Ex-Fire Chief Paid Back Stolen Funds Before Killing Himself

The retired Ontario fire chief who admitted he embezzled $60,000 from the city had returned the money--with interest--Monday, the day before he killed himself, officials said Wednesday.

David R. Lee, 56, admitted to investigators this month that he took the money out of a Fire Department account in 1992, and then promised to return it.

He gave the money back on Monday--a check that included $15,375 in interest, said city spokesman George Urch.

On Tuesday, Lee was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, in a rear parking lot of an Ontario mortuary. His body was separated only by a wall from the grave site of his first wife.

Ontario Police Det. Linda Johnson said investigators found an audiotape--the equivalent of a suicide note--in which Lee sounded “very sad.” The tape indicated that Lee “did not want to put his family through a protracted trial,” she said.

Police investigators were on the brink of turning over their findings to the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office for prosecution when Lee killed himself.

“The guy was held in high esteem in the community, and he was apparently feeling very heavy with guilt,” Urch said. “And we’re drawing the conclusion that he killed himself at the mortuary so we wouldn’t have to take his body very far.

“But we still don’t know why he took the money to begin with,” Urch said.

Lee retired last year after 33 years with the Ontario Fire Department, including 17 years as chief.