Former Speedway fire chief agrees to plead guilty

The former chief of the Speedway Fire Department will plead guilty to charges of theft and official misconduct.

Marion County prosecutors on Thursday charged Mark D. Watson, of Plainfield, with the two felonies.

The charges follow a state audit that accused Watson of misusing more than $60,000 from the town and spending the cash on personal items.

According to a news release from the Marion County prosecutor's office, Watson has agreed to plead guilty to both counts and pay restitution to the town of Speedway. He also has agreed to pay restitution to the State Board of Accounts for the costs associated with an audit conducted by the agency.

"Mr. Watson deeply regrets the harm and embarrassment he has caused the great citizens of the town of Speedway," said Watson's attorney, David Russell Hennessy.

A guilty plea hearing is slated for Sept. 28.

"A thorough and detailed investigation by the Indiana State Police and the State Board of Accounts led to these charges, and we appreciate the work of each of these agencies," Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said in a statement.

Watson, who was tapped to lead the fire department in 2010, resigned his post in October.

The audit accused him of spending department funds on items such as a 46-inch television, a payment on a pickup truck, a grill, a snowblower and a gun.

The Marion County Jail list of inmates does not show Watson as booked, but court records indicate his attorney has filed a motion asking for him to be released on bond.

"We are really disappointed and disgusted," Speedway Town Manager Ian Nicolini said in July after the audit was released. "But if there is a silver lining, it's that through our internal controls, we were able to discover these alleged activities and take action."

Nicolini said Watson resigned after town officials noticed discrepancies and confronted him. The town then asked the state to perform an audit.

The audit accused Watson of misusing money in a variety of ways, including depositing department funds in a personal checking account, using a department credit card for personal expenses and pocketing fees that entry-level firefighters paid to take an exam.

Star reporter Justin L. Mack contributed to this story. Call Star reporter Madeline Buckley at (317) 444-6083. Follow her on Twitter:@Mabuckley88.