RIPON – A former fire chief for the City of Ripon faces multiple charges of credit card fraud connected to purchases made on a department card over a six-year period.
According to the criminal complaint, Timothy Saul Jr. allegedly racked up 43,000 in fraudulent charges to a department credit card between 2016 and 2022.
Alleged purchases include multiple hotel stays, including at the Kalahari and Mt. Olympus resorts in the Wisconsin Dells, as well as car rentals, a transaction related to the Chicago Cubs, and various other bills.
According to the complaint, Saul Jr. had told former deputy chief Mark Sabel he was “going through a rough patch” and had used the RAFD credit card for personal purchases but did not say how much money was personal. Saul Jr. told Sabel that he then paid off the entire credit card, including late fees. Sabel told investigators he did not know where Saul Jr. had obtained the money to pay off the credit card.
Saul retired from the department in 2022, citing a desire to focus on his physical and mental well-being.
Saul is expected in court December 23rd. He faces up to 27 months in prison if convicted.
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