The former Skowhegan fire chief, who was fired in August, has pleaded not guilty to felony theft charges in New Hampshire.
Richard E. Fowler Jr., 47, entered the plea in Strafford County Superior Court in Dover, N.H., where he waived arraignment, meaning he did not have to appear Oct. 30 to face the charge, said Denise Twombly, assistant to County Attorney Thomas Velardi, who is prosecuting the case.
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Fowler was booked at the county jail, and he was released on $10,000 personal recognizance, meaning he would owe that amount if he does not appear for trial. A trial date has not been set.
Fowler, who was hired in Skowhegan in May, was indicted in October by a New Hampshire grand jury. He faces 7 1/2 to 15 years in prison if he is convicted of the class A felony.
The theft was reported to authorities by a member of the Farmington, N.H., Fire Department, where Fowler was chief before coming to Skowhegan, Velardi said in August.
Velardi said the indictment alleges that more than $1,500 was stolen, but the investigation by the county attorney’s office revealed that it was “substantially more” than that. The money should have been on the books for the town of Farmington, but it was misdirected, he said.
According to a copy of the indictment, the theft of town money is alleged to have occurred between Nov. 1, 2009, and June 30 of this year. There is no detailed affidavit for probable cause for Fowler’s arrest because the case went straight to the grand jury before he was arrested, Twombly said.
Documents on the criminal investigation will not be made public until the trial, she said.
Fowler took over in Skowhegan in May for longtime firefighter and fire chief Tom Keene, who was fired Dec. 30 by John Doucette Jr., town manager at the time. Keene had lost his legs months earlier from complications of diabetes.
Fowler was fired Aug. 8 by Town Manager Christine Almand after about three months on the job when news of the criminal investigation came to light, though no reason was given for his firing.
Fowler’s attorney, John Durkin of Dover, N.H., did not immediately return a call for comment Thursday.
Fowler’s next court appearance will be a dispositional conference with the prosecutor and Fowler’s lawyer, Twombly said. That date has not been set.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter: @Doug_Harlow
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