HELENWOOD, Tenn. — The former chief of the Paint Rock Volunteer Fire Department in Scott County is charged with stealing money from his department after a grand jury indicted him, according to the Tennessee Comptroller's Office.
The comptroller's office said Scott County officials reported concerns of "questionable financial activity" against the former fire chief, 24-year-old Austin Lewallen. State investigators said they discovered Lewallen had been using the VFD's debit card to make personal purchases and said he paid a utility bill using Paint Roack VFD funds.
Between May 2022 and Jan. 2023, the comptroller's office said Lewallen stole nearly $14,000 and said most of that happened by making over-the-counter bank withdrawals and unauthorized ATM withdrawals. The investigation also turned up another $4,700 in questionable cash withdrawals that weren't supported by receipts to determine if it had benefited the VFD.
On one occasion, the comptroller's investigative report said Lewallen withdrew $2,500 from the VFD's account. The next day, they said he put a $2,500 total down payment on a Jeep Patriot.
In the report, Lewallen told investigators he had mistakenly used the VFD ATM card for 44 personal purposes. The comptroller's report said he did not track the number of unauthorized purchases, which included fuel, food, alcohol, groceries and other personal items.
Scott County removed Lewallen as fire chief in March 2023. A grand jury later indicted him for theft of property over $10,000 in November. Lewallen was arrested on Dec. 4 and released on the same day on a $20,000 bond.
The comptroller's report noted that the VFD lacked several internal controls and did not have an active board of directors until after members removed Lewallen as chief, saying that would have helped maintain financial oversight accountability.
The comptroller noted that the VFD had several necessary unpaid expenses such as insurance and utility payments during Lewallen's tenure, and at one point the gas line was disconnected because of multiple unpaid bills.
“During the time this theft occurred, Paint Rock VFD did not have an active board of directors,” said Comptroller Jason Mumpower. “Once Lewallen was removed as fire chief, a board of directors was formed. I encourage the board to establish firm internal controls to ensure money is properly handled and all disbursements are properly documented.”
You can read the comptroller's full investigative report at this link.
According to a post Lewallen made in Aug. 2022 on the Paint Rock Fire Department's Facebook page, he joined the department while he was a senior in high school in 2017. He said at the time he also served as president of the Scott County Fire and Rescue Association for two years and was the community outreach coordinator for the department.
"I will tell you being Chief is not all it’s cracked up to be you have a lot more responsibility on your shoulders than when your a assistant,captain, or lieutenant. My whole life I have always been taught about service and giving back to your community," Lewallen said in the post. "This is my way I give back this has become my life and passion to do is service and protect the lives and property of others. I do believe I have a great group of men and women who I can trust, and also who I can call my other family.”