Ohio fire chief sentenced to prison after spending department funds on personal  ATV, cruise, guns

The chief of a Jackson County, Ohio fire department was sentenced to prison for spending more than $200,000 in department funds on personal items.

According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Ohio, 38 year-old Johnny Baker, the chief of the Coalton volunteer fire department, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison.

Baker—who began working for the department in 2009 and eventually became chief in 2023–used pulled tab sales to raise money from the local community. Originally, the funds were used to buy supplies for the fire department, but were later spent on personal purchases.

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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Baker made spent approximately $226,000 to purchase a personal ATV, firearms, a cruise, a resort stay and tickets to sporting events.

Baker pled guilty to one count of mail fraud for the embezzlement in April, and was sentenced on Nov. 13.

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