RIPON, Wis. — Former Ripon Fire Chief Timothy Saul pled guilty on Tuesday to misusing his fire department’s credit card for six years.
From 2016 to 2022, Saul made personal purchases with the Ripon Area Fire District’s card. Transactions ranged from electricity bills to hotel stays, totaling over $30,000.
Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney said the card’s high credit limit of $35,000 allowed Saul to protect his own credit while accruing a high balance with late fees on the Fire District’s card.
“The Ripon community should be proud of the work of the Fire District to expose the defendant’s criminal activity and hold him accountable, based on the great investigation by the Ripon Police Department,” Toney said in a statement.
Investigation showed Saul paid off the balance and did not show any public funds or money from the Fire District were used. He did not properly inform the Fire Department Board of the charges.
“I acknowledge that by using the credit card to help myself out of my own financial struggles, and by keeping this information from the District, I created an environment that could have put the public and The District at risk,” Saul said in an apology statement.
The 57-year-old abruptly announced his retirement in December 2022 after nearly 10 years as Ripon’s fire chief.
Judge Andrew Christenson ordered Saul to pay a total of $3,000 dollars in fines plus court costs for three counts of credit card fraud.
