Former central Illinois fire chief sentenced for theft

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - The former fire chief for Allin Township in central Illinois has been sentenced to 120 days in jail for stealing more than $19,000 from the fire district.

Thirty-one-year-old Josh Deterding of Atlanta, Illinois, will also serve 30 months of probation under the sentence a judge handed down Monday.

The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports (http://bit.ly/2bvOl7D ) Deterding pleaded guilty in April to stealing from the fire district where he worked for 13 years before his 2015 arrest.

Authorities say that for several years he would transfer money to petty cash accounts where he could access it.

Police say an investigation found Deterding used the fire district debit card at ATM machines in bars.

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Information from: The Pantagraph, http://www.pantagraph.com