United States (California) - The Contra Costa District Attorney's Office on Wednesday filed felony charges against a recently retired Contra Costa Fire District captain accused of stealing hundreds of items from local firehouses. Former Contra Costa fire Capt. Jon Wilmot, a 51-year-old Alamo resident, is charged with receiving stolen property, embezzlement, possession of an assault weapon and commercial burglary, according to senior deputy district attorney Bruce Flynn. Wilmot's arraignment date was unknown by prosecutors Wednesday afternoon.

Wilmot has been free from jail on $30,000 bail since his Dec. 10 arrest. He served the fire district for 27 years before retiring in mid-December, according to the firefighters' union.

That same month, the fire district obtained a restraining against Wilmot on behalf of its employees. The district began investigating Wilmot in May after a colleague took video of him leaving the Mt. Diablo Boulevard station in Lafayette with a chain saw, an iron skillet and sports drinks, according to a search warrant filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court.

As the months went on, Wilmot was allegedly either filmed or seen by co-workers taking suspected fire district property while off-duty.

Lafayette police launched its own investigation in September after fire personnel reported an elliptical machine and recumbent bike missing from a Lafayette firehouse closed because of a budget deficit.

Officers

executed a search warrant at Wilmot's homes in Alamo and Concord, his mother's house in Orinda and on his six cars and trucks and confiscated 268 items believed to be fire district-owned gear, uniforms, tools and supplies, according to Contra Costa Superior Court documents.

Prosecutors declined to comment on the facts of the case Wednesday. Wilmot could not be reached for comment.

Written by Contra Costa Times

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