Former Conover fire chief resigns, facing multiple criminal charges

CONOVER, N.C. (WBTV) - The former Conover fire chief is facing multiple criminal charges, the town’s city manager confirmed Tuesday.

Mark Hinson is under investigation by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. The agency has since issued charges related to allegedly providing false information on fire reports.

Hinson joined the department in 2003 and resigned Aug. 14, 2023.

In the meantime, Assistant Chief Mark Stafford is serving as the Interim Fire Chief.

Town Manager Tom Hart issued the following statements:

The City has been cooperating with an NC Department of Insurance investigation and the DOI has charged the former Fire Chief with several crimes related to providing false information on fire incident reports.

Assistant Chief Mark Stafford is serving as the Interim Fire Chief. The City of Conover and the personnel of the Conover Fire Department remain committed to providing the best fire protection services to our community.

WBTV is working to learn more about the charges and what led to them. Get those latest updates sent straight to your device by downloading the free WBTV News app today.

Watch continuous news coverage here:

Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved.