A volunteer fire chief from Jackson County was sentenced to a year in prison today after pleading guilty to mail fraud charges. Johnny Baker, who led the Coalton volunteer fire department, was convicted of diverting over $200,000 of the department’s funds for his personal use.
The scheme, which began seemingly innocently, had Baker managing to pull tab sales meant to support the fire department. Across the local community, this legal gambling venture flourished in businesses whose intended goal was to rally financial support for the firefighters. However, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, Baker began supplementing his income, spending the proceeds on various luxuries, including cruises and an ATV.
Joining the volunteer department in 2009, Baker served in various roles before becoming the fire chief in January 2023. During his tenure as chief, he misappropriated funds, not only from the pull tab sales but also by having items purchased with the fire department’s money delivered to his residence using services like UPS…