County has been charged with taking funds from his department, officials reported.

According to the Alleghany County sheriff's office, Ricky Lynn Hall, 50, of the Sharon Volunteer Fire Department, was charged last week with one count of embezzlement, one count of forgery and one count of uttering, the legal term for passing a forged check.

Hall, who took office as chief of the Sharon Volunteer Fire Department on July 1, was arrested and charged Friday.

Alleghany County Sheriff Dale Muterspaugh said that during the month of July, Hall allegedly wrote two company checks, totaling about $3,500, for personal use. Police believe the money was taken to satisfy personal debts.

Monte Brackenridge, the fire department's treasurer and public information officer, said he first became aware of money missing from the department's capital outlay account late last month when he was unable to read the name written on one of the company's checks; he said another check was written directly to Hall.

He said he and the department's first assistant chief reviewed banking records and then requested an investigation from the sheriff's office.

Brackenridge said Hall resigned from his position early last week, following a meeting about the funds.

Hall has been released on bond, pending a hearing in Alleghany County Circuit Court.