A longtime member of the Humane Fire Company in Pottsville is facing felony theft charges after allegedly being caught on surveillance footage taking thousands of dollars from the fire company’s funds.
According to the Pottsville Police Department, officers responded to a theft report at the fire company on April 1, 2025, at approximately 9:02 p.m. Fire company officials informed police that $2,100 in cash had been stolen over a three-week period and that their internal investigation had identified Joseph Spotts, a 48-year member of the fire company and the bar manager, as the suspect.
Police said fire company officials first grew suspicious around March 17, 2025, when they noticed discrepancies in the balance of their skill games machine cash box. A review of the office’s security footage from March 12 revealed that at approximately 11:55 a.m., Spotts reportedly entered the office, opened the safe, and removed the money box. He was then seen on video removing receipts and cash from the box before returning some receipts and a small portion of the cash. Spotts then used the office computer before picking up the remaining cash, folding it in half, and leaving the office. Fire company officials confirmed that Spotts did not have authorization to access either the office or the safe.
In a release from Police, it states when questioned by Fire Company President Anthony Alves, Spotts claimed he was holding onto larger receipts to explain the missing money. However, further surveillance on March 22 showed Spotts entering the office again, counting a large sum of money, and returning it to the skills machine box. Later that day, Alves and company Trustee Edward Ebling confronted Spotts with the video evidence. Spotts admitted to taking over $2,000 on three separate occasions throughout March but stated that he had returned the money on March 22.
Spotts later agreed to an interview with the Pottsville Police Department, where he claimed he had borrowed the money because he was struggling financially and had every intention of paying it back. When questioned about how he managed to repay the money so soon after being confronted, despite initially stating he was short on funds, Spotts said he applied for a loan after the discrepancies were discovered. He was unable to explain why he had not applied for a loan earlier instead of taking money from the fire company.
As a result of the investigation, Joseph Francis Spotts III has been charged with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, both of which are third-degree felonies.
Spotts was the director of emergency management, a member of the Pottsville Redevelopment Authority, and executive director of the Greater Pottsville Sewer Authority. He was also the head of the city's Democratic Party.