The embattled deputy fire chief in Newaygo is speaking out to the 13 Watchdog team, through his attorney, to say he's innocent of the criminal charges he's facing.
Court records indicate Robert VanDyke is being criminally charged with two counts of attempted embezzlement. He's accused of putting down on-call hours to be paid when he was outside of his fire district.
In one case, we are told VanDyke was actually in the Upper Peninsula, hundreds of miles away from the area.
VanDyke is being charged with one count of attempted embezzlement by a public official over $50. The other charge is attempted embezzlement of $200 but less than $1,000 from a non-profit organization. The organization referenced in court documents is the Newaygo Fire Board.
VanDyke's attorney, Gerald R. Stahl, told the 13 Watchdog team he feels his client is being caught up in a political situation inside the fire department and he believes the situation would have been better handled inside the fire department.
"I consulted with an expert in employment law and he said something like this should get handled internally rather than through the court process," Stahl said.
Stahl says VanDyke intends to fight to clear his name.