Former Treasurer Of Fraternal Order Of Police Lodge Indicted For Embezzling More Than $110,000

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The former Treasurer of a Fraternal Order of Police Lodge, Timothy James Brewer, 63, of Newton, N.C., has been indicted on wire fraud charges for embezzling more than $110,000 from the non-profit organization, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  The federal grand jury returned the criminal indictment on September 19, 2017, and it was unsealed this morning following Brewer’s court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler.

U.S. Attorney Rose is joined in making today’s announcement by David M. McGinnis, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

According to allegations contained in the bill of indictment, from 2005 to 2016, Brewer worked for the Catawba County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #26 (FOP), located in Newton, and was elected to serve as its Treasurer.  As fiduciary of the FOP, Brewer was responsible for the financial affairs of the organization to include acting as the custodian of the funds.

Over the course of his employment at the FOP, the indictment alleges that Brewer engaged in a scheme to defraud the FOP by fraudulently diverting the organization’s funds for his personal benefit. As alleged in the indictment, Brewer fraudulently obtained approximately $110,134.64 from the FOP and converted the funds for his personal gain without any authority from the FOP.  Brewer was the sole recipient of bank and credit card statements which were mailed directly to his residence, thereby concealing the nature of the purchases from the FOP. 

The indictment alleges that Brewer misused an FOP credit card, of which Brewer was an authorized user, for personal use, and successfully converted approximately $61,875.03 for his personal gain.  Brewer also used an FOP bank account to pay the balance on a personal credit card, and converted approximately an additional $48,259.61 for his own personal gain without any authority from the FOP.  According to allegations in the indictment, Brewer used the fraudulently converted funds to pay for, among other things, restaurants, hotels and medical bills.

Brewer has been released on bond.  The wire fraud charge carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.

The details contained in this indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

The investigation was handled by USPIS assisted by the Newton Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Jenny Sugar, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is prosecuting the case.