On Wednesday, William Ferrell, the former treasurer of the Bacon District Volunteer Fire Department's Bingo game operation, was sentenced to 15 years in prison – a suspended sentence– for embezzling bingo funds. The Charlotte County Court Judge stressed that while the court's decision did not call for imprisonment, the matter was still regarded as serious. Ferrell, 57, of Wylliesburg, was also ordered to repay the $65,600 within the next year.

The Bacon District Department of Charitable Gaming, which repeatedly warned against having only one person in charge of the bingo funds, allowed the volunteer fire department to conduct bingo games on a weekly basis in order to raise money, an operation that brought in more than $300,000 between 1995 and 2005, the year that Ferrell was arrested. According to the court record, Ferrel used to keep the cash he received from the bingo games for himself instead of depositing it.

When the fire department reported concerns about the missing bingo money to the state gaming department, an investigation was launched. Ferrell emerged as the main suspect and it wasn't long before he turned himself in. The bingo embezzler claimed that he had always intended to repay the bingo money. As a goodwill gesture and as part of the plea agreement, Ferrell handed to the court a $10,000 restitution check, which was later turned over to the fire department chief.