WAGENER, S.C. () – Two former Wagener fire chiefs were arrested by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Tuesday morning.

Former fire chiefs Mark Redd and David Watson left this department within the last few years after what some call “turmoil” and investigations into overtime within the department by SLED.

After going through the booking process Tuesday morning, they’ve now been released on bond. 

An arrest warrant alleges Watson, between June 30, 2022 and Oct. 4, 2023, frequently claimed “overtime as hours worked totaling $42,298.56” while being employed by the Town of Wagener as a maintenance supervisor.

He allegedly referred to them as loans, and he’s also accused of using town funds to buy gun parts. 

Back in 2020, Mark Redd was fired by Mayor Mike Miller after serving with the fire department for more than 40 years—prompting him to file a defamation suit against the mayor in 2022.

Some say this started a chain reaction of instability in the fire department—leading to slow response times.

“With the current response time, there’s been one or two right near me that are total losses. But being this close, they should have been able to be saved,” said David Wright.

David Watson took over after Redd was fired for two and a half years, but resigned following an investigation into his overtime logs. 

Watson was charged Tuesday with claiming more than $42,000 in overtime that he didn’t work while serving as a maintenance supervisor between 2022 and 2023.  

David Watson, 52, of Neeses, S.C., was booked into Aiken County Detention Center at 7:35 a.m. on Aug. 19.

According to booking information, he is charged with Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent, Value of $10,000 or more.

Joseph “Mark” Redd, 66, of Wagener, was also booked into the Aiken County Detention Center at the same time.

He is charged with Misconduct in Office, Malfeasance (wrongdoing of a public official), Misfeasance (wrongful exercise of lawful authority), or Nonfeasance (failure to perform an act that is required by law), as well as Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent, Value More than $2,000 but Less Than $10,000.

According to arrest warrants for Redd, he allegedly utilized the Town of Wagener’s Security Federal Bank account “for his own personal and financial gain” between Sept. 17, 2007 and Jan. 7, 2016 while serving as fire chief of the Wagener Fire Department.

The warrants accuse Redd of writing checks to himself and family members, as well as purchasing firearm components unrelated to his duties as chief, totaling approximately $7,369.94.

This all comes just days after the town appointed Hendrik Swanepoel as the new fire chief, who is working to get operations running once again.

“Right now, we are getting Salley, New Holland, and Holly Creek to cover Wagener until we get all the documents. We cannot respond right now without the right documentation. So, I’m waiting to go through all this stuff,” said Swanepoel.

Chief Swanepoel declined to comment on the investigation, but he says he’s taking the job to move the fire department in the right direction. .

A court date for Redd and Watson is set for October 24th.