Apr.06, 2010, 7:41 AM

LOUISVILLE (AP) - A federal grand jury in Louisville has indicted a former fire chief from the area on charges that he embezzled and laundered thousands of dollars intended for the Crusade for Children.

Charged Monday was 53-year-old Paul Barth, a former chief of the McMahan Fire Protection District.

The federal prosecutor's office in Louisville says Barth is accused of embezzling and laundering approximately $218,000 from the Crusade for Children and of embezzling about $97,000 from the McMahan fire district.

Barth was suspended without pay in November, then resigned from the district in January and offered to repay debts. The fire district board rejected the repayment offer and said the amount owed would be determined by investigators.