Mar 20, 2018 5:20 PM

The second vice chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance Company said she would resign last month after an investigation by Southampton Town officials found two suspicious gasoline purchases she made using the ambulance company’s credit card last year.

Margaret Lamparter’s resignation will take effect April 1, officials said. While she is resigning from the board, she will continue to volunteer for the company.

She did not answer numerous requests for comment this week.

In addition, an "overlapping investigation" found that Alexander Papajohn, the chairman of the board, purchased a television for his personal use with an ambulance company credit card.

The investigation, led by Southampton Town Attorney James Burke, found that Mr. Papajohn had purchased two televisions at P.C. Richard & Son for approximately $180 each. One of the televisions was given away in an ambulance company fundraising raffle. At the time Mr. Papajohn had offered to pay for the second television however he was critized by ambulance volunteers for not paying sales tax, according to Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.

Mr. Papajohn has since reimbursed the company for the cost of the television including sales tax, according to Mr. Schneiderman. No additional action was taken.

Mr. Papajohn, likewise, did not answer multiple requests for comment.

Mr. Burke conducted the six-month investigation after ambulance volunteers questioned Ms. Lamparter’s credit card usage, he said. The town conducted the investigation because the Town Board oversees the budget and finances of the Ponquogue Avenue ambulance company, which responds to approximately 1,600 emergency calls annually.

Mr. Schneiderman said last week that the allegations proved false, noting that the investigation didn’t show anything other than the two gasoline purchases—which officials couldn’t say for sure were not for company use. “There was an allegation that the card was used to put some gas in a vehicle,” Mr. Schneiderman said. “I can’t say that was for ambulance purposes or not.”

“It is somewhat disputed as to whether all of the gasoline purchases were done for district purposes or not, even though the vehicle used was a district vehicle,” Mr. Burke wrote in an email this week.

Mr. Schneiderman added that it was not unusual for ambulance volunteers to put gas in the company’s vehicles while on duty.

Ms. Lamparter, who has served as a member of the ambulance company since 2013, decided to resign from the board immediately following a series of meetings between town and ambulance officials, the last of which was held nearly a month ago, according to Mr. Burke.

Mr. Schneiderman attributed Ms. Lamparter’s resignation to personal reasons. However, Mr. Burke said that the accusations made against her may have played a role in her decision to step down.

“I would say it’s a possibility of it,” Mr. Burke said. “She has some very strong supporters and some detractors.”

Mr. Burke explained that the company’s board of directors will hold a special election to fill Ms. Lamparter’s seat; however, he was unsure when that would occur.

He also added that the town is currently seeking bids to perform an outside audit of the ambulance district finances, a practice that could be extended to all of the ambulance districts serving the town.

“While I personally have great respect for the volunteers who dedicate their time and effort by answering emergency calls in the middle of the night, obviously, proper procedures and rules must be adhered to,” the town attorney said.