The city of Minneapolis has terminated its former communications officer, Adam Fetcher, after allegations of theft surfaced. Fetcher, who served in the position for a year, is accused of stealing cash and credit cards from fellow city employees.
According to reports, Fetcher allegedly committed the thefts after returning from a work-approved rehabilitation program. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office is reviewing the case after receiving it from authorities. The investigation began when a woman reported a suspicious purchase made using her charge card at a local smoke shop.
The smoke shop's manager, Hamza Zamara, helped investigators identify Fetcher as the person who used fraudulent cards to make a $481 purchase. Employees at the shop took pictures of Fetcher and followed him outside, providing investigators with his vehicle's license plate number.
Ficher was fired from his $186,000-a-year position on July 1. In an email to staff announcing the termination, City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher wrote that the Communications team is well-positioned to manage the city's communications needs.
A memo obtained by the Star Tribune revealed that several city employees had missing cash, debit, or credit cards, as well as unauthorized charges, between mid-May and June. Kelliher assured staff that the city takes the incidents seriously and has acted accordingly.
Ficher's background includes serving as deputy national press secretary for the Obama administration and holding senior communications roles for companies like Patagonia, Rivian, and Lyft.
