STANLEY, N.C. — Three former Stanley Fire Department officials have been indicted on multiple felony charges after allegedly sabotaging critical emergency response systems, including deleting hydrant mapping data that left firefighters operating without vital information for two weeks.

A grand jury indicted former Chief Eric Withers, former Deputy Chief Michael Hullett and former Captain Ashely Price following an investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the town of Stanley and the Gaston County District Attorney's Office.

The charges come from a 2023 internal audit launched after several senior fire department members departed. Town officials said the audit revealed deliberate acts designed to undermine new leadership and compromise public safety systems.

The m

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