BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — A Fairfield Twp. firefighter pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges related to misusing a credit card, according to Butler County court records.
Jeremy Spears, of Forest Park, pleaded guilty to misuse of a credit card, a fifth-degree felony, and theft and falsification charges were dismissed. He was ordered to pay $1,844.16 in restitution.
Spears will be sentenced by Butler County Common Pleas Judge Charles Pater on Nov. 10, according to court records.
He was indicted on June 2 on theft, misuse of credit cards and falsification after spending about $1,800 on a Fairfield Twp. Firefighters Association credit card intended to be used for necessities and food purchases. Some of the purchases were made while Spears was on vacation in Disney World, according to an investigation.
The theft and misuse of credit card charges are related to activities from May 24, 2019 through Nov. 21, 2019, and the falsification charge is for a statement made on Jan. 10, according to the indictment. Fairfield Twp. Police Sgt. Brandon McCroskey said a tip from inside the township fire department led to investigation and charges.
Fairfield Twp. Fire Chief Tim Thomas said Spears has been on unpaid administrative leave since the charges were filed and the law director is determining the township’s next action.
“Obviously this is not what we want to see happen,” Thomas said of having a firefighter charged. “There isn’t much I can do about what happened.”
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