By William C. Lhotka
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
MOLINE ACRES, Mo.— Federal investigators are looking into the financial dealings of a former Metro-North Fire Protection District chief who is accused in a lawsuit of taking more than $200,000 in public money.
Chief David Jetton, 52, of Dellwood, resigned in June 2006. A suit filed by the district board of directors in St. Louis County Circuit Court claims he used a variety of schemes to convert money to his own use from 2000-06.
The case has a court date of Oct. 19.
Jetton could not be reached for comment. One of his attorneys, Chet Pleban, would say only that he plans to question district officials at length under oath and that he anticipates that “a lot of issues will come to light that may surprise district taxpayers.”
Frank Vatterott, attorney for the board, said his clients were shocked last year to discover that Jetton, whom they considered a personal friend, had used an unauthorized district credit card to make thousands of dollars of personal purchases.
The board also accused Jetton of obtaining three more credit cards in Metro-North’s name for personal purchases that included family trips and the purchase of a son’s high school class ring.
Officials who confirmed a further investigation said they could not speak publicly about it. Through a spokesman, U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway declined to comment.
Said Vatterott: “It is very appropriate for a public official entrusted with public funds that the federal government looks at it.”
The Metro-North district, which used the name Moline Acres until 2003, has one station with 15 firefighters to protect 20,000 residents in Dellwood, Moline Acres and unincorporated north St. Louis County. The budget is approximately $1.6 million a year.
The chief is paid about $75,000 annually.
The three directors, David Thornton, Louis Schnur and John Thomas, all referred questions to the board’s lawyer. Chief Floyd Renner, who replaced Jetton, also said he could not comment.
In 1994, Jetton replaced a chief who served briefly after the death of Jetton’s father, also named David Jetton, who served from the 1970s until his death in 1993.
Vatterott described the younger Jetton as “a classic manipulator who ripped them off for years and years.”
As the only administrator and office employee, Jetton handled all the mail and bills and submitted claims for the board to pay. Vatterott said there was a part-time bookkeeper who worked with documents Jetton provided.
Vatterott said the schemes began to unravel in April 2006 “when one of the firefighters found a credit card monthly statement’’ on a table and turned it over to directors.
Confronted by the board, Vatterott said, Jetton resigned.
Directors were unable to find financial or personnel records in the district offices, Vatterott said. “If this had been a large district, there would have been checks and balances. But this was a small district. And his dad had been the legendary fire chief there.”
It has taken over a year to backtrack through credit card companies and other sources to come up with the figures for the civil suit that was filed in June, Vatterott said.
Lynnette Petruska, one of Jetton’s lawyers, said the allegations were too vague for a reply. She noted that a three-year statute of limitations barred the plaintiffs from seeking any reimbursement for expenditures before June 27, 2004.
Specifically, the district wants Jetton to pay back $220,808.90.
Allegations in the suit claim that Jetton:
- Used a credit card directors knew about for $45,036 in unauthorized purchases from 2000-06.
- Used a second card, unknown to the directors, for $78,057 in personal expenditures.
- Used a third and fourth card, of which the directors were also unaware, for $8,128 in purchases.
- Got 13 unauthorized paychecks in 2001-05 totaling $34,900.
- Had the district pay for $2,258 in work on a personal vehicle in 2006.
- Billed the district for $6,548 on two unauthorized cell phones.
- Billed $8,804 from a Sam’s Club membership.
The suit also alleges that Jetton paid a debt to the Internal Revenue Service of $23,272 in 2001 with district funds. Vatterott said Jetton claimed he had borrowed the funds. Directors have said they don’t remember making the loan. In either event, Jetton has not repaid it, the suit says.
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