Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
UPDATED: Wednesday, 8:31 p.m.:
Bucks County Rescue Squad Board President Michael B. Miller released the following statement:
Scott M. Bahner, the former Chief of Bucks County Rescue Squad 143, was arrested and arraigned today on charges of Access Device Fraud, Unlawful Use of Computer, and Dealing in Proceeds of Unlawful Activity.
In March of 2018, allegations of misuse of the operating funds of the Squad were brought to the attention of the BCRS Board of Directors by an outside agency. Shortly after addressing those allegations an internal accounting audit was started and some evidence of fraud surfaced. That evidence and suspicious transactions were then forwarded to the Bucks County District Attorney’s office for review. For the past several months The Bucks County Rescue Squad has cooperated fully with Detectives during this arduous process. In July of 2018, Scott Bahner separated employment with the Squad.
The staff of The Bucks County Rescue Squad and its Boards of Directors will not comment or speak to anyone about this case since it is still under investigation.
The Bucks County Rescue Squad membership and leadership sincerely appreciate the support of the Bristol communities during this trying time.
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Original Story:
The former chief of the Bucks County Rescue Squad has been accused by law enforcement of misusing the organization’s credit card.
Former chief Scott Mel Bahner, 49, of Bensalem, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and two counts each of access device fraud and unlawful use of a computer. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.
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Bahner, who made $79,000 per year as chief, led the squad from 2009 until he resigned in July 2018. He has been a longtime first responder and worked at the squad for years before becoming chief.
According to court papers filed by Bucks County Detectives, Bahner used a squad credit card to pay $2,912.78 to get the transmission on his son’s 2010 Mazda repaired or rebuilt at a shop. The charge was allegedly entered in an Bucks County Rescue Squad accounting system as a transmission rebuild on an ambulance.
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The incident happened in April 2015 and the rescue squad credit card information was phoned in to the shop, detectives said.
In court papers, detectives also alleged that Bahner used the rescue squad credit card in November 2015 for $1,876.61 for more repairs to his son’s Mazda at the same shop used in April. The accounting software that matched the number on the charge showed a $2,500 ambulance repair.
A representative for the shop said they had not performed repairs to any Bucks County Rescue Squad ambulances, detectives said.
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The transactions were all under a rescue squad credit card assigned to Bahner. At no time was the card reported stolen and no fraudulent purchases were raised by the chief at the time, detectives said.
A representative for the Bristol Township-based rescue squad told investigators, according to court papers, that Bahner was not authorized to use organization funds for anything outside of legitimate needs and requirements.
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The Bucks County Rescue Squad first discovered the alleged misappropriation of funds last October and reported it to county authorities.
Records from four different financial institutions were obtained through search warrants during the course of the investigation, authorities said.
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Bahner resigned from the Bucks County Rescue Squad around the same time last year that Bristol Township Council attempted to move forward a plan that would remove the rescue squad as the primary responder for a large portion of the community. The squad also serves Bristol Borough. Late last summer, Council tabled the plan after an uproar from the borough and township community.
In addition to his work at the rescue squad, Bahner had also worked as a part-time police department community service officer.
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Bristol Township police Chief Robert Coulton sent Bahner a letter on October 30, 2017 outlining allegations and documents relating to hours he worked. The chief alleged that Bahner was not on-site for 1,777 hours of 2,503 hours he submitted for payment. The police chief’s letter accused Bahner of being dishonest and misrepresenting information related to his employment.
Bahner repaid the money voluntarily in November 2017 and resigned from his job with the police department, according to township documents and a copy of the check.
Sources said at the time that investigators looked at the case and did not level charges.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
