Handley Volunteer Fire Department Treasurer Arrested for Embezzlement
Kanawha County, WV – Following a thorough investigation by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the WV Fusion Center, we arrested Robert Dwight Evans, Treasurer of the Handley Volunteer Fire Department, for embezzling approximately $95,000 from the department’s General Account.
Between 2022 and 2025, the Kanawha County Commission issued more than $120,000 in funding to the Handley Volunteer Fire Department. Investigators found that from January 2023 to June 2025, over $95,000 was withdrawn from ATMs using an unauthorized debit card belonging to the department. Evans was in possession of that card and responsible for the transactions.
Deputies also discovered that Evans deposited cash into his personal bank account and gambled approximately $37,000 through FanDuel during the same period. By June 2025, the department’s account balance had dropped from about $22,000 to $142, with no major purchases made and several utility payments left unpaid.
The total loss to the Handley Volunteer Fire Department is estimated at $95,000. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are possible.
Robert Dwight Evans is currently housed at the South Central Regional Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
Post expires at 3:49pm on Wednesday April 29th, 2026