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Dispatcher Charged With Pawning Stolen Fire Equipment

MARKHAM, Ill. (STMW) -- A dispatcher for a south suburban fire department has been charged with buying stolen fire equipment to sell at a south suburban pawn shop.

Varndell Hurrings, 52, of Sauk Village, was charged with felony theft and released on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond Friday, according to the Cook County Sheriff's office.

The Ford Heights Fire Department notified sheriff's police on Jan. 26 that a hydraulic unit used to power the "jaws of life" tool was discovered missing during a Jan. 22 equipment inspection, a statement from the sheriff's office said.

Investigators determined Hurrings purchased the stolen $4,100 tool for $40 from a person who has since died, then sold it to a Chicago Heights pawnshop for $80, police said.

Hurrings will be back in court June 14 in Markham.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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