TRENTON -- A former chief of the Seaville Fire and Rescue Company admitted Thursday he received tens of thousands in cash reimbursements by submitting fraudulent receipts and invoices to the department, the office of Acting Attorney General John Hoffman said.

Eugene Spiegel, 51, who also admitted turning in bogus receipts to the Upper Township Fire Commissioners, pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy in Cape May County Superior Court. As part of his plea deal, Spiegel, who also worked as an inspector for the state Office of Weights and Measures, may be banned from public employment, may serve up to five years in prison and must pay $46,771 in restitution, Hoffman's office said. He was fired from his state position after he was indicted in September.

Spiegel's son Jacob, 20, was also indicted in September after authorities said he received $1,275 for a firefighter training course he did not attend. Charges against the younger Spiegel are still pending.



"(Eugene) Spiegel pillaged the funds of an organization that exists to protect the public's safety in the most extreme circumstances," Hoffman said in a statement. "He abused his position as chief to systematically steal tens of thousands of dollars by taking advantage of the trust placed in him by his fellow volunteers."

Authorities began investigating in March 2014, when an internal audit of the fire department revealed that Spiegel had been reimbursed for training courses and clothing he hadn't actually paid for. Spiegel had claimed that about $18,000 was paid to a clothing company that used Spiegel's home address, while another $17,000 was purportedly paid to a second company that had gone out of business by the time Spiegel had sought his reimbursements. Spiegel also received almost $10,000 for training sessions between 2010 and 2013, none of which he attended.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.