BY STEVE KEMME and BEN L. KAUFMAN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Three former members of the Miami Township Fire Department in Hamilton County were indicted Friday on charges of theft in office, arson, tampering with evidence and disrupting public service.
Two of them are sons of Miami Township Fire Chief James Hughes, who has served in the department for 30 years, the past five as chief.
Arrest warrants were being issued for former Capt. Kevin Hughes, 27; former Lt. Jason Hughes, 22; and former firefighter Gregory Kyle Evans, 20, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters said. The three men resigned from the fire department about two months ago because of the allegations, Chief Hughes said.
He disputed some of the charges, but said that his sons will own up to whatever they did.
"They made some mistakes," the chief said. "But they've given a lot of service to Miami Township. They're good people. They have to face up to the things that they have done and that's what they're doing."
The indictment, covering the past year, began with four theft-in-office allegations:
No one else will be charged, he said.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department probably won't receive the arrest warrants for the three men until Monday, said Col. Dan Wolfangel, the department's spokesman.
The Miami Township Fire Department has 45 members. Some of them are volunteers and some receive a part-time salary.
Kevin Hughes, who was a member of the department for 10 years, and Jason Hughes, who served for four years, received part-time salaries. Mr. Evans, a three-year member, was a volunteer.
