Elmwood Park Fire Captain Steals Over $98,000 from Firefighter Organizations

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Elmwood Park NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of ROBERT E. DAUBENBERGER (DOB: 06/16/1962; single; unemployed) of 69 Lincoln Avenue, Elmwood Park, NJ on charges of Theft By Deception, Falsifying Records, and Forgery. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Elmwood Park Police Department under the direction of Chief Michael Foligno.

In April 2019, the Elmwood Park Fire Department filed a report with the Elmwood Park Police Department alleging missing funds under the Fire Department’s control. The Elmwood Park Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit and the subsequent investigation revealed that ROBERT E. DAUBENBERGER, a volunteer Captain with Elmwood Park Fire Department, misappropriated over $48,000 from the Elmwood Park Volunteer Fire Department Defender Company #2’s accounts and over $50,000 from the Elmwood Park Fireman’s Relief Association’s accounts. ROBERT E. DAUBENBERGER was the treasurer for both entities and used the misappropriated funds for personal expenses.

ROBERT E. DAUBENBERGER subsequently surrendered to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office on July 29, 2019 and was charged with the following: two counts of Theft By Deception, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4(a), a 3rd degree crime; one count of Forgery, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-1(a)3, a 3rd degree crime; and one count of Falsifying Or Tampering With Records, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-4(a), a 4th degree crime. ROBERT E. DAUBENBERGER is scheduled for a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at 8:30 a.m.

Prosecutor Musella states that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and would like to thank the Elmwood Park Police Department for its assistance in this investigation.