Former Cedar Grove Fire Chief Indicted for Fraud, Theft

CEDAR GROVE (January 7) — Michael Browning Jr., 35, former station fire chief for Cedar Grove, was indicted and arrested on Wednesday evening on charges of fraudulent use of a credit card and theft of property over $10,000.
Following an internal investigation by the Carroll County Fire Department, Carroll County Fire Chief Jonathan Gaskins provided information for further investigation to the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office.
The full report was provided by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office on Thursday at 11 a.m. and is as follows:
"An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has resulted in the indictment of Michael Browning Jr., the former chief of the Cedar Grove Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) in Carroll County. The investigation began after county officials discovered the department’s bank account had been closed with a negative balance.
"Investigators found that Browning misappropriated at least $10,721.61 between January 2022 and April 2025 by using the department’s debit card to make unauthorized ATM withdrawals and personal purchases. These included purchases at gas stations, retailers, liquor stores, restaurants, and a hotel stay, none of which benefited the department.
"In addition to the personal spending, Browning’s misuse of funds caused the department’s account to become overdrawn, resulting in $216 in overdraft fees.
"Browning was terminated from his position as the department’s fire chief on April 24, 2025.
"Based upon this investigation, on January 5, 2026, the Carroll County Grand Jury indicted Michael Browning Jr. on one count of theft of property over $10,000, and one count of fraudulent use of a debit card.
"'This investigation underscores the need for clear financial oversight and accountability in volunteer fire departments,' said Comptroller Mumpower. 'Departments must separate financial duties, maintain accurate records, and require documentation for all purchases. I am encouraged that all volunteer fire department funds in Carroll County are now under the control of the Carroll County Mayor’s Office, which should greatly strengthen internal oversight.'"
In a statement provided by Chief Gaskins:
"To be clear, these actions occurred prior to the transition to a countywide fire department by the Carroll County Commission in January 2025.
"At that time, individual community fire departments operated independently and relied on local donations, with financial oversight handled at the station level by volunteer leadership. After the transition to a countywide fire department, concerns of possible fraudulent activity were brought to the attention of leadership. In response, our leadership team informed the Comptroller's Office and have since cooperated fully in their investigation.
"Since the establishment of the countywide fire department, all funding, purchasing, and grant activity has been centralized at the county level. Financial oversight is now provided by the Carroll County Finance Department, with all transactions subject to established county procedures, regular review, and auditing.
"While situations such as this are unfortunate, the actions taken by the Carroll County Commission to implement a countywide fire department have significantly strengthened accountability and transparency."

Browning is being held at Carroll County Jail on a $10,000 bond, $5,000 for each count.