North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of James Adam Berry, fire chief of the Griffith Volunteer Fire Department in Forsyth County. Berry was charged with two felony counts of falsifying fire incident reports.
Special agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division accuse Berry of willfully misstating the number of fire personnel responding to calls on fire incident reports to the Office of State Fire Marshal to obtain a higher fire insurance protection rating for his fire department. He is also accused of falsifying fire incident reports to the Forsyth County Fire Marshal’s Office.
The offenses occurred between June 30, 2016, and Oct. 8, 2021.
Special agents and Yadkin County deputies arrested Berry on Feb. 4 and was taken to the Yadkin County Detention Center. He was released on a written promise to appear in court. Berry is scheduled to appear in Forsyth County District Court on March 10.