Former Hamlin ambulance supervisor faces felonies for allegedly inflating hours

A former supervisor for the ambulance company connected with Hamlin Fire & Rescue, based in Wayne County, is facing felony counts for allegedly reporting and receiving pay surpassing $8,400 for hours she and her daughter did not actually work.

The charges against Nicole Price, 50, of Wayne County, were announced Tuesday, April 9, by Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry.

The press releases states that Price was an EMS supervisor and a captain for the ambulance company and that she was the sole person responsible for reporting hours to a third-party payroll company. "An investigation revealed Price intentionally inflated hours worked for herself and her daughter, who was an ambulance driver," the release added.

The alleged excess payments represent nearly 1,000 hours, according to the release. In addition, Price is accused of giving herself and her daughter unauthorized raises and paid vacation time, which the company does not offer.

The allegedly inflated hours, reported during 2021, were revealed by an audit. According to the release, the unauthorized raises resulted in Price being paid an additional $617 and her daughter being paid another $500.

Price has been charged with felony counts of theft by deception and unlawful use of a computer and misdemeanor tampering with records.

Price turned herself into authorities and was arraigned on $25,000 unsecured bail, the release states.

“This defendant was in a position of public trust, and she abused that power to feed her own greed, causing a significant financial burden to an organization that serves as a community hub and a literal lifeline,” Henry said in the press release. “This money was supposed to help advance the company’s mission to keep citizens safe. Great investigative work in this case uncovered a calculated pattern of theft that was perpetrated in multiple ways over a period of time.”

An employee reported payroll discrepancies in September 2021. The company’s board of directors alerted police. The Price family members were subsequently suspended from Hamlin Fire & Rescue and Ambulance.

A message left for the Hamlin Fire & Rescue and Ambulance board of directors inviting comment had not been returned by Wednesday afternoon.

Hamlin Fire & Rescue is a volunteer emergency response agency. For several years the ambulance service has been a paid agency. The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) primarily serves Salem, Lake and parts of Sterling townships, 24/7. They additionally provide mutual aid to several areas throughout Wayne, Pike and Lackawanna counties.

According to a recent post on the Hamlin Fire & Rescue Facebook page, the EMS has "extreme" operating costs and relies heavily on donations, grants, and fundraisers. The ambulance service answered 1,794 calls in 2023; the volunteer fire company was dispatched to answer 251 calls.

This case against their former ambulance supervisor is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Elo.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Former Hamlin ambulance supervisor Nicole Price faces felonies