Arkansas Firefighters’ Union Prez Arrested for Allegedly Embezzling Money to Gamble

The president of a firefighters’ union has found himself under fire after he was accused of embezzling money from his organization and allegedly using it to gamble. The man has been arrested and is now facing charges.

Other Union Members Became Suspicious

According to the arrest warrant, Sharone Norwood, president of the Fort Smith chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters, stole roughly $50,000 from his organization’s money. The allegations say that Norwood used the money he embezzled to fund his gameplay at a local tribal casino.

Investigators understood that, between August and September 2025, Norwood made multiple withdrawals from the union’s bank account. However, union officials eventually noticed discrepancies. Since Norwood was the only one allowed to withdraw money from the union’s account, other than the treasurer, his fellow union members became suspicious and referred the matter to the police in April 2026.

Samuel Schleiff, the union’s treasurer, also noted that he saw a $20,000 deposit being made a day after informing Norwood about the missing funds.

Norwood Submitted a Not Guilty Plea

As a result of the complaint, investigators were able to determine that Norwood was likely behind the missing money. A surveillance video seemed to confirm that, authorities say. As a result, they were able to track his movements, withdrawals and confirm that he was playing at the nearby Choctaw Casino & Resort Pocola. The days he played there coincided with the dates of the withdrawals, adding further credibility to the embezzlement theory.

Reports suggest that Norwood later admitted to a battalion chief with the Ford Smith FD that he was suffering from a gambling addiction and that he was the one who took the money. Contrary to this report, however, Norwood ended up pleading not guilty to charges on May 19.

Norwood was released from arrest on bail. If convicted, he faces a maximum fine of up to $15,000, as well as up to 20 years in prison.

It should be noted that Norwood had previously been sued by creditors over unpaid credit.