The treasurer of the Akron firefighters union has been charged with felony theft and is in jail in North Carolina, arrested as he fled Akron after the charges were filed on Thursday.
Joe Ruhlin, 40, treasurer of Local 330, is accused of stealing perhaps as much as $100,000 from the union. The exact figure has not been determined because the union and investigators have just begun combing the books.
Ruhlin left a suicide note at his house and was reportedly driving to Florida when he was picked up near Charlotte, N.C., early Friday morning.
He is in custody at the Mecklenburg County Jail and is scheduled to have an extradition hearing on Monday.