Former Detroit Woman Firefighter of Year being investigated for stealing money

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Verdine Day was named the Detroit Woman Firefighter of the Year at the Detroit Public Safety Foundation's Women in Blue luncheon last spring. Now Day is accused of misusing union assets while she was the treasurer of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association.

The information was released in an internal bulletin on Wednesday. FOX 2 obtained a copy of the notice on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Day spoke about becoming the first black female firefighter 33 years ago when she was honored in April.

"I took this job as a challenge because I did not know at the time there were women on the job, so I wanted to make a difference," she said at the time.

The Detroit Fire Fighters Association says it doesn't know how much money was misused or exactly when it occurred. The bulletin goes on to say a forensic audit of all the union's books and records is underway.

Day recently retired from the Detroit Fire Department. But prior to her retirement, she talked to FOX 2 on a number of occasions, whether it was at a back-to-school event or in response to then-Attorney General Bill Schuette saying firefighters were breaking the law while standing in the street collecting donations for charity. Day was always forthcoming with the media.

The union president declined to talk to FOX 2 about this, stating that it was an internal investigation that he can't comment to the media about. 

FOX 2 also contacted Verdine Day, but she has not yet responded.