Former firefighter charged with taking money from firefighters association account

A former Ocean Springs Fire Department employee has been terminated and charged with stealing money.

Ocean Springs Capt. Ryan LeMaire said 28-year-old Dylan Hults, a former firefighter, was arrested this morning. He is charged with one count of embezzlement. Bond is set at $10,000.

According to a press release from Ocean Springs, fire officials on Oct. 5 discovered funds missing from the Ocean Springs Firefighters Association.

Hults admitted to misspending money from the association. He was treasurer of the group and had direct access to the funds.

He was terminated from his position with the fire department after the Board of Aldermen approved the move.

“My purpose as the Chief is to ensure that my personnel are equipped to serve the public mentally and physically. We take great pride and work hard to ensure this department fosters a safe and trusting environment,” said Fire Chief Derek McCoy.

“We are a team both professionally and personally. It is most bothersome for me that this former employee chose to forego the opportunity to ask for help from his OSFD family who trusted and respected him but rather he chose to betray all of us by making a repetitive conscious decision to steal. His behavior and apparent lack of judgment does not meet the standards that I, his former co-workers, or this community deserve and will not be tolerated.”