Ex-firefighter accused of stealing $3,000 in aid after Hurricane Harvey

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HOUSTON – A grand jury handed up an indictment Tuesday against a former Houston firefighter accused of stealing aid money being doled out after Hurricane Harvey.

Shane Horsted, 47, was indicted on a charge of felony theft.

Harris County prosecutors said Horsted is accused of forging the information of fellow firefighters to obtain $500 debit cards that was part of disaster relief money being given to first responders in the wake of the 2017 storm.

Horsted stole a total of six debit cards, prosecutors said.

In June, Horsted was also charged with impersonating a public servant after trying claiming to still be a firefighter while trying to view a police report.

Officials at the Houston Fire Department said that Horsted was fired after an administrative review a few weeks before the incident involving the police report.

If convicted of the theft charge, Horsted faces up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said the possible penalty is enhanced because it happened in a disaster area.

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