Former Westport fire official pleads guilty to bilking union

By John Nickerson
Advocate Staff Writer
Posted: 11/20/2008 01:26:24 PM EST

NORWALK - A former Westport Fire Department union treasurer accused of improperly using his union credit card for 87 visits to bars and restaurants and purchasing Internet pornography avoided jail after pleading guilty to reduced charges Thursday.

Eric Fine, 49, of 11 Doe Place, Shelton, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree larceny and two counts of illegal use of a credit card at state Superior Court in Norwalk.

After posting $7,158 in restitution, Judge Burton Kaplan gave Fine a three year suspended sentence and two years probation.

Fine was arrested by Westport police in April after Westport Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 1081 complained to police that Fine made 108 unauthorized charges totaling $7,150 between April 2004 and June 2007.

After the sentencing, union President Gary Marks declined comment, except to say, "It is a sad situation. We are happy it is over and we wish (Fine) well."

At the time of his arrest, Fine was charged with second-degree larceny and illegal use of a credit card.

In an eight-page police arrest affidavit, Fine's charges were detailed.

He spent just over $3,100 to pay for a computer and digital camera - purchases that were outside his union business, the affidavit said.

Of his bar and restaurant charges, the affidavit said Fine went to Westport's Tai Pan Restaurant 47 times, charging between $16 and $200 for dinner and drinks.

He also charged almost $700 to a company called AEBN Inc., which he told a union vice president were purchases for professional journals, the affidavit said.

But after the union discovered the charges in January 2007, a call was made to AEBN and the union discovered the company was actually called the Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network, an Internet adult entertainment site, the affidavit said.

Fine made 14 charges of $49.95 each to AEBN, which on its Web site sells 500 minutes of pornographic Internet content for $49.95.