Sep. 18—The former Lomira Fire Chief who was terminated in February is now facing charges of misconduct in public office and theft.
Keith Joas, 40, of Campbellsport, is tentatively charged with two counts of misconduct in public office and one theft count, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said Wednesday morning. The charges follow an investigation of alleged theft by the Sheriff's Office initiated by the village of Lomira two days after Joas was fired on Feb. 13.
Joas is accused of using taxpayer funds for personal purchases during his tenure as fire chief, according to Schmidt. Sheriff's Office detectives and Lomira officials determined the charges to be appropriate following reviews of financial records.
Charges against Joas had not been filed in court records as of Wednesday morning.
The Sheriff's Office is seeking charges of misconduct in public office against Joas along with theft because "public employees must be held accountable and held to a higher standard" regarding citizens' trust, Schmidt said.
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