SECRETARY, Md. - The former treasurer of the Secretary Volunteer Fire Company is facing nearly 70 charges after investigators allege she stole over $75,000 from the fire company in a years-long theft scheme.
According to court documents obtained by WBOC, Maryland State Police began their investigation into Julie Ann Schuyler, of Hurlock, on Dec. 24, 2024, after the Secretary Volunteer Fire Company contacted them about possible unauthorized withdrawals from the department’s bank account. Schuyler was elected as the fire company’s treasurer in 2017, according to police, and served in the position until a new treasurer was elected in 2024. The new treasurer flagged the financial discrepancies shortly after assuming the position and estimated the Secretary VFC had lost about $50,000.
The ensuing investigation by the Maryland State Police revealed numerous instances of misappropriated funds in an alleged ongoing theft scheme, according to court records.
Investigators say Schuyler used $9,500 of fire company funds for a downpayment on a new Ford F-150 for her husband in December of 2023. Schuyler allegedly told the fire company that the bank had made a mistake in withdrawing the funds from the company account instead of her own and that she would repay it. Though Schuyler wrote a check to the fire company to repay, investigators say it was never deposited and Schuyler did not have the sufficient funds available even if the check had been cashed.
Schuyler then recorded the $9,500 withdrawal as a transmission expense in the VFC’s financial records, according to police.
In February of 2024, authorities say Schuyler edited a Medicare debt collection email sent to her husband to replace his name with the Secretary Volunteer Fire Company and read as though the fire company owed overpaid Medicare/Medicaid expenses. Investigators say Schuyler then used a fake email address to send the edited notice to her own Secretary VFC email address. According to charging documents, she then alerted the SVFC president to the email and organized the transfer of $18,056.33 under the guise of the fire company paying off its debts when it was actually paying off her husband’s.
Between 2022 and 2024, investigators say they found numerous transactions that were not documented or intentionally misrepresented in the fire company’s financial records. For instance, two payments were allegedly made to a mortgage company that the fire company had no accounts with in 2023. Investigators say Schuyler’s husband had a claim against him from the same mortgage company. Two payments to the mortgage company, each $2,447.61, were labelled as “Cancer Assistance Donations” in the fire company’s financial records.
After suspecting further theft, the Secretary VFC analyzed past purchases from Amazon allegedly made by Schuyler while she was treasurer. In their charging documents, police list 31 Amazon purchases allegedly made with fire company funds and listed in the company’s financials under various descriptions such as “fundraising expenses,” “building items,” and “active 911 items.” Police say the purchases do not fit the financial records descriptions and range from personal effects and gifts to camping gear. The purchases were shipped to Schuyler’s home, according to investigators.
In all, Schuyler faces 69 charges including theft and embezzlement. Investigators with the Maryland State Police estimated at the conclusion of their investigation that the Secretary Volunteer Fire Company lost $75,232.82.
A summons for Schuyler was issued on Feb. 12. According to online court records, she is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in Dorchester County District Court on March 16.