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Richard Bopp, age 45, of Malverne, faced his charges on Thursday, Feb. 8, the Nassau County District Attorney announced.
Bopp served as Chief of the Malverne Fire Department from 2019 to 2021; then, starting in April 2021, he became the department’s treasurer.
According to the DA’s Office, From July 2021 to May 2023, Bopp wrote and cashed five checks from the department to himself, totaling about $5,000.
He also is alleged to have withdrawn around $20,000 from out-of-state casino ATMs using the department’s debit card, and another $5,000 is unauthorized personal purchases.
While Bopp had the authority to write checks on behalf of the department, it was required for the checks to be approved by a council. Additionally, each check needed to include two signatures — one from the treasurer and another from either the chief or deputy chief.
However, Bopp reportedly forged the second signatures on each check. An investigation revealed that none of the checks were approved by a council.
The DA’s Office said that Bopp made social media posts connecting him to the same locations where the allegedly fraudulent ATM withdrawals were made.
“The Malverne Fire Department depends on these resources to serve the surrounding community and respond in a crisis,” said DA Anne T. Donnelly. “This defendant’s alleged actions siphoned precious funds away from that essential objective.”
Bopp resigned from the Malverne Fire Department. He surrendered to the NCDA on Thursday, Feb. 8 and was charged with:
- Corrupting the government;
- Grand larceny;
- Forgery;
- Falsifying business records; and
- Official misconduct.
He pleaded not guilty and was released before his trial, starting Friday, Feb. 16.
If convicted, he faces two and one-third to seven years in prison.
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