Former chamber of commerce president faces decades in prison for theft

A former president of the then-Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is facing 60 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $100,000 from the merchant’s association.

David Gainer Jr., 50, who was the head of the organization and its treasurer, has pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years. He has also agreed to forfeit $104,689, which is the amount of money the U.S. Department of Justice says he “fraudulently misappropriated.”