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Man Facing Additional Charges For Stealing From Employer

An Escambia County man previous charged with stealing from his employer and fraudulently using an EBT cards has been arrested in two additional theft and fraud cases.

Barry Paul Fehr, 53, was employed at Highway Specialties, Inc. on Pine Barren Barren Road in McDavid since 2001.

Fehr allegedly billed a contractor using Highway Specialties letterhead after representing himself as owner of the company and using letterhead to prepare quotes and establish contracts to that he would be paid personally for the installation of guardrail components on federal, state and local roadways.

He billed the contractor $6,300 for guardrail installed on I-10 and $500 for a guardrail repair on I-110 at Brent Lane, according to an arrest report. Investigators said he took inventory from Highway Specialties stock and transported it to the job site and performed the installation himself.

In a separate incident, Fehr allegedly negotiated a contract with Biles Construction for guardrail that was installed in Semmes, AL, and billed the company on Highway Specialties letterhead with his name at the top of the invoice. The guardrail used had been purchased by Highway Specialties for a project in Okaloosa County, but was reportedly taken from their inventory by Fehr.

The owner of Biles Construction told investigators that he was asked to pay for the guardrail in cash. When the company refused, Fehr reportedly asked that the $8,550 check be made out to him personally instead of Highway Specialties because he was going through a “nasty divorce”, the arrest report states.

Fehr was charged with multiple felony counts of grand theft and fraud in he two cases.

In January, Fehr was charged with unrelated counts of grand theft and fraud after an investigation found that he  sold 30,145 pounds of steel highway guardrail components in 19 transactions to Wise Recycling without the permission of Highway Specialties for a total of $3,428.

The investigation also found Fehr in possession of additional guardrail components owned by Highway Specialties and valued at $2,135, the report states.

Several times, Fehr represented himself in a capacity to complete jobs and accept payment without proper invoicing and receipts, investigators said. Within the past two years, deputies said Fehr and his crew installed 150 feet of guardrail on I-10 and was paid $5,200 outside the scope of Highway Specialties.

Fehr was also accused of paying cash at one-half the face value for an individual’s State of Florida EBT card each month for the past 60 months. He then used the card as his own, fraudulently obtaining about $10,500 worth of benefits, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Fehr was charged with one felony count of a grand theft and one felony count of fraud – unauthorized user of public assistance when arrested in January. Fehr was charged with additional counts of fraud – unauthorized user of public assistance in February.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from his January and February arrests. He has not yet been arraigned on his latest arrests and remains free on bond.