FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — A former Ripon fire chief has been ordered to pay more than $3,000 worth of fines after pleading guilty to three counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, according to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney's office.
Records show Timothy Saul, Jr. charged more than $30,000 to the Ripon Fire District's credit card from 2016-2022, and did not properly inform the Fire Department Board of the charges. In an apology letter released Monday, Saul said he paid off the balance with his own money.
"It is with great regret and shame that I take responsibility and admit guilt for the repeated misuse of the Ripon Fire District's credit card," Saul said in the letter. "I regret those terrible choices, however, I never submitted any of those bills to be paid by taxpayer dollars."
In a press release, Fond du Lac County DA Eric Toney said Saul "failed to provide proper financial management and communication to the board, which allowed (him) to benefit from a significant line of credit, protecting his credit while accruing a high balance with late fees."
“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 the release. "The Ripon area community should once again be proud of their Fire District and those serving them on the Board.”
