COLUMBUS, OH – A significant breach of trust in the Jackson County volunteer fire department as its chief pleads guilty to mail fraud.
Johnny Baker, 37, from Wellston, Ohio, and chief of the Coalton volunteer fire department, admitted in U.S. District Court to diverting over $200,000 of department funds for personal use. His misuse of funds encompassed a variety of personal expenditures, including shipping items to his home, vacations, sports tickets, and more, all charged to a fire department credit card.
Serving the fire department since 2009 in roles such as secretary/treasurer, assistant fire chief, and, most recently, chief since January 2023, Baker was in charge of the department’s finances. He confessed to using the department’s credit card from 2020 to 2023 for his personal expenses and covered the bills with funds raised from the community through a pull-tab gaming fundraiser.
Baker has committed to repaying approximately $226,000 in restitution. Mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, with sentencing guided by Congress, sentencing guidelines, and statutory factors, to be determined at a forthcoming court hearing.