LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. – Judson Hopping is the chief of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea’s volunteer fire department, where firefighters are paid for calls they respond to.
Hopping recently had a hunch that something was not right.
He noticed Deputy Chief John Louvaris was paid for a call he didn’t respond to.
“I knew that people were signing up for calls that were not present for the calls,” said Hopping. “I was on shift and he was not there, but she gave him credit for it.”
He is talking about the department’s secretary, one of only two full-time employees, who kept track of the call sheets.
She is Cheryl Louvaris, the deputy chief’s wife.
“I had a suspicion that she was taking sheets home and having her husband sign for them,” Hopping said.
There were other irregularities, including missing supplies and equipment, so Hopping set up some cameras.
“I have her on camera talking to her husband, who was sitting in the office with her,” he said. “She kept telling him, ‘you were on this call, sign this’ and she went to hand him the sheet, and someone came in the office and she pulls it back.”
Hopping said he also caught John Louvaris stealing gas.
“That’s fuel we use for the ATV’s and Jet Skis, and what do we see him doing there? He’s putting gas into his personal truck,” said Hopping. “Walking from behind one of the apparatus with a five gallon gas can and walking over to his personal vehicle and dispensing the gasoline in his personal vehicle.”
Local 10 News’ Christina Vazquez asked Hopping if he thinks this is the first time Louvaris has done this, or if it’s the first time he was caught on camera.
“I believe that was the first time he was caught on camera,” Hopping replied.
Court records show that in 2009, John Louvaris faced a misdemeanor charge related to stealing gas. He plead no contest and agreed to pay just over $500 in restitution to an Oakland Park BP gas station. The restitution order can be seen at the bottom of this story.
Hopping said at the time, Louvaris was suspended, but he was allowed to come back to work when the matter was resolved.
He said last week the majority of department membership voted to fire John Louvaris, and the chief fired Cheryl Louvaris for this, and he says for showing a firefighters his, and another firefighter’s, personal and confidential information, to include financial data about their pensions.
“It puts a black eye on our department, for the actions of two people,” said Hopping. “I did catch it, I acted on my suspicions and I caught them.”
The video footage has been shared with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, which told Local 10 News they are looking into it.
Hopping said John Louvaris had been with the department since 2005 while Cheryl Louvaris was employed there beginning in 2008.
Local 10 News has confirmed with the mayor of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue that the two municipalities are in final negotiations for Pompano Beach to provide fire services to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, a change that could happen by late summer.
When asked if he thinks equipment, materials and supplies are disappearing from the station because of the upcoming change, Hopping responded, “I believe some of it does. I really think it has been going on for a while.”