Former Houston firefighter indicted on charge of stealing $3,000 in Harvey aid

Shane Horsted, a former Houston firefighter, was recently accused of stealing $3,000 from a local nonprofit providing Harvey aid to first responders. This mugshot is from a previous arrest on a 2018 charge of impersonating a public servant. less Shane Horsted, a former Houston firefighter, was recently accused of stealing $3,000 from a local nonprofit providing Harvey aid to first responders. This mugshot is from a previous arrest on a 2018 charge of ... more Photo: Houston Police Department Photo: Houston Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Former Houston firefighter indicted on charge of stealing $3,000 in Harvey aid 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A former Houston firefighter has been indicted after allegedly stealing $3,000 from a nonprofit providing disaster relief to first responders in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Harris County prosecutors said.

Shane Horsted, 47, faces up to 20 years in prison if he's convicted of the felony-level theft charge. The penalty is enhanced because the crime was committed in a disaster area after the storm, according to a news release.

Horsted was accused of stealing from the the International Association of Firefighters Disaster Relief Program in 2017. The nonprofit offered $500 pre-loaded debit cards to firefighters whose homes had been damaged by Harvey, the release said.

Horsted, who was a Houston firefighter at the time, forged information from fellow firefighters to obtain six cards, the release said.

Court records show Horsted was also charged with impersonating a public servant last May. In the case, he was accused of pretending to be a firefighter to persuade a woman to a show him a full Houston police report. He showed her an identification card indicating he was a Houston firefighter, court records say.

Horsted was fired from the department after an administrative review a few weeks before that incident, according to KPRC.

His next hearing for that case is set for March 28 in the 180th District Court.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.