Thursday, July 09, 2009
Former Hardy volunteer fire chief found dead in apparent suicide
Jeffrey Shifflett had been indicted Tuesday on embezzlement charges.
Jeffrey Lee Shifflett
Former Hardy volunteer fire chief Jeffrey Lee Shifflett -- who was indicted Tuesday on embezzlement charges -- was found dead of what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home Wednesday morning.
Previous coverage
A day after he was indicted on embezzlement charges, former Hardy volunteer fire chief Jeffrey Lee Shifflett was found dead at his home from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Bedford County Sheriff's Office said.
A family member found Shifflett's body and called 911 about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.
When deputies arrived at the house on Turner Branch Road, they found Shifflett on the floor of the garage, which is near the house. A small handgun was found near his body, the news release said.
Shifflett's body has been taken to the medical examiner's office in Roanoke for an autopsy, the news release said. The medical examiner's office referred questions to the sheriff's office.
Shifflett, his wife and adult son were indicted by a grand jury Tuesday and charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from the Hardy Volunteer Fire Company.
Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Krantz estimated that $150,000 to $200,000 is at issue, some of which may have been used in a lump sum to purchase a vehicle.
Shifflett, 51, was charged with one count of forgery and 13 counts of embezzlement. He is accused of forging another fire department member's name to open a bank account, Krantz said.
Shifflett's wife, Deborah Lynne Shifflett, faces 13 embezzlement charges, and his son, Cory Mitchell Shifflett, is charged with seven counts of embezzlement.
A Virginia State Police investigation found that:
- The Shiffletts had used the fire department's gasoline cards to fill their personal vehicles.
- Jeffrey Shifflett used the department's Visa card and debit card to buy a gun, clothing and other items.
- Shifflett frequently withdrew several hundred dollars in cash from the department accounts.
- Checks for thousands of dollars were made out to Shifflett for training purposes, but there are no records of such training.
The embezzlement charges carry prison sentences of one to 20 years.
Krantz said Wednesday that if Jeffrey Shifflett had pleaded guilty and paid restitution, he may have been sentenced to three to five years in prison. But if convicted by a jury, he may have been sentenced to the full 20 years on each charge, the prosecutor said.
Shifflett's death should not affect the cases against his wife and son, Krantz said.
State police have agreed not to serve Deborah and Cory Shifflett with their arrest warrants until next week so they have time to plan and hold the funeral, he said.
Shifflett had been the Hardy volunteer chief for nearly 20 years before he was placed on administrative leave in March, when county officials learned he was the focus of a state police investigation. He also served as a deputy fire marshal in the county.
Eric Shell was appointed acting chief of the fire company in March.
