Sarasota News Leader
November 1, 2013
Page 76
FIREFIGHTERS BENEVOLENT FUND TREASURER ARRESTED
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has
arrested Thomas Rhoades, 43, of 8983 Misty
Creek Drive, Sarasota, for stealing hundreds
of thousands of dollars from the Sarasota
Firefighters Benevolent Fund, the department
announced last week.
The investigation began after the president of
the Benevolent Fund reported the theft earlier
this month, a news release says. Detectives
found that Rhoades, who was the treasurer of
the nonprofit organization, "made numerous
unauthorized in-branch and ATM withdrawals" from the Benevolent Fund's high-yield
savings and business checking accounts,
it adds. Those totaled $221,507.58 between
Thomas Rhoades/Contributed photo
February 2011 and September of this year,
the release notes.
Rhoades is charged with one felony count of
Rhoades took over as treasurer of the organiza- Scheme to Defraud and one count of Grand
tion in December 2010, according to the report. Theft in excess of $100,000.
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