ROCK SPRINGS (WNE) — The Green River fire chief and his wife have been arrested for alleged embezzlement of money from the Green River Fire Department’s Foundation fund, and their joint preliminary hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. on March 11 in Sweetwater County Circuit Court.

A months-long investigation into the suspected embezzlement of donated funds from the GRFD Foundation culminated Monday with the arrests of Green River Fire Department Chief Michael Nomis, 50, and his wife, Stephanie Nomis, 46. At their initial appearance in Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon, bond for both was set at $15,000 cash or surety.

According to court documents, a comparison of bank statements with related financial records from the time period of August 2016 through January 2020 revealed a total of at least $125,000 from the three foundation accounts and the social fund that was either missing and now accounted for through the course of the investigation, or that is still unaccounted for and remains under investigation.

Michael Nomis is charged with alleged felony theft and wrongful appropriation of public property. Stephanie Nomis is charged with alleged felony theft. In Wyoming, theft of $1,000 or more is a felony punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and $10,000 fine; and wrongful appropriation of public property is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year of imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.