Taylor County Judge Ann Knox-Bauer, has appointed a special prosecutor in the criminal case against former Hurley Fire Chief Darell Petrusha. The Daily Globe reports that Judge Knox who is hearing the case, has appointed Allen Brey to the position. Brey will receive a higher pay rate than most special prosecutors, mainly due to the difficulty in finding someone qualified and experienced enough to take this special appointment where the district attorney has been disqualified and the neighboring counties have conflicts in the case. The former fire chief is facing one count of identity theft related to alleged improper use of a department credit card for personal expenses. A status conference in Petrusha’s case is scheduled for Feb. 16.