Former Putnam County volunteer fire chief charged with theft, fraud

A former Putnam County volunteer fire chief who came under fire for a slow response in a fatal fire in 2023 and for spending, has found himself on the wrong side of the law.

According to court documents, Anthony S. Camp, 52, Greencastle, was arrested by the Indiana State Police on charges of theft and fraud. He is accused of misappropriating county funds of almost $20,000. It is believed Camp, who once served as fire chief of the Clinton Township Fire Department, used the funds on purchases from Amazon, Home Depot and Walmart., as well as phone bills and mortgage payments. In addition, authorities believe Camp used funds to purchase paint and other supplies for his business, Lakeside Pizza and Mini-Mart. 

As fire chief, Camp came under fire for a slow response time to a fire in 2023 that killed an elderly resident. Camp told The Putnam County Post at the time that while tragic, his department would not have been able to save the resident as the house was fully engulfed. He also cited a lack of numbers as a reason for slow response times at his department. 

Camp also came under scrutiny for purchasing a hovercraft for the department. 

Shortly after his resignation, new fire chief Grant Bryan uncovered the department was missing 16 radios that were unaccounted for at the time. 

Camp posted a $5,000 cash bond and is set to return to court on Feb. 17 for an initial hearing.