Apr 6, 2003 By April Straughters 3 min read

LUZERNE TWP. -The township supervisors have directed the Isabella Fire Department to suspend four officers charged with the arson of the Isabella social hall or face possible suspension of the entire department. Chief Steven Dugan, assistant chief Thomas Baker, vice president Jerry Booker II and trustee William A. Robison were charged in March with federal criminal violations in connection with two fires in June that destroyed the department’s fire hall.

Baker, 33, and Booker 20, were charged with arson, while Dugan, 25, and Robison, 22, were charged with mail fraud for allegedly filing a false claim with Selective Insurance Co. of New Jersey.

Solicitor Jack Purcell said the supervisors felt they needed to take some action, so they agreed to send a letter, asking the fire department to suspend the four officers.

He said the letter requests that the fire department suspend the four individuals from activity until the criminal charges are resolved.

He said the letter asked for a response before the township’s next regular meeting, at 3 p.m. April 15, when the supervisors plan to discuss the matter.

“The supervisors want to emphasize that they are not prejudging anyone and that the four officers are presumed innocent,” Purcell said.

“We are just asking they suspend the four individuals until the criminal charges are resolved.”

Purcell said the township supervisors thought that asking the department to suspend the four firefighters was “fair for everyone.”

He explained that only the fire department can suspend the four men.

And, if the department fails to respond to the township’s request, Purcell said, the supervisors can remove the fire department as an emergency service provider for the township.

He said they could do that by removing their certification to fight fires, removing them from the township’s insurance and telling emergency management that they shouldn’t be called for emergencies.

He added, though, that the supervisors are hoping the department cooperates with their request to avoid such action.

The indictment alleges that the four men fraudulently attempted to recover from Selective Insurance Co. insurance proceeds related to two fires that were set at the fire department’s social hall.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that Baker and Booker conspired to cause fires at the social hall last June 26 and June 30. The indictment alleges that Booker alone set those fires.

The purpose of the scheme, according to the indictment, was to enable the fire department to receive insurance proceeds so that they could build a new social hall.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

Attorney Phil Fabiano, who represents the fire department as a whole, has maintained the firefighters’ innocence since the ATF named firefighters as suspects in late October.

The two fires destroyed the department’s century-old social hall and an antique fire engine housed in the basement.