Ex-New Market Fire Auxiliary official indicted, surrenders

Mary Lou McAlexander charged with embezzlement, released on bond

By Kaitlin Mayhew -- kmayhew@nvdaily.com

HARRISONBURG -- Mary Lou McAlexander surrendered to Rockingham County authorities Wednesday after being indicted Tuesday for embezzlement.

McAlexander is now out of jail on a $5,000 unsecured bond. according to Melanie Hollen, assistant chief deputy clerk of the court in Rockingham County.

McAlexander was one of seven employees dismissed from the New Market Fire Department after a 2008 forensic audit reported numerous irregularities in the department's finances, including more than $30,000 worth of suspected fraud, and another $25,000 worth of purchases that needed further investigation.

McAlexander was employed as the chairwoman of the ladies auxiliary for the fire department. She is also the wife of the former chief, Daniel McAlexander, who was terminated at the same time.

Their granddaughter, Mary Frances McAlexander, was also among those terminated.
According to court documents, McAlexander was indicted on one felony count of embezzlement of $900.22 received for the New Market Fire Department.

She was not present in court for the indictments, but Hollen said that there was an arrest warrant out for her signed by Circuit Court Judge T.J. Wilson.

Following the 2008 audit, fire department funding from both Shenandoah County and New Market was frozen.

New Market Town Councilman John Blosser, who is also president of New Market Fire and Rescue Inc., said the investigation also hurt donations.

"We've been in the dark on most of [the investigation]," he said. "But it has been a problem that we've heard from many different [donors]."

However, he is hopeful that yesterday's indictment will quell some of those fears.
"I sure hope that this will help us," he said.

Robbie Smith, the current fire chief at New Market Fire and Rescue, said he was glad to see "that some justice has finally been done."

"It's kind of a little bit of closure for us," he said. "It's been an ongoing thing for three years or more."