Ex-fire union officer charged with $82,914 charity theft

Adam Walker – A former top officer of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City was charged with grand theft and forgery after prosecutors said he stole more than $82,000 from a charity for injured firefighters, using the money for online gambling, mortgage payments, and

When prosecutors say a nonprofit is designed to help injured firefighters and their families, it’s supposed to be a lifeline, not a piggy bank.

Wednesday. federal-style urgency entered a Los Angeles courtroom—except this case is unfolding in the local world of union governance and public trust. Adam Walker. the former secretary of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City. was charged with one count each of grand theft and forgery. prosecutors announced at a news conference.

The numbers prosecutors cited were stark: prosecutors said Walker stole more than $82,000 from a charity meant for injured firefighters. They put the total theft at $82,914 during the time period being examined, and accused him of abusing his position for personal gain.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Walker “abused a position of trust for personal gain,” speaking to reporters on a Zoom alongside Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. The case was investigated by a joint task force involving the two prosecutors’ offices.

Prosecutors said the mechanism was both simple and deliberate. Walker opened a bank account for the charity and named himself as the sole signer. He then transferred funds to his personal accounts, Bonta said. Prosecutors allege he tried to hide those moves with fake reimbursement records and forged receipts meant to mislead auditors.

They said the money didn’t just disappear into vague expenses. Prosecutors described payments going toward cryptocurrency and toward Walker’s RV loan payments, along with other personal costs, including online gambling and mortgage expenses.

Bonta framed the case as more than a financial loss. He told reporters, “This case is about more than financial loss. It’s about public trust. Nonprofit organizations play a critical role in our communities. and they depend on the confidence of donors. members and the public to carry out their missions.”.

Walker, prosecutors say, had been under scrutiny since 2024. That’s when the union’s parent organization, the International Assn. of Fire Fighters. suspended him and accused him of improperly depositing more than $75. 000 of the charity’s funds into his personal accounts from December 2022 to January 2024. The IAFF also accused him of using $5,000 for personal expenses.

After the suspension, Walker continued working as a firefighter. According to the city’s payroll database, his total pay last year—including benefits—was more than $312,000, including $135,748 in overtime.

Walker could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday, and it was unclear whether he has retained an attorney.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department said the agency has “no tolerance” for criminal conduct and that Walker has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.

Union leadership responded in a way that reflects how explosive these allegations are inside tightly held institutions. Doug Coates. president of UFLAC. said in a statement Wednesday that the allegations don’t involve any taxpayer money and that Walker hasn’t held a union or charity leadership position since 2024.

Coates wrote that UFLAC takes “the trust of our members and the public seriously” and said the union has implemented “important safeguards” to manage finances responsibly. He added that UFLAC remains committed to its work “fighting for more firefighters. paramedics. fire trucks. engines. and ambulances for the residents of Los Angeles.”.

Walker’s position has been consistent: he denies wrongdoing. In an interview with The Times last year, Walker said the IAFF’s allegations were false. He told the paper that the account he drew from was not for the charity. the UFLAC Fire Foundation. but was set up for two golf tournaments used to raise money for a disabled former firefighter. He said all of the deposits were reimbursements for legitimate out-of-pocket expenses related to the tournaments.

“Not one penny of the money was foundation money,” Walker said, adding that the deposits “look bad” because of what he described as “poor bookkeeping,” not because of any wrongdoing.

The IAFF did not accept that explanation. It suspended Walker from his positions as chairman and director of the foundation, according to the record described in the case.

The foundation is described as a support system for injured firefighters and their families, providing scholarships and helping firefighters who lost their homes in the January 2025 fires.

Mayor Karen Bass said the allegations are “deeply troubling.” She said she had spoken with Chief Moore and thanked state and local law enforcement partners for their work to hold the person—“and anyone who commits crime”—accountable.

Bass’s statement came as the arrest lands on top of years of turmoil inside the union. The union was briefly run by a conservator after other top officers were suspended over financial issues.

In an investigation by the IAFF in May of last year, the organization found that $800,000 in credit card purchases were not properly documented. Former UFLAC President Freddy Escobar and two others were suspended over what the IAFF described as “serious problems” involving missing receipts.

After an internal trial. the IAFF sustained some charges against Escobar. including failing to provide full and accurate accounting. conduct detrimental to the IAFF. and conduct unbecoming. The IAFF dismissed the most serious charges, including incompetence, negligence, and failure of duty. The union extended Escobar’s suspension through the remainder of his term. though it said he may seek to run again for a union leadership position if he chooses.

On social media in April, Escobar expressed disappointment that he was not reinstated and argued he was not found to have misused funds, saying the case against him was politically motivated. The conservatorship ended late last year, and Coates became UFLAC’s acting president.

Outside of these leadership fights, the union is also backing a measure that could reshape the city’s firefighting funding. UFLAC is supporting a proposed measure for the November ballot that would raise the city sales tax from 9.75% to 10.25% and raise more than $300 million annually for a department that union officials say is underfunded.

That funding pressure is not abstract. The LAFD’s funding became a central issue after the Palisades fire destroyed thousands of homes and killed a dozen people.

On Wednesday, in the midst of that ongoing strain on the department and community, the latest allegation landed with a different kind of weight: not whether resources are scarce, but whether the trust built to protect the people who protect others has been violated.

Walker faces the charges prosecutors announced: one count each of grand theft and forgery—while the union, the city, and the charity’s intended beneficiaries wait for the legal process to sort what happened, and what the consequences will be.

Adam Walker United Firefighters of Los Angeles City UFLAC charity theft grand theft forgery Los Angeles Fire Department Rob Bonta Nathan Hochman paid administrative leave Los Angeles news