Scio Township firefighter accused of embezzling from the Ann Arbor Moose Lodge withdraws no contest plea, will go to trial

A local firefighter who faced sentencing Wednesday afternoon on accusations he embezzled from the Ann Arbor Moose Lodge instead moved to negate his plea agreement with prosecutors and will go to trial.

Christopher Steeb, a lieutenant with the Scio Township Fire Department and a former administrator with the Moose Lodge, asked to withdraw his no contest plea to one count of embezzling between $50,000 and $100,000 in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.Â

Judge Archie Brown adjourned the sentencing and ordered Steeb to return for a pre-trial hearing in two weeks.

Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor Paul Barnett did not contest Steeb’s request.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is treated as one for sentencing purposes.

Attorneys requested a transcript of the July 1 hearing during which Steeb entered the plea in exchange for the dismissal of a felony charge of embezzlement exceeding $100,000.

At issue is whether the plea agreement was formally entered or deemed conditional by the judge, said James Fifelski, Steeb’s attorney.

“He’s asserting his right to take this case to trial and I believe he has reason to,” Fifelski said without elaborating. He said he filed an emergency motion with the court late Tuesday upon learning of Steeb’s reversal, which also nullifies a sentencing agreement with the judge.

Steeb, a 34-year-old Dexter resident, is accused of stealing more than $150,000 from the organization while serving in a position of authority over a two-year period. He was an acting administrator with the lodge at the time the crimes occurred, but it was unclear if he was paid.

Court records show the offenses date back January 2005 but went unreported to police until late 2007.

Scio Fire Chief Carl Ferch said Steeb remains an on-call firefighter with the department and he does not expect that status to change, if at all, until the case is resolved.

A felony conviction would impact Steeb’s employment, but Ferch said he believes too many people rushed to judgment.

“He’s been a loyal township employee for many years and an accomplished combat firefighter,” Ferch said by telephone while vacationing Wednesday in the Pacific Northwest.

“I don’t nearly believe that everything to do with this issue has been brought out yet.”