A Whitehall Township couple has been charged with the theft of more than $6,000 from the West Catasauqua Fire Company social club.

According to Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin, Harrison E. Bruder Jr., 53, and his wife, Brenda L. Bruder, 52, of 2016 S. First Ave., were charged today with one count each of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy - felonies of the third degree.

Harrison Bruder is a former president of the West Catasauqua Fire Company social club. His wife is a former recording secretary. While in those positions, the pair allegedly used the fire company’s checkbook and credit card to make unauthorized purchases for their own benefit.

The case was investigated by Lehigh County Detective Gerald Procanyn.

In early March, according to a news release from Martin’s office, Procanyn received a report from the treasurer of the West Catasauqua Fire Company, Barbara Bedocs, who said she had discovered irregularities during a review of the fire company’s checking and savings accounts, both of which were with Wells Fargo Bank. Bedocs also noted purchases she considered to be unauthorized and made with the fire company’s credit card.

Procanyn began an investigation of the Wells Fargo Bank accounts and determined Harrison and Brenda Bruder had, in fact, used the fire company credit card and checking account to make unauthorized payments and purchases, according to the report.

The payments made by the Bruders from the fire company accounts - $6,388.47 in all - included payments made to Facebook for personal expenses and retailers that included Sam’s Club, Walmart, The Restaurant Depot, The Restaurant Store, Boscov’s, Dollar Tree and Kohl’s.

According to Whitehall Township Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr., “The Township of Whitehall and the Whitehall Township Volunteer Fire Department were made aware of an investigation conducted by the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office into the suspicion of theft by two former board members of the West Catasauqua Fire Social Quarters (Club).”

Hozza stressed Harrison and Brenda Bruder “are not and have never been employees or volunteers of Whitehall Township or the Whitehall Township Volunteer Fire Department.”

Whitehall’s volunteer fire department consists of five stations - Fullerton, West Catasauqua, Hokendauqua, Egypt and Cementon. The physical stations, according to Hozza, are owned by five nonprofit social clubs, not the fire department. Whitehall Township pays each of the five social clubs yearly rent for the housing of township-owned fire apparatus and equipment, Hozza said.

“We are confident that the new board of directors at the West Catasauqua Fire Company Social Quarters (Club) will be able to move forward with new accounting financial controls,” Hozza said.